State Rep Candidate Talking Education

It promises to be a busy fall for Midtown resident, Earl Cooper.

In addition to running for the State House District 58 seat, the Republican will be serving along with Cassie Coley as co-president of the Grady High School Parent Teacher Student Association.

And in whichever role he’s in, education will be at or near the top of his focused agenda. Asked what his election platform will be, the 48-year entrepreneur quickly responded, “Save our schools. I believe public schools are important and we must do all we can for them.”

In November’s General Election, Cooper will face an incumbent Democratic state rep as redistricting has paired Simone Bell and Ralph Long against each in next month’s election.

Along with his wife of 28 years, Katherine, Cooper watched the last of their four children graduate last month as son Aaron received his diploma from . Aaron will attend Lincoln University in Philadelphia, PA, next year on a football scholarship.

Cooper worked closely with Grady’s Gridiron Club this past year and he said the experience served him well in being a mentor to young people.

“We’ve been in the community for three years and I see some things that need to be addressed,’’ he explained after a recent Midtown Neighbors’ Association meeting. “I want to help Grady so much because I was a part of it with my child. We need to continue to use tutors and I want to look into the area of overcrowding that’s going on there.”

During the most recent Atlanta Public Schools redistricting process, certain neighborhood parent groups within the Grady cluster projected Grady’s capacity could hit 1,600 by 2020. The school, which was built for about 1,275 students., had about 1,470 students enrolled this past school year.

Trailers are used as classrooms and the lack of undeveloped land around the school rules out an expansion. Students from surrounding Metro Atlanta neighborhoods including Virginia Highland, Morningside, Lenox Park, and parts of Druid Hills attend Grady. But APS demographic date indicated that about 300 out of zone students attended Grady last year and projections show between 250 and 300 such students transferring in the future.

“Maybe some of those parents of students coming in from outside the community can help a little bit more,’’ Cooper suggested.  He later added, “The biggest problems we face now is the restriction of parents being able to come in and be a part of the school. We need to revamp the way parents can be involved, especially within our public school system.”

Have a question for Cooper? He can be reached 404-317-1228 or at cooperworkforce@yahoo.com.