Chad Choate, Sean Conley competing for Manatee School Board District 4 seat

BRADENTON — Two Manatee County natives and school district graduates are vying for the District 4 School Board seat in the Aug. 23 election — incumbent Chad Choate and challenger Sean Conley.

Earlier this month, voters began absentee balloting and in-person early voting begins on Aug. 13. The nonpartisan School Board race allows all registered voters to participate in the election. The winner will be elected to a four-year term.

Other education news: Manatee County School Board District 2 race: Election preview

More: Who is running for local, state and federal offices in the Sarasota-Manatee area?

Previously: Sarasota-Manatee teachers prepare for upcoming school year amid labor shortage, political noise

Chad Choate

Choate is a Manatee County native who graduated from Manatee High in north Bradenton. Choate is a father of two public school students who works as a financial advisor at Edward Jones.

Before becoming a financial advisor, Choate was a teacher and coach at Braden River High School and his alma mater, Manatee High. Choate was appointed to serve on the School Board in August 2021 by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill a vacancy created when Scott Hopes resigned to become Manatee County's administrator.

Choate, a third-generation Manatee native whose grandfather was once the principal at Manatee High, has been endorsed by local officials including Manatee Sheriff Rick Wells and Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown. Choate said at a recent Tiger Bay Club candidate forum in downtown Bradenton, that he feels pulled to get back to his roots in education.

“I was a teacher for 10, 12 years ... Education is in my blood. It’s in my heart; it’s my passion,” Choate said.

He said he would focus on three key areas if elected: protecting parental rights, school safety and enhancing vocational and technical opportunities for students.

“Parental rights have got to be protected,” Choate said. “COVID pushed parents out; a lot weren’t allowed in schools, but we got to get parents back in the classroom to build trust in what is being taught.”

Choate applauded the Manatee County schools chief of security before adding that he hopes to enhance the work that is being done to keep students safe.

“Most counties don’t even have a chief security officer... The systems we have in place are fantastic but that doesn’t mean we can’t do better; it doesn’t mean we don’t have room to improve.”

Choate has raised just over $24,000 with contributions from a handful of local developers and contractors and small businesses.

Sean Conley

Conley is a graduate of Southeast High School in Bradenton and a Manatee County native. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1996 until July 2013 when he was medically retired from duty.

Conley has worked as a substitute teacher in the Manatee school district for a number of years and has a background in intelligence analysis. A late entrant in the election race who filed the paperwork to run in mid-June, Conley says his focus is on school security and fiscal responsibility.

He said he wants to ensure that the schools have protection against shootings, that policies in county schools are fiscally sound, and that teachers, administrators, and support staff are properly compensated.

A first-time candidate for public office, Conley said he understands the amount of work needed to ensure that the district excels but feels he has the skills required to move the district forward.

“I have the training and skills to improve the safety and security of students, teachers, and support staff of Manatee County schools. With my all source analysis skills, I can conduct deep dives on school issues and budget issues to ensure the best information is available,” Conley told the Herald-Tribune.

Conely has reported a total of $3,050 for contributions to his campaign to date.

On the issues

Critical race theory 

Critical race theory is a graduate-level academic principle that asserts that racism is more than prejudice towards marginalized groups but that it is systemic in the U.S.'s laws and institutions

Choate: "It is not being taught in Manatee County nor should it be taught in K-12 curriculum. It is a theory studied in law school and should be kept in advanced learning where students have a choice to take the course or not."

Conley: "(It) is best examined in law school. With this said, I think it is appropriate in a high school sociology class to teach theories, such as Structural Functionalism, Symbolic Interactionism, and Conflict Perspective."

Parental Rights in Education Act  

The Parental Rights in Education Act (HB 1557) was dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics, following being signed into law by Gov. DeSantis this year. The multi-page law states, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

Choate: "I 100% agree with (it). I believe parents should have the ability to know and choose the best education for their children. I also believe that sexuality should not be discussed in grades kindergarten through third and once we do begin discussing that topic it should be grade and age appropriate with the opportunity for parents to opt out if they choose."

Conley: "It is a policy that I support. I believe that children in this age group are not mentally mature enough for this discussion topic and that this discussion topic is best left to the parents until the child has reached mental and physical maturity. With this said, tolerance should be taught to students in kindergarten through third grade and any sexual or gender slurs by this age group should be noted and the student should receive disciplinary action."

Samantha Gholar covers social justice news for the Herald-Tribune and USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at sgholar@gannett.com or on Twitter: @samanthagholar

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Choate, appointed by DeSantis, seeks full term in election race with Conley