John McCormick, Chesapeake School Board Member

09/23/2026

🏈📣 Great night attending the Jolliff vs. Hugo Owens middle school football season opener!

This one was especially fun for me because my daughter had her first game cheering for the Jolliff Jaguars. The cheer team looked great, and the football team put up a lot of points in a big win!

It was also great bumping into Principals John Cavanaugh and Derrell Joppy at the game.

Congratulations to the Jolliff Jaguars on a great start to the season!

09/19/2026

Early voting has officially started in Chesapeake!

It has been an honor to serve our community on the Chesapeake School Board for the past four years, and I’m asking for your vote to continue that work.

WAVY-TV recently published its 2026 Voter Guide, where I had the opportunity to share more about why I’m running and the approach I’ve tried to bring to the Board:

“I ask tough questions, examine the facts, consider the long-term consequences, and vote accordingly.”

That’s what I’ve worked to do for the past four years, and that’s what I’ll continue to do: keep our schools safe, support great teachers, focus on academic excellence, give parents a meaningful voice, and make sure our students are prepared for success after graduation.

Early voting is underway now. I would be grateful to earn your vote for another term on the Chesapeake School Board.

John Michael McCormick is an incumbent candidate in the Chesapeake School Board race. McCormick is one of 13 candidates in this race who will appear on the November ballot. 10 On Your Side reached …

09/18/2026

Last week, I spent the day visiting schools throughout the Deep Creek Borough with Chesapeake Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Melissa Glod.

We started at Deep Creek Elementary and spent the day walking through our schools, meeting with principals and staff, and talking about facility needs, upcoming projects, and what they are seeing day to day.

It was also great to catch up with Mrs. Outlaw, former principal at E.W. Chittum. She is currently working out of Hugo Owens Middle as she prepares for the opening of the new Culpepper Landing Elementary next school year.

I appreciate Melissa taking the time to visit these schools with me and all of our principals and staff for showing us around and sharing their feedback. Getting into our schools and seeing the needs firsthand is an important part of making good decisions on the School Board.

09/12/2026

Friday Night Lights at Western Branch! 🏈

Western Branch vs. Hickory tonight on the brand-new turf field at Western Branch. The new field looks great and is a major upgrade for our student-athletes and athletic programs.

Great night for some Chesapeake high school football! 🏈

09/08/2026

I hope everyone had a great first day of school, Chesapeake! 📚

Like so many families across our city, today was a big day in our house too. Backpacks were packed, first-day pictures were taken, and our kids headed back to their classrooms for another year of learning, growing, and making memories.

Serving on the School Board is important to me, but being a dad with children in Chesapeake Public Schools makes this work deeply personal. I want the same things for every child in Chesapeake that I want for my own: safe schools, great teachers, strong academics, and every opportunity to succeed.

Thank you to our teachers, staff, administrators, bus drivers, school resource officers, and everyone else who worked hard to make today a successful start to the new year.

To our students, I hope your first day was a great one and that you’re excited for the year ahead. Work hard, be kind, ask questions, and make the most of every opportunity.

Here’s to a great 2026–27 school year!!!

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day, Chesapeake! 🇺🇸

Today, we celebrate the hard work and dedication of the people who make Chesapeake such a great place to live, work, raise a family, and go to school.

And this Labor Day is a special one for our CPS families because tomorrow is the first day of school!

I’m especially grateful for our teachers, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria staff, support staff, administrators, and everyone across Chesapeake Public Schools who has been working hard to make sure our schools are ready to welcome students back tomorrow.

Enjoy the final day of summer break, Chesapeake! Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day, and let’s make it a great school year!

09/05/2026

Excited for the year ahead under the leadership of our new Superintendent, Dr. Doug Brubaker!

I encourage our Chesapeake families, teachers, staff, and community members to take a few minutes to hear directly from Dr. Brubaker about his vision for Chesapeake Public Schools and to review his entry plan.

A new school year brings new opportunities, and I’m looking forward to working together to keep our focus on strong schools, supporting our teachers, and delivering the best possible education for every student!

08/28/2026

A Great New Resource for Chesapeake Teens!

I was glad to attend today’s ribbon cutting for the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia Teen Center in Chesapeake.

This is an impressive space designed specifically for our young people to learn, create, connect, and grow. The center includes a recording studio, gym, gaming and recreation areas, and comfortable spaces for teens to gather and build relationships. I was especially impressed by the recording studio and the opportunities it will provide students to explore their creativity, develop new skills, and discover new interests.

As a Chesapeake School Board member, I’m grateful for the partnership between Chesapeake Public Schools and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Supporting our students extends beyond the classroom and the school day, and community partnerships like this create more opportunities for our young people to succeed.

A special thank you as well to Family Dollar for its tremendous support in making this Teen Center possible. Their investment in this facility and continued support of young people in our community is greatly appreciated. We are fortunate to have businesses and community partners willing to invest in Chesapeake and our kids.

Congratulations to everyone who helped make this new Teen Center a reality. This is a great investment in Chesapeake’s young people and their future!

08/26/2026

Welcoming Chesapeake’s Newest Teachers!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend Chesapeake Public Schools’ New Teacher Orientation at Grassfield High School and welcome some of the newest members of the CPS family.

One of the highlights was hearing Michael Bonner speak. His message was energetic, inspiring, and centered on something that matters in every profession: growth requires intentionality. We have to be willing to challenge ourselves, continue learning, and recognize the impact we can have on the people around us.

Our teachers have an incredible responsibility and an incredible opportunity. Every day, they have the chance to encourage a student, build confidence, spark curiosity, and make a difference that can last a lifetime.

To all of our new teachers: Welcome to Chesapeake! Thank you for choosing to invest your talents in our students and our community. I hope you have a great first year in CPS, and I look forward to seeing the impact you will make in our classrooms!

08/25/2026

Tonight, I made a motion to defer any decision on converting Norfolk Highlands Primary School into an Early Childhood Education Center.

We all agree on one thing: Chesapeake needs to expand access to high-quality early childhood and preschool education. The question is not whether we should expand these opportunities. It is how we do it in a way that best serves our children, families, and communities.

With a new superintendent now leading our division, I believe we should give him the opportunity to fully evaluate the proposal, examine the concerns raised by the community, and determine whether there are additional options we should consider.

As part of my motion, I asked the administration to come back to the Board with additional options for significantly expanding early childhood education. Those options may include Norfolk Highlands, but they should also explore alternatives that could allow us to expand preschool opportunities without closing a neighborhood school.

As I said tonight, things can look good on paper, but what looks good on paper is not always what is best for people. We have to put people before paper.

I also want to sincerely thank the Norfolk Highlands community for being engaged, staying involved, asking questions, and communicating with the School Board throughout this process. That is exactly what we want citizens in Chesapeake to do.

Community involvement matters. Your voices matter. And as elected officials, it is our responsibility to listen.

We may not always agree on every issue or every solution, but good government requires us to hear from the people we represent, ask the tough questions, and consider every reasonable option before making decisions that will have lasting consequences.

I support significantly expanding early childhood education in Chesapeake. I also believe we owe it to our families and communities to take the time necessary to determine the best way to accomplish that goal.

Thank you, Norfolk Highlands, for making your voices heard.