Austin Heller, a Political Science major at Kennesaw State University, announced his intent to run for Cobb County Board of Education, Post 4, hoping to unseat incumbent Republican David Chastain in the 2022 election.
In response to the Courier’s request for more information about his campaign, Heller provided the following statement via email:
“My name is Austin Heller, and I am an activist, a rising senior at Kennesaw State University, a military brat, and an early childhood education advocate. I started school at KSU as an Elementary Education major where I took classes in Child Development and Early Learning and Socioeconomic Influences in Teaching and Learning.
“After graduating high school, I started work immediately as an Assistant Teacher at a childcare facility in Columbus, GA. I worked mostly with the K-4 class but spent time learning and working with K-2 through 5th-Grade level students.
“I am a now a Political Science senior with a minor in Legal Studies. I am the Senior Resident Assistant for Housing where I build community with First-Year students on campus. My favorite role on campus is educating students on their right to vote and community engagement opportunities with our Civic Engagement Team.
“I am running for Cobb County School Board because I see a desperate need for our county and our Board to lead with empathy and pass equitable policies that uplift all our students. Growing up in a military household, I was privileged with the ability to travel Europe and encounter many different cultures and hear many personal anecdotes throughout my childhood. I believe our community deserves to be fully represented as we are all important to creating a Cobb that we are proud of.
“Honest and comprehensive history is crucial to understanding where we are today. I believe in our trained educators to have hard conversations with our students in safe spaces inside the classroom. I also know and understand how important it is to see yourself represented in and out of the classroom. Every student in our county matters and I am ready to help them be the most successful and healthy individuals they can be.
“My priorities are empathy, equity, and advocacy. The work that Dr. Howard, Mr. Hutchins, and Mrs. Davis do is amazing for their students. I would be honored and humbled to join them on the Board fighting for Cobb families.”
About Cobb BOE Post 4
Post 4 of the Cobb County Board of Education includes the following schools:
Elementary Schools
- Addison Elementary School
- Bells Ferry Elementary School
- Big Shanty Elementary School
- Blackwell Elementary School
- Chalker Elementary School
- Keheley Elementary School
- Kincaid Elementary School
- Nicholson Elementary School
- Pitner Elementary School
- Rocky Mount Elementary School
Middle Schools
High Schools
For a map of the geographical boundaries of Post 4, which is located in the center of the northern border of Cobb County, visit this link to the map of Cobb’s school board posts.
