Paul Godfrey plans to challenge Bill Thompson for the at-large position on the Hall County Board of Education this election year.

“I am doing this because I think I have the skills, experiences and beliefs the school system needs to be more frugal and to reach greater excellence,” Godfrey said in his official release.

He said the implementation of Common Core is something he would like to see overturned.

“The biggest issue I see is the curriculum, and specifically trying to keep this Common Core curriculum from being implemented,” he said. “The Common Core really dumbs down education. The curriculum is, in my view, subpar.”

Common Core standards have been adopted by 45 states, including Georgia in 2010. The standards are in place for mathematics and English language arts.

Godfrey is also concerned with visibility and accountability in the school system.

“I would love to be able to see what the strategic plan of the school system is, but it’s hard to find,” he said.  

“As a matter of fact, I have not been able to find it. All I find is a lot of stuff that says ‘This is a goal, this is a goal, this is a goal.’ And if someone thinks that’s a strategic plan, then they don’t know what they’re talking about. And if that’s the case in the school system we need somebody in there who does know what strategic planning is all about, and that’s me.”

A veteran and retired teacher, Godfrey lives in Flowery Branch with his wife of 45 years, Betty Godfrey. They have two daughters, Shelli Godfrey and Kristin Stevens. Prior to retirement, Godfrey taught computer repair, computer networking and practical mathematics for 15 years in the Technical College System of Georgia.

His educational background includes a doctorate in workforce education, leadership and social foundations from the University of Georgia.

For more information on his campaign, visit gogodfrey.org.

Godfrey and Thompson are the only two candidates for the at-large position so far.