Former Madison school board member and city councilwoman Connie Spears says her decades of involvement in education, local government and community leadership have prepared her to serve students across North Alabama as she campaigns for the Alabama State Board of Education District 8 seat.

Spears, who previously served 10 years on the Madison City Board of Education and five years on the Madison City Council, said her decision to run came from a desire to return to education-focused public service.

“I enjoyed my time on Madison City Council, but I found that I missed working for the kids and I felt called to go back and serve the children of Alabama,” Spears told 256 Today.

District 8 includes Madison County, Limestone County, Jackson County and DeKalb County.

Spears said the state board’s role in shaping policy, curriculum and education funding makes the position an opportunity to directly impact classrooms statewide.

“At the state level, you develop policies for all of the schools and you adopt curriculum,” Spears said. “You also manage the budget, you hire the superintendent and you work very, very closely with the legislature.”

She said her years working with lawmakers and local officials could help strengthen communication between educators and policymakers.

“I hope to be helpful in making sure that communication goes from the classroom to the legislature so that we don’t have legislation that has unintended consequences in the classroom,” Spears said. “Our classroom and education professionals can help with the crafting of that legislation.”

Throughout the campaign, Spears said she has focused heavily on traveling throughout District 8 to hear directly from educators, parents and local leaders.

“I have been going to local school board meetings,” Spears said. “Tonight I will have been to each school system’s school board meetings at least twice.”

She said she has also attended county commission meetings, community events and state school board meetings in Montgomery while meeting with teachers, superintendents and school board members across the district.

“After I hopefully have won this office, I will be ready to hit the ground running,” Spears said.

Spears pointed to her varied background, including time as a PTA volunteer, substitute teacher, school board member and city council representative, as giving her a broad understanding of how education systems operate.

“I’ve had views from all different sides of funding,” she said. “I know how taxes work, how they flow from a city to a school system. I know how they flow from the state to a school system.”

Among the biggest challenges facing Alabama schools, Spears identified teacher shortages and growing student mental health concerns.

“We need to make sure that our teachers feel like they are being treated as professionals and are respected,” Spears said.

She also emphasized the need for additional support systems for students facing behavioral or mental health struggles.

“We need to make sure that one child is not depriving a whole class full of children of their education because of behavioral issues,” she said. “We need to make sure that that child gets the help they need so they can learn how to interact in the classroom properly and also get the education they deserve.”

Spears has also built an extensive network of relationships across North Alabama through public service and regional leadership roles, including serving as immediate past president of the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments board.

She said the campaign has received support from educators, elected officials and community leaders throughout the district.

“I’ve been very blessed with the support I’ve gotten,” Spears said. “I’ve gotten support from principals, teachers, school board members, legislators, former school board members and leaders all across the communities.”

Her endorsements include former Mac McCutcheon, former District 8 state board member Mary Scott Hunter, retired Madison City Schools superintendent Dee O. Fowler and current Madison City Schools superintendent Ed Nichols.

McCutcheon described Spears as “a fierce advocate for students” and praised her years of work on education, infrastructure and regional issues across North Alabama.

Hunter called Spears “the only candidate with directly applicable experience” and said she would be able to “make a difference day one.”

Fowler said Spears demonstrated strong leadership during her time on both the school board and city council and credited her with helping establish Madison City Schools as a leader in education statewide.

Spears said her goal is to bring practical experience and collaborative leadership to the state board while helping ensure Alabama students and educators have the support they need to succeed.