Meet Bubba
Dr. Fred Jackson (Bubba) Longgrear announces his candidacy for Georgia State School Superintendent in the 2026 election. Bubba is a 29-year veteran educator in the state of Georgia serving in two districts. Upon graduating from high school in Thomaston, Georgia, he accepted an opportunity to play football at Georgia Southern University where he was a member of the 1990 National Championship team. Following graduation from Georgia Southern, he accepted a position to coach football at Valdosta State University. He then entered public education and has served as a teacher, coach, Assistant Principal, High School Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and is entering his 11th year as the Superintendent of Schools in Candler County (Metter), GA. Under his leadership, Candler County School District has excelled in a number of areas to include enhanced academic opportunities for students, building career development pipelines for all graduates, and creating a culture of safety, trust, and strong community relations. Dr. Longgrear has been a finalist for the State Superintendent of the year, the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Bill Barr Leadership Award, and is currently the President for the Georgia School Superintendent Association and an active member of the Georgia Council for Literacy, serving as the Chair for the Leadership working group. Dr. Longgrear also serves on Governor Kemp’s Superintendent Advisory Council. He is also extremely active in numerous community and civic activities to include serving as Rotary Club President for several different years.
His platform centers around the idea of strengthening public education in Georgia through continued growth in creating high academic expectations, enhancing CTAE offerings to ultimately have each graduate develop a strong desire and path which lead to a meaningful career, and through ensuring that expectations of student behavior throughout all districts in Georgia ensure a safe and desirable learning environment. He believes a strong literacy foundation is the catalyst to future economic success. The leadership and the work of the Department will be operating in the mode of listening to all stakeholders, including parents and teachers, to stay abreast of current needs. The desire is to “return public education to the families”.
Dr. Longgrear’s experience leading schools and districts for 29 years in GA make him a great candidate to lead the Department of Education. His career has been built on accessibility to all stakeholders and a strong desire to engage all in pursuing desired outcomes. He promises to be an advocate for public education in Georgia, ultimately enhancing growth opportunities for all students individually and the State as a whole. He will collaborate with all state agencies, the legislature, and local districts to assess needs and provide support and leadership in order to improve.
Bubba has been married to the former Lisa Brannen for 25 years. Together they have three children Jackson (22 years old; Education Major at Valdosta State University), Brooks (20 years old; Risk Management Major at the University of Georgia), and Adysan (17 years old; Senior at Metter High School). The family are members of Cedar Street Baptist Church in Metter where Bubba serves as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher.