Candidate: Shel Hart

Our students are our future. Our three teenagers have gone through our Osceola public school system with our eldest now attending Valencia College, daugher going to FSU in the summer '18, and son a senior at CHS. Almost 3 years ago, my wife and I were blessed with twins. It has been an awesome experience in seeing the world through their eyes and experiencing the many blessings their lives have on our union and on our family. I can certainly attest to a renewed interest in the future of our education system and impacts it has on our society. I’m not a fearful person and would characterize myself as a “realist with a positive outlook”. That said, I believe our society is at an inflection point as we address the educational, political, economic, technological, social, and spiritual elements that will shape our collective and increasingly global future. The manner in which we are addressing these various elements in our school system, and government at large, requires deliberate and principled refinement. These refinements include, but are not limited to, curriculum design to challenge each student in professional or technical careers, financial stewardship to maximize the use of available dollars, respect and resources to those entrusted with educating our children, accountability to results, and in ongoing evaluation of statewide testing to ensure we instill the critical thinking, ingenuity, and courage in our students. I’ve loved engaging our youth in athletics, scouting, religious education, mentoring, and through school programs over the last 15 years in our Osceola community. In my youth, I was encouraged, coached, and “spoken into” during pivotal moments in my life and have tried to “pay it forward” as resources have afforded. At this inflection point in our society and within my own family, I felt it was time to dedicate my energy and time in a more intentional way by running for the Osceola County School Board in 2018. Core values: While I have a proven track record in business, I do not have any specific governmental experience and can only promise to do my level best to uphold a consistently applied set of core values that include: ¬ Honesty – seek and tell the truth, not be dissuaded by “noise”, expediency, or personal gain ¬ Reject apathy – rejection of passivity or indifference to those around us and take a stand when necessary ¬ Accept responsibility – for both my actions or inactions and the resultant impacts ¬ Live courageously – stand in the gap undeterred by popularity and guided by principle ¬ Dignity – respect of the all human beings always seeking perspective in place of judgment ¬ Endorse reality – always keep it real while remaining vigilant in finding alternative solutions ¬ Transparency – communicate with clarity, openness, accountability, and candor Thank you for taking the time to engage in the welfare of our students and in the future of our community. These are clearly turbulent times and it’s time to intentionally lean forward in doing what I can to affect positive change. In addition to your support, I welcome your questions, concerns, or observations in relation to our district. Shel Hart Osceola County School Board District 1 info@electshelhart.com www.electshelhart.com