Shared Governance or Good Ole Boy Network?

Some naysayers believe that having the support and camaraderie of other elected officials and governmental entities is a bad sign. They are suspicious of any and all connections. But I have some news for them. The new train of thought is towards the shared governance model.

What! You mean there are others who are saying what I’ve been saying all along? Well you shouldn’t be surprised. Great minds think alike.

Just what is shared governance? It is a way of working through the decision-making process by involving all of the entities affected by an event or a policy or a procedure, bringing them all to the table to share ideas and making an informed decision for the betterment of the community, without the waste of double work or the inconvenience of ill conceived implementations. For instance, Milford Elementary. If the county and the school board had a better relationship and had been working together and communicating, we would not have ended up with a county dump, a gun range and a major arterial feeder road all being built too close to a school, too close to make parents feel that their children were being taken care of and were going to be safe coming to and going from that location.

Another example that comes to mind is the recent teacher layoffs, or RIFs. If the school board had been working well with state authorities, policies and laws could’ve already been on the books to protect our teachers form this type of shock and emotional rollercoaster of being laid off only to be rehired weeks later. For instance, Allatoona High School. All of the coaches were “let go” because all were less than two years in tenure……but the school was only two years old!! If the communication channels had been open between administration, state level officials and the school board, that snafu could’ve been avoided.

Recently, I was the only Cobb County candidate in attendance at the June 17, 2010 Education Policy Forum put on by the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Here are just a few quotes from the GPEE:

*Within communities, individuals and organizations should create community partnerships to focus on education…..
*Through the strategic allocation of state and local resources, schools should serve as the center of communities....
*State leaders must launch a public outreach campaign to encourage collective responsibility for education in the state and begin the difficult work of changing a culture of low educational expectations.
*Local community leaders should host forums to discuss the status of …education…….Students, parents, educators, business representatives, elected officials, faith-based leaders and others should be invited to join in the discussion.
*Parents, community members and local business owners should be actively engaged in the work of improving … education by attending public meetings that address education, becoming familiar with locally-elected officials and actively participating in the election process.


So, as you can see, prominent organizations and other entities that truly understand what is required to bring our schools and students into the 21st century, agree that shared governance is the key to surviving this current economy and seeing our children excel and seeing our communities come together for the betterment of the whole. This isn't "good ole boy" politics, it is simply what we all learned in kindergarten...."play pretty together." We will all benefit!!

The time is now to step up.

Cobb County schools could easily go the way of Clayton County if we don’t stop the craziness.

Together, we can take our School Board to the next level. We can present a unified voice. We can build a consensus and stop the public bickering. We can do great things and benefit our children!

A candidate with a strong financial and business background is needed
to wrestle with the tough issues of budgeting for our schools in a down economy. Did you know that Cobb County Board of Education is the largest employer in the county? Did you know that there are 5,400 line items in a budget that is over $800 Million? This serious issue needs serious attention and qualified expertise.

My son graduated from Kell High and is now at Georgia Tech. Character education is an important part of who I am as I teach a message of proper planning, perseverance and faith to students with my Cool Dreams Foundation. Being a guest lecturer at Kennesaw Mountain High for their marketing and accounting classes has been inspiring, teaching the kids about checkbook balancing, investment strategies and other practical financial knowledge. Giving back as a volunteer for the North Cobb High baseball boosters is fun. Brenda and I are long time Kennesaw State University 100 Club members which supports their basketball team. Look for me at Kennesaw State University, as I will be teaching Business Law there in the fall. I am, and always have been, all about helping our children.

Scouting is another important way I’ve been involved with kids. My son started Cub Scouts as a Baker Elementary student. Being his den leader was memorable and I’m still in touch with many of those boys. While Cubmaster of Troop 422 at St. Catherine’s, we founded Troop and Pack 412 at Summit Baptist Church. My son attended the National Jamboree in 2005 with me when I was on the Jamboree Staff and went on to achieve the rank of Gold Palm Eagle Scout.

During a down economy, a candidate who truly understands how our excellent schools are the building block for our economic engine in Cobb County is a plus. Good schools bring good business and maintain our property values. Join me and let’s make our schools and our community the best that they can be.

I am Republican.
I am a fiscal conservative.
I am the candidate who is most qualified.
I need your vote July 20.