Three additional candidates have officially filed their bid for the Board of Education Post 1 at-large position, bringing the total number of people competing for that seat to five.

Jim McBrayer, Jimmy Norfleet and Theresa Schroeder-Langley announced earlier they intended to run for the Post 1 seat and officially filed last week.

Incumbent Katrina Young is in the running against candidate James O. Andrews for the Post 2 seat.

Sandra Sanford

Sandra Lavern (Jackson) Sanford, 45, a registered nurse and Heritage alum whose five children all graduated from Rockdale County Public Schools and Heritage as well, said this was her first time running for an elected office and that she decided to run partly because of the timing.

"I’ve always had an interest, but my kids said, ‘Mom, wait for us to get out of school before you do that,’" she said, adding that she has nieces and nephews still in the school system.

Sanford said she stayed involved in the community in various ways over the years, through booster clubs, PTA, involvement with the NAACP, and attending Board of Education meetings and county Board of Commissioners meetings. She said she had also occasionally been a substitute teacher in Newton County.

"I think we have an excellent school system. I think we should make sure we’re employing the top teachers we can," said Sanford. "We’ve got to make our kids marketable for the national level."

She said her focus would be on communication, strengthening Parent Teacher Student Associations, and looking at helping families in general in order to help students.

"When you have a strong PTSA, your children achieve higher. We need to make sure we’re all on the same level. To make sure every child in Rockdale County is educated equally."

Darrell L. Stephens

After Darrell Stephens saw members of Rockdale County’s Board of Education would be stepping down, he decided it was time for him to jump into the fray and vie for a position to carry on what they have done.

Stephens, a 43-year old assistant principal at Indian Creek Middle School in Newton County, is running for Post 1 Rockdale County Board of Education seat.

"I want to make sure we continue on the same path of excellence and the high standard that was set for the system," Stephens said.

Having spent 16 years working in education, including the last five as an assistant principal in Newton County, Stevens is also currently working toward completing a doctorate degree in education and education policy.

"The most important thing I bring is a clear understanding of what takes place in the schools," Stephens said. "You normally have individuals on the board, who really don’t understand how those decisions impact what happens in the classroom, especially when you consider all the cutbacks that are taking place in education.

The former Marine will have the support of his wife Nicole, who currently is involved with the Flat Shoals PTO, and his three sons Darnell, Darren and Nicolas, who attend the Rockdale County elementary school.

James O. Andrews

James Oliver Andrews was the last candidate to enter the race for Rockdale County Board of Education on Friday.

Andrews, a retired U.S. Postal Service worker, is running for the Post 1 seat opposite incumbent Catrina Young.

The 59-year old Conyers resident said he wants to add a new voice to the board and new ideas for the curriculum.

"It’s only because I feel as though I can serve the needs of the students in Rockdale, not so much that its about running against the other person," Andrews said. "But it’s more that I think I can be an asset and help the kids, and bring some fresh ideas as far as funding and curriculum."

Andrews wants to make the curriculum fit more into preparing Rockdale’s students for college and careers, as well as keeping classes for the arts and physical education classes.

"It’s my opinion that our students need to be more prepared for the world of work, and those that are on their way to college make sure that there’s a fast track to get to college," Andrews said.

Now with retirement ahead of him, he has more time to devote to making the learning experience better for his two grandchildren and the children of Rockdale County.

UPDATE (July 7, 2010):

James O. Andrews, a candidate for the Post 2 Board of Education at-large seat, officially withdrew from the race today, according to the Rockdale County Supervisor of Elections.

The seat is currently held by incumbent Katrina Young, who is running for re-election.

Andrews was one of the last candidates to file on Friday. A call to Andrews was not returned by press time.