Who are the Mad River School Board candidates?
3 incumbents, 1 newcomer seek three seats.
Three incumbents and a new candidate are running for three seats on the Mad River Local School Board.
Youssef Elzein and incumbents Ruth Newhouse, Cristina M. Pickle and Marilyn Steiner are running to serve four-year terms on the board, which sets policies for the school district and oversees the superintendent’s and treasurer’s administration of the those policies.
As a public service to readers, the Dayton Daily News asked the four candidates to respond to a series of questions about the race. Below are excerpts of their answers presented in alphabetical order. Additional questions and full responses are available online at vote.daytondailynews.com.
Q. What makes you qualified to be on the school board and gives you an advantage over other candidates?
Youssef Elzein: Life experience is my strongest asset. My background as an engineer who has been working in the public and private sectors for over 35 years allowed me to adapt to our changing world and seeing two kids of my own attending and graduating with honors from the Mad River Local Schools. My exposure to a different school system provides the biggest advantage over the other candidates.
Ruth Newhouse: I have a passion for public education and understand the importance that a good education can have on securing future opportunities for students. I have raised four children in the Mad River School District all of which have gone on to receive undergraduate degrees, helping them establish themselves as well educated working professionals. It is my goal to ensure that our district continues to provide students with a solid education that will leave them with many options to go forth and serve.
Cristina M. Pickle: Currently, I have been on the Mad River Local School board for 24 years. We have gone through many changes from balancing our budget, building seven new schools, building a beautiful sports’ complex, and implementing new programs. I am proud to be a part of a team that is honest with its mission to create successful educational opportunities
MAD RIVER SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Youssef Elzein
Experience: Strong project management skills. Personable and caring about the rights of my fellow human. Passionate about our community’s everyday struggles and mainly our children’s education. Education: Masters and Bachelor degrees in Civil Engineering Experience: Mad River Local Schools, Board Member (2010-present) Riverside Parks and Recreation Committee (1993-present) Stebbins Athletic Boosters, Member Community Connectedness Committee Experience: 24 years on Mad River School Board. I currently work at Community Blood Center as an educator where I teach young adults about donating blood.
Education: BS in Education at Bowling Green University Experience: Retired from Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center with 29 years of service as a youth leader. Served on the Mad River Local School Board for 20 years. Life long resident of Riverside. Education: Associate Degree in Law Enforcement from Sinclair College. Police Academy 1977, various classes on school board leadership throughout the past 20 years.
Note: Information provided to the Dayton Daily News by the candidates. for all of our students. I believe as a board member, I have helped our district to improve our schools as we aggressively pursue new methods to improve our instruction and operations. We have incorporated Project Lead the Way Programs in our district, which has allowed us to have two buildings (Mad River Middle and Stebbins High School) designated as “STEM” schools by the State of Ohio. I want to continue being part of a team that helps our district regarding the quality of education, delivery of service and effectiveness of the district structure.
Marilyn Steiner: I have dedicated the last 30 years of my life to our school district. In the beginning it was by being involved in the P.T.O. and booster groups. Then I was invited to be part of the school board when there was a member who left to retire. I have been an active board member and have keep current on the latest education issues.
Q: What is your top priority if elected?
Youssef Elzein: Make schools a happy place to go to every day. Schools should not be seen as an institution where our children have chores to do. Improve funding through private/public partnership and encourage parents’ engagement in the day-to-day nurturing of our children. Teachers cannot do it alone. They are not superpeople.
Ruth Newhouse: My top priority would be to continue to work towards ensuring every child realizes their potential for success and that we as a district provide every opportunity for that success.
Cristina M. Pickle: The Mad River School District must continue to provide the resources to enable high achievement for all students. As the global job sector changes, we must stay on our present path to promote and teach STEM education and Career Tech disciplines to our students. The district has maintained a balanced budget while not asking voters for extra monies for close to five years. We must preserve this attitude while also seeking to find new ways to fund our schools without burdening our tax payers. If I am reelected, I want to continue to push our elected officials to improve school funding. Our district was built with strong values and traditions. I want to uphold those traditions and values while finding ways to move us forward. The more we can be on the cutting edge of education, the better we will be able to meet the needs of our current and future students.
Marilyn Steiner: To get our state report scores up across the board.