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Stewart Runs for Pinellas School Board

Matt Stewart | Pinellas School Board | Politics

He is running for the District 6 seat held by Linda Lerner, who is retiring.

PINELLAS COUNTY – St. Petersburg resident Matt Stewart has announced he will run for the District 6 seat on the Pinellas County School Board.

The seat is currently held by long-time board member Linda Lerner, who is not seeking reelection.

“I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Pinellas County School Board, District 6,” Stewart wrote in a statement on his Facebook page Thursday (April 12). “I made the decision after speaking with Linda Lerner (the incumbent), my family, and friends. All of them have been very encouraging and supportive.

“There are positive things going on in our public schools, thanks to our dedicated teachers and staff. We are seeing improvements in our children’s’ learning, academic readiness for college and technical schools, and ability to choose academic programs that meet their needs.

“However, we cannot ignore that our public schools are under attack from legislators in Tallahassee and that our children are becoming nothing more than “an assembly line of tiny test takers”. And, recent school shootings have shown that we must be ever vigilant to keep our children safe and secure.

“We have the greatest opportunity to make meaningful changes at the local level. I want to build on what is going right and bring about positive change. Our teachers need freedom in the classroom and a competitive salary, our support staff needs a living wage, all of our children need a safe and supportive learning environment, and parents need a stronger voice in our schools.

“As a foster parent and educator I see what our children are facing; with a doctorate in Education from USF I know what is proven to work; born and raised here in Pinellas I am invested in my community.

“Our schools can be a source of pride. We have great teachers, staff, and parents who are working tirelessly to ensure a quality education for every child. As a community we want to see our schools thrive.

“In the coming months I look forward to meeting with more people to understand the issues that are facing our schools, children, and teachers. I’d appreciate your support in my campaign to improve our public schools.”

This is Stewart’s second run for the board. Thus far, he is the only candidate in the District 6 race.

The school board has seven members, three of whom are elected countywide and four of whom are elected from single-member districts. District 6 includes a portion of St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Seminole, the unincorporated Lealman area and the southern beach communities.

The board is responsible for setting policy, passing a budget, hiring an attorney and a superintendent, who is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the school district. They are elected in a non-partisan race and serve for four years. The election is Aug. 28.

For information about Stewart, go to facebook.com.

Matt Stewart | Linda Lerner | Pinellas Schools | Politics | Elections | Tampabay News

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