David Chastain, a Republican incumbent for District 4 on the Cobb County Board of Education, north-central Cobb County, graduated from Cobb County schools in 1975 and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in real estate urban economics.
He is an analyst at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics with 21 years experience. Previously, Chastain was in sales management for manufacturers and wholesale suppliers in the food service, sanitary supply, and industrial packaging industries in the Southeast and Midwest, and had a short term in the multifamily real estate market.
Chastain said his sales career gave him the opportunity to learn firsthand about Georgia’s economy and the necessity of the educational requirements to support and sustain economic growth. More recently, his experience in supporting government contracts with their associated budgets gives him an understanding into the $1.2 billion budget for Cobb County schools.
“In addition, as a graduate of Cobb schools, with three adult children who graduated from Cobb schools, I know well the strengths and strains the district has experienced over these past 50 years,” he said.
On the issue of high-stakes testing, he believes the county schools need to stay focused on continuing assessments and the ability to better support each student with more individualized support.
“Add to that the need for the basics of reading, writing and math. Parents and guardians want their children to be ready for the new technologies, new business models, and the unseen opportunities the future will bring. That means doing the basics better,” he said.
He supports the district’s “Cobb Teaching and Learning System,” (CTLS) which allows teachers and parents to track individual student progress.
“Reading, and reading remediation where needed, is a top priority so that every student has the ability to be a confident continuous lifelong learner,” Chastain said.
Because of the scale of the school district, with over 112,000 students, a bus system and close to 18,000 employees, he believes managing resources like a business is a necessity.
Given the expanding needs of one of the largest school systems in the United States (No. 23, 2 in Georgia), he said support from parents, business leaders and the local legislative delegation is an imperative: Parents and Guardians see better results when they choose to be involved in their student’s individual learning and the school. Partners in Education in the local business community fill in gaps where resources are needed and opportunities are unique, he said.
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