Today we’d like to introduce you to Charisse Davis.
Charisse, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I came to Atlanta from Florida to attend Spelman College and never left. I taught kindergarten and then became a media specialist and public librarian. When asked to consider a run for elected office, I initially thought “no way”, but then I thought about the idea that representation matters and the school board could benefit from my voice. I’m an educator, mom, and parent leader, and once I decided to run, I put everything I had into campaigning. In November 2018, I was elected to represent Post 6 (East Cobb, Smyrna, Vinings) on the school board. I’m currently the only woman on the board and the 2nd woman of color in the history of the Cobb School Board. This certainly hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad I’m here, and I know that I am making a difference.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Campaigning for office is hard work. There is a lot of time involved- knocking on doors, raising money, attending events, and strategizing. I think the raising money part was what I liked least. I never felt very comfortable asking people for campaign donations, but people will invest in you and your ideas. Now that I am on the board, I know that I bring a different perspective and set of experiences to it, but my election was a huge disruption to the way things had been on the Cobb School Board. You will always make some people uncomfortable when you’re a disrupter.
Please tell us about your work.
As a school board member, we are charged with evaluating the superintendent, setting policy, and approving budget decisions. The Cobb County School District is the 2nd largest in Georgia, 23rd largest in the nation, and has over 113,000 students. We are also the largest employer in the county. We have some exciting things happening in our schools. I’m happily awaiting the opening of our Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy in the Fall of 2020 (a career academy). We have award-winning STEM, performing arts, and magnet programs. I am most proud of our hard-working staff and students.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husband, Sean, encouraged me to run and helped me tremendously with my campaign. He’s now my biggest supporter and watches every board meeting and can talk about educational issues with anyone. My two sons have had to deal with me having a lot of school board commitments, on top of job responsibilities, but they’re pretty proud of me. They think I talk too much though, so if I ever see anyone that I even ‘kinda’ know, they know we’re going to be there for a while! I get that from my dad; he never met a stranger. I also could not have gotten elected without the support of family and friends, near and far. Leadership for Educational Equity coached me through my campaign and connected me with donors; their investment in me was crucial. I do have a thought partner on the board, in the other new member, Dr. Howard. It makes all the difference to have another newbie on there with me. Lastly, the group that keeps me going, and why I decided to run in the first place, are the students. I once had a group of 4th grade girls get so excited to see me! They pointed out that my hair was like their hair and they wanted to take selfies. They learned about local political races in their classrooms and then there I was, volunteering at the school. Maybe they’ll run for office one day too!
Contact Info:
- Website: davisforcobb.com
- Phone: 770-282-0986
- Email: cdavis.boardmember@cobbk12.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davisforcobb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharisseDavisforCobbCountySchools/
Image Credit:
Main Portrait Photo – Tomesha Faxio
Photo holding mic – Andrea Ferrard
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