Press Release
Jonathan Petree
Candidate
Nassau County School Board
District 5
July 8, 2016 12:16 p.m.
My family has been in Callahan, Florida for 108 years. Growing up, I was raised on a farm on Petree Road. I was fortunate enough to play high school football and baseball for West Nassau High School, where we were the district, and regional baseball champions my senior year of 1990. I was the senior class Vice President, and student council Sergeants at Arms. After high school I attended both Valdosta State University and UNF, graduating from the University of North Florida in 1996 with a Bachelors of Business Administration degree. After college, I worked for 3 years in the banking industry. From there, I enjoyed a decade long career in healthcare education. In 2002, I founded Atlantic Warriors, LLC, and have owned and operated that successful teaching, mentoring, and training business for 14 years.
I have been married for over 11 years to the lovely Jessica Petree, and have 4 wonderful children. Two of which go to school in Callahan, and the other two are still in diapers. Providing for a family of 6, I have to know how to not only make a dollar, but how to manage a dollar as well.
I am a dedicated and loyal husband, father, business owner, educator, and Christian. My family attends church in Callahan. In that very same church, that my grandparents helped found in the 1950’s, my dad was a deacon, my mom was the first pianist of the church, and sang in the choir. My mother, Lynda Petree, is the last living founding member of our church.
I come from a long line of educators, such as, my mother, Lynda Petree, who was a school teacher for 22 years, teaching at both West Nassau High School, and Hilliard Middle/Senior High School. My father, John Dale Petree, was in the military, before becoming an engineer for AT&T, as well as Bell South, before his passing when I was only 16 years old. In addition, my aunt Mary Petree taught at Callahan Elementary School for more than 42 years. And there are a half dozen other current and former school teachers in my family.
My great-grandfather Petree, who settled in Callahan 108 years ago, first lived in a house on Green Street, where he grew Dasheens, prior to expanding into a larger farm. He was a botanist, farmer, minister, and represented Nassau County in the Florida legislature. His conservative family values were instilled in his children, who then passed them down to my father, who raised me with the core values of:
– Faith in God
– Personal responsibility
– Freedom and individual liberty
– Strong traditional family
– Fiscal conservatism
– Small, limited role of government
– Hard work, Integrity, Respect, and Humility
As a result, I am the conservative’s choice, for a conservative voice, on the school board of Nassau County.
With this foundation, experience, and background I plan on preserving “the jewel” that we have that is Nassau County for our children, and our grandchildren. In order to accomplish this I will listen to the citizens of Nassau County, and work hard for them by leading from the front.
As a teacher’s kid, small business owner, teacher of an after school program for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade at Sunshine Christian Academy in Callahan, as well as being a personal safety consultant, I bring a unique cross section of skills from both the public and private sectors that allow me to understand issues on both a micro, and macro level.
Our schools need to provide the highest level of education for our children so they can compete for the best jobs on the world stage. To do that, I believe the emphasis should be on learning, problem solving, and critical thinking, not just learning how to take a test. A solid foundation built upon science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math, should be the core of the focus.
In addition, communication skills (reading, speaking, and writing) are essential to be successful in today’s business environment. Instead of trying to “re-invent the wheel” with the newer common core, and the over-testing of our children, we should allow our teachers to teach, and our children to learn. I am also a firm believer that our children should have an understanding of our U.S. Constitution, and of how our government is supposed to function, which will allow them to be active and responsible citizens. Also, as a teacher of personal and public safety, I believe it is important that we increase school safety to protect our children against an increasing variety of potential threats.
Together, we can help our children become the future leaders of America. Together, we can take our already great school district, and make it the best in the state. Please support Jonathan Petree for Nassau County School Board, District 5 to ensure a common sense approach to education.
To contact the Jonathan Petree Campaign please call either, (904) 210-8264, or (904) 233-1110. You may also email the campaign at: [email protected]
Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/jonathanpetreefornassaucountyschoolboarddistr