Position Statement
I am David Banks and I am a Conservative, a Republican, an experienced leader, a Business Owner, a parent (whose children went to Cobb County schools), and a grandparent seeking to represent the Post 5 constituents as your School Board member.
I am a person who believes that Student Achievement comes first. I believe that the learning experience is not just gaining knowledge but also includes character and social skills.
I am a parent that will demand that your children be educated in a safe and secure environment. I believe our educational facilities must be secure and monitored and our transportation system must be maintained and kept in a safe condition.
I offer proven business leadership that can bring the 21st century classroom to Cobb County schools. The school system already has plans for the 21st century classroom and I will press for it’s full implementation, which includes not only technical equipment, but also training of our employees. Cobb County currently is not a leader in the 21st century concept and I intend for this to change.
I am a proven business leader who understands the organizational structure and will be an advocate for the school system employees. I will press for school system employees to obtain higher degrees and that the school system offer compensation for each class taken.
I also understand the value that longer-term employees provide, so I will also advocate for a longevity incremental increase in salary for every 5 years employed.
I am a leader who believes in open government, transparency, accountability, and communication. Since the money spent by the school system came from the taxpayers, I believe that the Budget and all expenditures should be posted on the school’s intranet. I strongly believe that the school board must do a better job of communicating their actions and decisions to the stakeholders.
I am a leader who will demand provable benefits and results with your tax dollars. I strongly believe that verifiable goals and benchmarks should be established each year with measurable values assigned so that judgment can be made as to the progress being made to achieve these goals and benchmarks.
Closing
We should all be proud that the Cobb County School system has the finest group of students, teachers, administrators, and coaches.
We have identified many of the “Right things to do and did them the right way”. But we still face challenges and must continually look for ways to improve.
As your School Board member, I will hold our school system accountable for producing not only a well-educated student, but a student that possesses the character, and social skills vital for future success.
As we move forward, I intend to see that the Cobb County school system continues to excel in its role to educate our children and that the system adapts to the 21st century requirements.
We must always remember that our students are our future CEO’s, scientist’s, engineers, business owners, and yes, political leaders and we have not only an obligation but a fundamental responsibility through our school system to prepare them for these future roles.
I ask for your vote on August 5th.