As a parent and leader in our public schools, I see first-hand the challenges facing our children in our classrooms. Unfortunately, we have a school board chair and his majority ill equipped to meet the moment because they have made the choice to disengage from the communities which they are supposed to represent. I am running to change the culture of our board – to actively engage all families in Cobb County and make sure your voices are part of the decisions we make.
Micheal Garza for Cobb County School Board
Meet Micheal
Dedicated Father. Public Education Advocate. Community Leader. I am a small-business owner living in East Cobb with my wife and our eight-year-old daughter who attends a Cobb elementary school. I’m an active leader in our public schools, as a long-time leader in PTA, as co-founder of an organization that advocates for our students, and as a member of state educational advocacy groups who frequently holds town halls and community events about legislation that affects our schools.
I view my advocacy work in education as an extension of how I view my role as a father – to be a positive role model for my daughter in how we connect with those around us and stand up when we see a need in our community, even when it doesn’t affect us personally.
In my daily work within our schools, I have seen the positive things that can happen in our classrooms when we foster healthy relationships between parents and educators. The laughter of a classroom when a father reads a passage from their kid’s favorite book. The smile on the face of a caregiver when their child with exceptionalities is recognized for their achievements throughout the year.
While we may be divided politically, I see the promise of what we can do when we come together to do what is best for our kids. When I am planning an event or doing volunteer outreach to our parents, I don’t look at someone’s political affiliation. I don’t think about who they voted for in the last election. I think of how much better the classroom experience is for our kids when a teacher feels supported. I think of how much a child’s face lights up seeing their parents in the school actively supporting them and their classmates.
In my daily work within our schools, I have seen the positive things that can happen in our classrooms when we foster healthy relationships between parents and educators. The laughter of a classroom when a father reads a passage from their kid’s favorite book. The smile on the face of a caregiver when their child with exceptionalities is recognized for their achievements throughout the year.
While we may be divided politically, I see the promise of what we can do when we come together to do what is best for our kids. When I am planning an event or doing volunteer outreach to our parents, I don’t look at someone’s political affiliation. I don’t think about who they voted for in the last election. I think of how much better the classroom experience is for our kids when a teacher feels supported. I think of how much a child’s face lights up seeing their parents in the school actively supporting them and their classmates.
We have incredible teachers, staff, and administrators who do fantastic things in our local schools each and every day. Unfortunately we have leadership on our school board that does not value that work. Our board chair and his current majority have fired teachers for reading books from their local book fairs, have wasted millions of dollars defending election maps that divide our county along race, and have looked the other way when central office employees have targeted our students when they come to speak out about what’s important in our classrooms.
I’ve taught my daughter to stand up for those around us and that is what I am doing by running for our school board – standing up for our students and educators. I may live in Post 4, but I am running to represent all of the families that live in Cobb County. And as your board member, I promise to you that my focus is going to be on actively listening to your concerns, on going out into the community regularly to engage with you, and on providing the best educational experience for our children.
Unlocking the Potential in Every Child
Actively Engaging With The Community
We can better respond to the needs of our families and more effectively advocate for our students when we actively engage them, rather than shut them out of decisions we make.
Improving Student Safety & Well-Being
Parents, teachers, and community leaders play vital roles in promoting a safe learning environment for our kids and should be part of our plans on safety and mental health.
Strengthening Parent-Teacher Relationships
Our leadership should recognize that our children do better when parents and teachers are seen as partners, not adversaries, in our children’s education.
Saying No to Partisan-Driven Board Leadership
Policies and actions by our board are being driven by political partisanship that has done harm to our students and our teachers. Our focus should be on education, not elections.
Better Serving Our Exceptional Children
We should measure student success not just by Milestone scores or graduation rates but on how well we provide services to students with IEPs and in special education.
Building Critical Thinking Skills In Our Kids
Rather than banning books, we should trust educators to prepare our kids for the real world through robust discussion of diverse perspectives in the classroom.
Support Our Campaign
Your contribution will help us spread our message to the residents of Post 4 and maximize turnout for our campaign. Every vote matters and will determine the direction of our school district for years to come.