The Virginia Beach School Board has appointed Dr. Esther Monclova-Johnson as director of equity affairs for the school division.

Her new responsibilities will include serving as an ombudsman for employees and parents for issues regarding cultural diversity and equity; collaborating with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction on the development of programs and curricula involving School Board goals and initiatives related to the academic performance of minority students; collaborating with the Department of Human Resources in the development of recruitment and retention strategies to help encourage a diverse workforce; and working with community organizations to promote the division’s equity initiatives. Monclova-Johnson will report directly to the superintendent, Dr. James G. Merrill.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools has initiated a number of important diversity initiatives over the years, including establishing a diversity task force and a diversity youth ambassadors program.  However, Merrill recently created the director of equity affairs position to help ensure that the school division forges outreaches that are systemic, strategic and successful.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to work with a school district as large as this one to ensure that we develop initiatives that will provide a quality education for all children. We also want to give the community a voice in our important work. Internally, I will be working with staff and the administration to keep the division’s work on diversity and equity moving forward. A lot of good work has already started here, but with even more focus I believe that momentum and progress will only increase. I look forward to being a part of it,” Monclova-Johnson said.

Most recently she served as the executive director of extended education programs for the District of Columbia public schools.  She also served the District’s public schools as director of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Multicultural Affairs. In addition, the veteran educator served the Cleveland Public Schools for many years, first as a curriculum coordinator/drop-put prevention coordinator. She then moved on to increasingly responsible positions in Cleveland -- supervisor of student activities/health education, manager of human resources, regional superintendent and ultimately deputy chief/supervising superintendent.

Monclova-Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in speech pathology and audiology from Carlow College in Pittsburgh. She later earned a Master of Arts degree in that field from Cleveland State University. Monclova-Johnson received a doctorate in urban education from Cleveland State.

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