If elected as the Lee District representative in November, Brad Center intends to bring the art of compromise to the Fairfax County School Board. Although he is endorsed by the Democrats in the county government, Center has learned not to be narrow-minded on issues.
"I can see both sides of an issue," he said. "We've got to find opportunities to work together."
Center ran against Chris Braunlich last time around, getting only 43 percent of the votes. Following that, he worked with Braunlich on getting the Island Creek Elementary School built to relieve school overcrowding in the Kingstowne area. He kicked off his campaign last time from the empty lot that is now the Island Creek school. This time around he kicked off his campaign on Saturday, June 14, with a backyard party at his residence off Beulah Street in Lee District.
"I've been involved from the get-go. Until I started bringing it up on the comprehensive plan, it wasn't really in the plans," Center said of the Island Creek school, which is due to start classes in the fall.
Center is aware of the budget woes facing the public schools and realizes "it's about doing more with less," he said.
He added that the cuts are not going to be popular with everyone.
"At some point, you're going to have to say to some constituents, 'No, you cannot have this,'" he said.
Center served as the Anthony T. Lane Elementary School PTA president, as well as chairman of the Fairfax County Council of PTA Facilities. He was a member of the Cluster V Parents Advisory Council and was on the Superintendents Community Advisory Council. He currently is a substitute teacher in Lee District as well and substitutes when he can get time off from his full-time position.
Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) considered Center's work in this area as an asset.
"Brad has a proven record of school and community involvement," Kauffman said, responding by email.
Fellow School Board contestant Janet Oleszek worked with Center on the County Council.
"He knew what he was doing, and he did it well," she said. "He energized he County Council."
Oleszek noted the diversity in Lee District as something that Center is well versed in.
"We will be very lucky to get him on this Board," she said. "He's a multifaceted individual."
He is aware of the minority gap programs currently in schools but considered that it was a economic issue.
"It's less about minorities and more about economically disadvantaged children," Center said.
CENTER has lived in Lee District for the past 10 years, first off Franconia Road and now off Beulah Road, across from the Island Creek School. He is aware of the growing developments that surround him, including Hawthorne Woods down the street from the school, as well as future developments in the Hilltop area at the intersection of Beulah and Telegraph Road. His two children, Peter, 7, and Jeremy, 10, currently go to Lane Elementary.
"There's going to be continued growth," Center said. "We're going to watch the numbers real closely."
Center's familiarity with the issues in the area is going to be to his advantage, he said.
"I know the issues, and I've been watching them for 10 years," he said. "I'm not going to need to get up to speed. I'm already up to speed."