Candidate Profile: Matt Shultz, Bartow County School Board Dist. 3

CARTERSVILLE, GA — Three candidates are running for Bartow County Board of Education District 3 in the May 24 General Primary Election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary draws near.

Matt Shultz is running for Bartow County Board of Education District 3.

Name: Matt Shultz

Campaign website: VoteMattShultz

City of residence: Cartersville

Office sought: Bartow County Board of Education District 3

Party affiliation: Republican

Education: Ed.S. (education specialist), Masters and Bachelors Degree

Occupation: Education, sales and leadership: 25 years

Family: Married for 26 years with three children (23, 21, 13)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? My wife is an educator.

Previous public office, appointive or elective: Bartow County Board of Education 2004-2010, 2013-2014

Age: 49

Why are you seeking this office? We are at a crossroads in public education, and I commit to making sure that our parents, students, educators and taxpayers have a seat at the table as we work to decide what kind of nation we want to be.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it. Growth … We have been fortunate that SPLOST has allowed us to build our way through our growth up to this point. If the projections that I have seen are accurate, this may no longer be true. We must get creative and use every available facility and strategy available to manage what’s coming. I commit to looking at every idea and working with our local government partners to make sure we aren’t making the situation worse. Working together, we can continue to be a thriving community that grows in a responsible way.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? Experience ... I am the only candidate that has been a classroom teacher and served on the Bartow County School Board in the past. I have also worked in the private sector for the last 20 years. I am ready to go to work on day one for the people of District 3 and Bartow County.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? I am also committed to protecting the rights of parents, keeping divisive ideologies out of our classrooms, working with our legislative delegation on expanded school choice and increasing diversity in our schools.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I have a record of success as a teacher and previous school board member. I have worked in sales and leadership for the last 20 years building teams and organizations (in some cases from the ground up). I believe in being a lifelong learner and I have worked to stay relevant in my field. The thing that I am most proud of is my family. My wife and I have worked hard to be a good example to our children and to the people that we encounter in our everyday lives.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? Always remember, that leadership is about service, not power.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I will always fight for what I believe in. Civility is a good thing, but not at the price of conformity. I will never apologize for believing in and loving this country.