Jesus Lopez , 19, announces candidacy for Rockdale County Board of Education, Post 1

CONYERS, GA– Jesus Lopez, a recent graduate of the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology and lifelong Rockdale County resident, announced today that he is running for the Rockdale County Board of Education, Post 1.

As the qualifying period approaches, Lopez says he is running on a platform centered on reducing central-office bureaucracy, improving student outcomes, supporting teachers, and restoring transparency and accountability in district leadership.

Lopez says his decision to run is deeply personal. As a child with a speech impediment and an Individualized Education Program (IEP), Lopez faced numerous obstacles, from prejudice to excessive red tape. He credits his late mother as the reason he graduated from RMSST Summa Cum Laude.

“My mom fought battles she shouldn’t have had to fight,” Lopez said. “From countless meetings to teaching herself the material so she could help me when no one else would, she did everything she could to make sure I wasn’t left behind. I know countless families across Rockdale County are in that same position today. No family should have to struggle that hard just for their child to get a fair education.”

Lopez says that while families are being ignored and teachers are being asked to do more with less, the district has grown increasingly top-heavy, with multiple layers of high-level administration that are just not justified by enrollment levels or academic performance.

“We have a bureaucracy closer in size to Gwinnett County than districts our own size,” Lopez said. “We have overlapping positions at county office and five assistant superintendents earning six-figure salaries at a time when more than half of our fourth graders are reading below grade level and teachers are underpaid and overworked. Our priorities simply have to change.”

Lopez’s plan includes ending the practice of promoting students to the next grade when they haven’t mastered material and restoring discipline and accountability. A safe classroom isn’t a preference — it’s essential for every child. Too many schools in Rockdale County fall short, from programs that reward the bare minimum to front offices that fail, or even refuse, to address behavior problems.

Accountability, Lopez believes, must exist at all levels — from students who misbehave, to teachers who act unprofessionally, to administrators who abuse their authority. In a district where, unless it makes the news, little accountability is enforced, Lopez argues that silence has become the status quo, and that culture must change if student outcomes are to improve. When standards slip, everyone suffers.

If elected, Lopez would be one of the youngest individuals elected to a Board of Education in Georgia history and the first Latino elected to a countywide office in Rockdale County. He argues that his age is not a weakness, but an asset.

Lopez is the founder of Magnet Newsroom, Rockdale Magnet’s award-winning student newscast, where he worked closely with teachers and administrators to improve communication, transparency, and student engagement. That experience gave him firsthand insight into how decisions made at the district level shape classrooms, teacher morale, and student success.

Lopez also says he plans to be an accessible board member, committed to listening to parents, teachers, and school staff and ensuring that every voice — from families of students with special needs to often-overlooked school employees — is heard.

“This isn’t about ideology or political theater,” he said. “It’s about whether our schools are actually working for families. If they’re not, we have a responsibility to fix them — and to give the people a real alternative to more of the same.

“My mom had the determination to learn the system and fight for me every step of the way,” he added. “She passed that determination on to me. Now I want to fight for every family in Rockdale County Public Schools the way she fought for me.”

Lopez plans to file his Notice of Candidacy during the qualifying period next week and will hold a campaign kickoff on Friday, March 6, at 5 p.m. at 901 North Main Street NW, Conyers, GA 30012. All are welcome to attend. The election for Post 1 of the Rockdale County Board of Education will be held on May 19.

For more information about Jesus Lope, visit votejesuslopez.my.canva.site .