GREENE COUNTY
In what may be a confusing ballot with two similar names for the District 4 seat on the Greene County Board of Education (BOE), Dr. Maggie Kjer is making the rounds in a series of informative meet-and-greet sessions within her district.
She is not to be confused with her opponent, Maggie Combs, who has linked herself with Dr. Otho Tucker, who is running for board chairman against Dr. Perry Lee.
During a recent meet-and-greet event, Kjer weighed in on how her career and experience have shaped her as the best candidate.
A distinguished educator, Kjer is from Boston and has an impressive resume and education, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Education.
She was appointed to the board 11 months ago and has taken a steady role in the board, namely producing a defensible new charter for Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) for the Georgia Department of Education and analyzing recent score data from the middle and high schools.
Having met her Army officer husband in Germany, she took several positions in Germany, England, and Korea, where she both taught and facilitated key programs aimed at educating youth. It afforded her the opportunity to leverage her skills and background with differing cultures and educational systems.
She claims it made her look deeply into the existing educational programs, make necessary modifications, and initiate key educational supportive programs that targeted low-performing schools and underserved populations of students.
One of 10 children, Kjer spoke about a 10-year-old brother’s reading difficulties their parents were able to identify. She watched her parents struggle to get services, and it was soon the impetus to wanting to pursue special education as an adult. She asserts her passions run deep for all children in the district.
“I am a proponent for fairness and equity,” she said. “I want all kids in the district, including LOA, to have equal opportunities for success. We have the best teachers, and our schools are on par. We have major differences with both schools in terms of students deemed economically disadvantaged and those with the most severe learning disabilities at Greene County schools.”
Kjer commented that she has been active with the BOE in encouraging partners, such as the First Readers Program, Atlas Ministries, and Victory Train, which support early education in schools.
“We have the largest future farmers organization in the state due to partnering, and it supports the state’s horticulture industry,” she said. “We also have the College and Career Academy (CCA), which encourages partnering with local businesses for our students in their selected pathway, such as welding.”
Kjer commented that the BOE will continue to support LOA and recognizes it as crucial to the district’s overall performance. She claimed that there was never an intent to close LOA but rather foster an alliance that serves the district well. She has known the current director of LOA, Dr. Brad Bowling, for 18 years as a consultant.
“We have a common purpose,” she said. “We know there is steady growth in the county, and we needed to make decisions to support that. The new school, well underway on Meadow Crest Road, is expected to have a new housing development adjacent to the property and shows the reality of potential future enrollment. It was overwhelmingly voted in and will be an exciting addition to the county.”
Early voting begins April 29.