CLAY COUNTY — Sharon E. Flowers believes education should be a collaboration between a student, teacher and parents. Along with classmates, educators and parents, everyone can create a dispassionate lesson plan focusing on more rounded core education skills like reading, mathematics, English, social studies, science, technology, physical education, music, art and history.

“One of the things I do believe is, when it comes to education, I think what works is when everybody works together,” Flowers said. “Sometimes I don’t think the kids’ voices are heard at certain times. I don’t believe that the parents are heard at certain times. And I don’t think the teachers are heard at certain times.

“We need to unite all those voices – the school board, teachers, parents, administrators and children. We should hear their voices and make the best decisions for the children because it is all about the children.”

Flowers wants to put her principles into action. That’s why she’s running for the District 2 seat on the Clay County School Board. She will be one of four candidates in a runoff on Aug. 20, with the winner replacing Mary Bolla, who decided not to seek re-election.

Flowers has a degree in Psychology from Fayetteville State, a Master’s in Education at Penn State and her PhD from Capella University in 2014.

She’s worked as an academic counselor and Adjunct Professor at Fayetteville State. Once she moved to Florida, she taught online classes at Berean Baptist Academy and Carolina Colleges of Biblical Studies. She’s also the Director of Outreach at Love Alive Church in Middleburg.

Flowers said some discussions should happen away from a school setting so all sides can speak openly and to repercussions.

“I believe in holding forums outside of the school board meetings to help build trust with that school board member, but also to invest in that school, to let that teacher or that parent or that child know that there’s somebody interested in education without the political stuff behind it,” she said.

Flowers said her experience in education and the U.S. Army makes her uniquely qualified to be a School Board member.

“I served 20 years in the military. I retired in 2008, so I’m not new to policies and interpreting policies as I spent the last four years of my military career as an Inspector General,” she said. “I’m definitely used to looking at policies and deciphering policies. The other part is that I’ve taught higher education for 15 years. Part of that is teaching, and I taught educators how to become educators.”