Wayne Reynolds declares candidacy for Alabama State Board of Education

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Wayne Reynolds

Dr. Wayne Reynolds declared his candidacy as the republican nominee for the Alabama State Board of Education District 8 on Tuesday.

“I am excited to announce that I am running for the District 8 seat on the Alabama State Board of Education,” said Reynolds. “I have served nearly 30 years of my work in public education including over ten years as a school superintendent. I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the children of Alabama again.”

Reynolds, 71, earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Georgia where he specialized in career and technical education, and implemented one of the early high school student internship programs in Muskogee County, Ga. He then completed his doctorate degree at Auburn University.

He served for over 12 years as a public school superintendent including as school superintendent for Athens City Schools until 1993. After retirement, he served on the state curriculum development committee and textbook review committee.

“I believe that our children deserve to have the best education in America,” Reynolds continued. “Both of my children had outstanding public educations from Kindergarten through post-college, but not all of Alabama’s children or even all the children in District 8 currently have the same opportunities. We must make Alabama schools great!”

“I want to see greater transparency and integrity from Alabama’s Board of Education. I want to see better ways of evaluating schools than we currently have. I think the people of Alabama should decide what our children are learning instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ system like Common Core.”

A disabled veteran, Reynolds served as a medic in the United States Army in Vietnam from 1968–1969 with the 95th Evac and 22nd Surgical hospitals. He currently serves as National Treasurer for Vietnam Veterans of America and is now serving his 19th year as president of the Alabama State Council of Vietnam Veterans. Reynolds has also served on national committees on Finance, Veterans Healthcare, PTSD and Substance Abuse, Constitution, Employment Training Business Opportunities, and Veterans Affairs. He received a bronze medallion from the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, and was Alabama’s Veteran of the Year in 2011.

Reynolds is running in the Alabama Republican primary for state Board of Education District 8 — which includes Dekalb, Etowah, Jackson, Limestone and Madison counties — against Rich McAdams. The seat is open as incumbent Mary Scott Hunter is leaving the Board to run for state Senate.

Reynolds and McAdams will face off in the June 5 primary and the winner will move on to the general election against Democrat Jessica Fortune Barker.

Reynolds lives in in Athens, Ala. with his wife, Carol. They have two children and two grandchildren.