Click here:
http://www.shoalsinsider.com/d...hoalsinsider&he=.comABOUT CHAD HOLDEN
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
I was born February 8, 1980 in Florence, Alabama to Lexie and Sheila Holden My brother, Barry, and I grew up attending Rogers High School in Lauderdale County. My grandparents are Betty Wilson, of Lexington, and the late Sterling Wilson and the late Harlon and Elliott Holden of Greenhill. On November 11, 2006, I married the love of my life, Julia Beth, the daughter of Phillip and Alene Truitt of Greenhill. We have one son, Conner, who was born in April 2009. Conner is the chairman and sole member of the "Vote for My Daddy" committee.
FAMILY
My wife, Julia Beth, is employed as a Deposit Product Specialist at First Southern Bank, Florence. She graduated from the University of North Alabama in 2007 with a degree in finance. Like me, my parents are Lauderdale County natives. My dad, Lexie, is employed by Johnson Contractors, Muscle Shoals, and is a member of the Carpenters' Local. My mom, Sheila, is a homemaker. She cares for her grandchildren on a daily basis. My brother, Barry, is employed by United Launch Alliance, Decatur; his wife, the former Bridget Killen of Lexington, is employed by the Loretto Telephone Company; they have two children.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
* Academic Diploma, Rogers High School, 1998 (salutatorian)
* Bachelor of Science in Education, University of North Alabama, 2002 (summa cum laude)
* Master of Arts in Education Administration, University of North Alabama, 2005 (summa cum laude)
* Education Specialist, University of North Alabama, will graduate in July 2010
TEACHER
Teaching is my passion. I believe being an educator is a calling and my professional purpose in life. My education career began in 2002 after graduating from the University of North Alabama with a bachelor's degree in secondary education. Two weeks after graduating, the Muscle Shoals City Schools offered me the position of teaching high school social studies. Needless to say, I accepted.
I take pride in developing myself as a teaching professional. I have participated in local, state, and national teaching workshops and conferences including but not limited to Highly Effective Questioning (San Diego, California), Breaking Ranks II: Leading High School Reform (Washington, D.C.), and numerous ones sponsored by the Southern Regional Education Board (Atlanta, Georgia) such as Prioritizing and Mapping the Curriculum, Building a Culture of High Expectations, and Building and Leading Effective Teams.
CERTIFIED ADMINISTRATOR
I am a certified school administrator. I completed the master's degree in 2005 and will finish the education specialist degree in July 2010. My administrative experience includes serving as principal of the Colbert County Summer School program in 2008, as Building Based Student Support Team coordinator for my school, and as the Lee v. Macon coordinator/trainer for my district. I also serve on the committee to lead the Lighthouse Project on Student Achievement in the Muscle Shoals City Schools, an initiative that brings school and community stakeholders together for the purpose of making curricular and extracurricular decisions to raise student achievement.
For the past year, I have researched school and community relations. As an action researcher, I have identified a problem in my school, formulated a plan for action, and will evaluate the results of my efforts in the summer of 2010. My action plan to improve school and community relations includes the creation of a community speakers' bureau and offering students the opportunity for community service learning and scholarship.
ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
I am an advocate for public education. As a member of the Alabama Education Association, I have made numerous trips to Montgomery to meet with legislators on behalf of area educators and support personnel. I currently serve as the vice president of my local AEA affilliate and am a past president of UniServ District 4, which includes Colbert and Lawrence Counties.
As an advocate for public education, I have fought to...
* Protect the Education Trust Fund from being raided for non-educational purposes.
* Keep PEEHIP and the Teacher Retirement System safe and sound.
* Block the creation of charter schools in Alabama; we cannot afford them and there is no sound proof that they do a better job preparing students than traditional schools. Alabama has plenty of innovative schools to make us competitive for federal grants.
* Secure cost-of-living raises for education employees during good economic times.
FAVORITE BOOK
The Bible is the guide for my life. Additionally, as a participant of men's ministry in my church, I recently read John Maxwell's Developing the Leader within You. This book details the evolution of an effective leader and how to get beyond "positional leadership," meaning people follow you because of your position. This type of leadership effectiveness is shallow and quickly fades. The leader must prove what he or she can do for the organization and the stakeholders within.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
At age 16, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and was baptized. Since age 19, I have been a leader in His church, serving as youth minister, Sunday School superintendent, and currently as minister of music. My family worships at Mary's Chapel Church of the Nazarene in Lexington. I am so proud that my young son has strong Christian roots on both sides of his family.
WORDS TO LIVE BY
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
MY VISION FOR THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY SCHOOLS
First of all, I want the voters of Lauderdale County to know that I do not intend to make promises in this campaign that I cannot keep. Any candidate who does that does not understand the role of a school board. Boards of Education, unlike councils, commissions, and legislative bodies, do not initiate policy. A school board may only act on a superintendent's recommendation (affirm or reject). With that said, I can promise that with every decision I make as a member of the board of education, I will always do so with the best interest of our children in mind.
As a member of the Lauderdale County Board of Education, I will work to...
1. Provide teachers with necessary, cutting-edge resources so that each school can be the absolute best it can be.
2. Protect people first in times of proration. The integrity of instruction must be the board's top priority.
3. Invest in classroom technology. Technology is no longer the wave of the future; we live in a technological world everyday.
4. Ensure every child has a safe, clean environment in which to learn.
5. Hold students accountable for being responsible, respectful, and compassionate toward others.
I am excited about the tremendous support my campaign has already been given. As a full-time teacher on the front lines of education each day, I offer a unique perspective to the board of education. I believe our school board needs a fresh face with new and innovative ideas. I pledge to the voters of Lauderdale County that I will conduct myself ethically, honestly, and with great care for the huge challenge of being a member of the board of education. It is not a role to be taken lightly, sought, or accepted for the wrong reasons.