Andrew Cole

I want the very best for every student in Cobb County. Why? I’m related to two of them. And in addition to my kids, I truly care about our entire community – including everyone who works as part of the Cobb County School District team.

Above all else, I want to see all of our students receive the education and support they need for academic success in our schools and success in life afterward. There is a lot that we do well but, as with anything, there are areas in need of improvement.

I’m a proud parent and a proud Cobb native but I’m also a very concerned one. Over the last two years, I have paid close attention to the methods and priorities of the current Board of Education and CCSD leadership. The more I look into things and the more I learn, the more I find aspects of our district that need immediate attention. School safety is a must and our current approaches can be built upon to more fully serve and protect our CCSD students and team. I’m also highly concerned about the lack of transparency regarding district operations and how our tax dollars are spent.

I’ve also seen very clear and present needs go unaddressed and ignored because certain requests from various groups in the county aren’t in line with the current political majority. I struggle, every day, to understand why so many clear and justifiable needs are shirked and seen as a partisan issue.

The current board majority continues to vote down many proven and needed changes in our policies, methods, and provisions while regularly working (and changing policies as needed) to hear less from other board members, students, caretakers, and the community. I’m saddened by the routine prioritization of political posturing instead of what should be the focus: giving our students and our team everything they need to maximize their success.

I’m the son of a lifelong elementary school teacher and I saw, every day, what it took to be a teacher. It is no small commitment. The Cobb County School district is the largest employer in Cobb County and everyone who’s a part of it deserves to be heard and supported.

Speaking to the media about my concerns regarding school safety.

Waiting outside in the cold to speak to our Board of Education during public comment.

I grew up in Cobb. West Cobb.

My first day of school was at Varner Elementary. I had Powder Springs youth basketball practice at Smitha Middle School. My first day of middle school was at Durham Middle School. My first school dance was at Lost Mountain Middle School. Every band festival and Cobb Marching Band Exhibition I performed in was at McEachern High School. I graduated from Harrison High School.

These schools and the people I met there and the people I learned from in them shaped me.

I benefited from the excellent experience I had here. I still do.