Cody Whitaker, of Winnfield officially qualified for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, District 4 seat for the March 20th special election.
Whitaker is a 4th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher for the Winn Parish School Board system. In this role, Whitaker works to educate students and immerse them in the foundations needed to become productive and sustainable citizens. “Watching students achieve their very best is what makes teaching so special,” stated Whitaker. “I truly have a passion for teaching reading. It is such a rewarding feeling when you see a child who has been struggling, finally reach their goal.” Whitaker teaches at the same elementary school that he attended in the mid-90’s.
Cody Whitaker’s campaign will focus on the following priorities important to our children, our teachers, and our communities:
-A greater focus on literacy
-Access to early childhood programs.
-Workforce readiness for secondary students.
-Teacher recruitment and retention.
-Producing productive citizens in our communities.
“District 4, and the state of Louisiana’s progress depends on all of our students receiving the very best education possible,” said Whitaker. “I decided to run for BESE because I hope to be a voice, not just for students, but for my fellow educators and each community within District 4. As a teacher, I know what we go through on a day to day basis in order to improve the lives of students and I want to continue doing so at the state level.”
Whitaker is active in several educational organizations including The American Association for Employment in Education, Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators, and HighScope Early Childhood Education Organization, among many others. He is also an alumnus of both NSU and LSU.
“Now, more than ever, we need to add an educator to our state’s education board from District 4. I commend my fellow teachers statewide for the hard work they are doing every day for their students. COVID-19 has impacted our lives immensely, but just like we have always done, teachers have risen to the occasion. Who would have thought that recording lessons and teaching virtually would become the norm, but here we are and ready for the challenge, today, tomorrow, and every day,” Whitaker asserted.
Over the next two months Whitaker plans on engaging with the voters in district 4 (which include Bossier, Bienville, Caddo, Desoto, Red River, Sabine, Natchitoches, Vernon, Webster and Winn) to further understand their vision for BESE, District 4’s future, and how to best represent those visions on day one in office. If you wish to talk with Cody to discuss your thoughts about BESE- District 4, or to help the campaign, please reach out to (318) 302-0596 or CodyforBESE@gmail.com. Thank you for the support for our students, our teachers, and our community.