Upshaw, Rodriguez squaring off for Houston County school board seat

Both candidates in the race for the at-large Post 7 seat on the Houston County school board are adamant about the role board members should play in the district.

For incumbent Bryan Upshaw, first elected to fill an unexpired term in July 2014, it all comes down to hearing the concerns of stakeholders.

"The truth is, we're more or less policymakers and listeners for the community," said Upshaw, who works in construction full time.

Challenger Andy Rodriguez, a retired chief master sergeant in the Air Force, concurred that it was not the school board's responsibility to micromanage the district, but rather to create rules and policies for faculty and staff to implement.

From there, the board is to act much like a bridge between the district, parents and other stakeholders.

"The primary role of a member of the school board is to be a conduit," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez has volunteered in the school district since he retired. He said that veterans tend to stay involved after their military service concludes, and the school system is where he chose to put his effort.

"It's all about the kids, and I keep that forefront," he said.

If elected, Rodriguez said his primary goal would be to find ways to continue the work of measures such as Georgia Senate Bill 364 to take some of the load off teachers with regard to assessments like the Georgia Milestones.

"The most important thing for those people fighting on the front lines, we've just got to let teachers teach," he said.

For Upshaw, he said the main goal is to keep up with the progress that Houston County schools have made instead of focusing on a specific effort. The district's College and Career Ready Performance Index for 2014 was 76.6, which was above the state average of 72.3.

"I don't know that there's any one job, just continuing with the success that Houston County's already experienced," he said.

He's also hopeful that his experience on the school board will be an asset in the race against Rodriguez, who is seeking his first term as an elected official.

"Like everything, there's a learning curve, but I think being part of an existing board that gets along well ... is beneficial," Upshaw said.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter

Name: Bryan Upshaw

Age: 43

Occupation: Construction

Political experience: Incumbent, elected in 2014

Name: Andy Rodriguez

Age: 62

Occupation: Retired Air Force chief master sergeant

Political experience: None

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Upshaw, Rodriguez squaring off for Houston County school board seat ."