Photo courtesy Kyra Cook.
Kyra Cook introduced herself to the Williamsburg-James City County School Board by remaining silent.
The newest member of the board, Cook (City of Williamsburg) said little during her first school board meeting Tuesday. Her reason was simple: It is easier to learn when you listen.
“I was really focused on the process,” she said. “It’s highly orchestrated, and I don’t mean in a predetermined kind of way, but a lot goes into each one of those agendas, so making sure you understand where you are, what sort of information you’re looking at, what’s an action item [is important.]”
Cook is new to the school board; her appointment was confirmed by the City Council in December – but she is a longtime resident with civic experience.
Originally from Alexandria, Cook came to Williamsburg to attend the College of William & Mary. She graduated in 1992 with a degree in history, but decided to stay in the city to pursue a career in the arts.
Cook opened up her own pottery studio, crafting pieces for the area’s historic organizations.
“There are a lot of opportunities down here to make pots because of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, your Jamestowns and Yorktowns,” she said.
Cook started a family and transitioned from the studio to an office as a program officer with the Williamsburg Health Foundation, reviewing grant proposals to improve the health of the Williamsburg community.
Her current job is far from her passion for the arts, but it aligns with another – public service.
“I was raised in a family where public service was part of what you did,” Cook said. “It’s not a choice to serve. The choice is ‘where?’”
Cook fulfilled that family tradition, serving on the Williamsburg Area Arts Commission and the Williamsburg Regional Library Board.
The position on the school board is Cook’s most recent civic appointment, but it is not her first involvement with WJCC schools.
In 2010, the City Council considered her as a candidate for the school board seat that ultimately went to Dr. Oscar Prater.
Cook also has a personal stake in the area’s public schools.
“I have two children in the division, so I’m clearly invested in its success and in its continued success,” she said. “I was educated through public schools in Alexandria and then at William & Mary, so I have a passion for that.”
As a current WJCC parent, Cook said she would bring a different generational perspective than her predecessor. She also said her experience as an artist and at the Health Foundation gave her an understanding of the importance of cultural education and health and human services.
Cook will use that experience as the school board leads the division in the coming years. She pointed to funding as an issue that would continue to occupy the board’s time.
“The state percentage of our budget decreased by 28 percent, so the state is sort of defaulting on its responsibility to fund public education,” she said. “On one hand, the localities have done a good job of backfilling that, but we kind of need to do more than that.”
While she is interested in the long-term success of the school division, Cook said her immediate focus was on learning the ropes of the school board.
“I don’t know what I don’t know, so I do intend to ask a lot of questions,” she said. “I intend to be very annoying.”
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