New faces on the board: Brian Boatman and Amber Polk to join SCBOE

When Amber Polk and Brian Boatman met each other in a grassroots group, they found out they had a lot in common.

Both parents in the Shelby County School system, they soon learned they had the same agenda and wanted the same things for the schools. After some discussions, they decided to combine their efforts and run for the two open spots on the Shelby County Board of Education in the June 2022 election.

Polk said she has been involved with education in some form for years, not just in the schools but working with legislators on certain education reforms for the state. Although it had crossed her mind before, it never seemed to be the right time to run for a board position.

Boatman said he too has been involved in education in some capacity for years, also working with the Legislature on education bills.

Running on a combined platform for Places 1 and 2 was a more cost-effective option for both, as running a campaign costs thousands of dollars.

“We ended up doing the work we’d pay people to do,” Boatman said. “We were as fiscally responsible as we could be.”

The two centered their campaign around partnerships with teachers and community business leaders. Boatman said they felt the board needed to be more actively engaged in marketing for the school system, which included coordinating efforts with local officials and municipalities.

“When issues come up, we need to find the most effective, creative way to do what needs to be done without raising taxes,” Boatman said. “There are a lot of generous people in our community, who if they are aware of a need in the school system, will help. We need to make those connections and actively seek those partnerships where people want to give and contribute so everyone can be involved and feel part of the school system.”

“We see that collectively we can be a lot more effective in what we accomplish,” Polk said.

They want the board to advocate for the schools at a state level and be a voice for Shelby County teachers and administrators. Their goal is to bridge the gaps for teachers and bring those to Montgomery and try to help.

The two will officially take office Jan. 1, 2023. After completing training at the central office and attending a conference in Montgomery for the Association of School Boards, they are ready to hit the ground running.

While none of the current SCBOE members have children in the school system, Polk and Boatman both do. Boatman said it’s different when you have kids in the schools to be more involved in the day-to-day operations and know what’s going on.

Boatman has lived in Helena since 2001. Both of his children have attended Shelby County Schools. His oldest is turning 22 this month, and his youngest is starting his senior year at Helena High School.

Polk has lived in Chelsea since 2019 and has three children in the Chelsea school system, two at the middle school and one at Chelsea High. She has been involved with PTO and booster clubs and her children are involved in athletics at the schools and through Chelsea Youth Club.

For their day jobs, Boatman is a former military officer who has worked in the medical pharmaceutical industry for 24 years. After spending the last 15 years as a stay-at-home mom, Polk recently got her Realtor license (the same week she qualified for the election) and is working as a Realtor with EXIT Royal Realty in the Narrows.

Both Polk and Boatman said they only plan to serve only one six-year term.

“I’m in this with all four feet right now, but when my time is up I will pass this on to another concerned parent with kids in the system who understands the current issues,” he said. “It will be time to move on and let someone else take the reins.”

Polk said the same and added this isn’t a stepping stone to politics for her.

“I'm excited to start and get to serve and visit with teachers and administrators,” she said. “It's going to be fun.”

One of the things they would both like to see is zone-specific representation. They believe there should be a restructuring on how the board is elected and representation should be similar to how the county commission is done by district and for board members to be elected at large across the county.

Boatman said that some of the communities have been neglected and have no one to advocate for them.

“We think it might be a good idea to look at the same thing for the school board,” he said. “Divide it up and that way there will be someone on board that members of the community knows will represent them and is accountable to them and will fight for them.”

Polk said that many people she met during the campaign didn’t know who the board members were.

“That helps not only the accountability with the board to be in communities, but also creates relationships with schools and communities that has been lacking,” Polk said.

Both Polk and Boardman want to spend time in each school zone quarterly. They see their new roles as public servants elected to serve and to come alongside Superintendent Lewis Brooks, and they said they know he will come alongside them and want the best for the students and communities.

“Dr. Brooks can't be everywhere all the time,” Boatman said. “We need a board to be out there. Even moving the board meetings around and getting the word out in the communities.”

Polk takes the place of Jane Hampton, while Boatman takes the place of Aubrey Miller.

Other members of the board are Jimmy Bice, David Bobo and Peg Hill.

Confirm when they will participate in their first board meeting.