Ann Marie “Mario” Gallin,

62, served on Dayton’s school board from 2000-07, was a neighborhood school site coordinator from 2008-13 and continues to tutor at Ruskin school. Her children attended DPS schools.

Gallin said it is crucial that board members understand how schools work in order to make good decisions. She pointed to last fall’s confusion over a plan to lay off classroom paraprofessionals as an example.

Gallin urged DPS to train teachers about brain science on how trauma-affected children learn. She mentioned mindfulness training that Ruskin already uses to help students self-regulate behavior, and a “growth mindset” approach to build trust while not letting students give up in tough situations.

The district needs to make internal improvements before worrying about marketing itself, she said, and should start building better relationships with groups willing to help. Getting buy-in from the community is the area “where board members can be most effective,” making sure DPS is making connections, returning phone calls and communicating honestly with residents, Gallin said.

“I’ve been here over 20 years, and the school district has been pretty much where I’ve put all my commitment and passion,” she said. “The behavior of the board is appalling. ... We wouldn’t put up with that behavior in school from our kids.”