With input from readers, we compiled a list of questions and put them to the candidates for the Ravenna School District Board of Education. We’re publishing their answers unedited in their entirety.
Patricia Dennison, 63
What is your educational background and work history?
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing & Associate of Arts at Kent State University
Work History: Thirty years — Kent State University Office of the Vice President, Division of Student Affairs (last 2 positions); Operations and Strategic Communications Coordinator; Interim Student Ombuds
Three years — private industry (2+ at White Rubber Corporation)
Nine years — Portage County government
Have you had children in the district? When or for how long?
Yes, two (2) sons, both graduates of Ravenna High School — 1998 and 2006. I am also a graduate of Ravenna High School.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education?
I was appointed in May 2021, to fill a vacancy on the Board of Education (BOE). I chose to run because this is an opportunity to serve our students and families of the Ravenna School District as well as the community. My goal is to be a part of a BOE whose goals are to educate and prepare the next generation of students to become productive citizens, who can function and be self-sufficient and contribute to a global, multicultural and multigenerational society.
Do you support the district’s current Covid safety plan? What would you propose?
I support Ravenna School District’s current Covid safety plan to keep our students in school so that they can receive an education.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion?
I feel the entire district benefits when we take a holistic approach.
What do you consider to be the school district’s No. 1 budget priority?
To be good stewards and manage the funds entrusted to the district with transparency to provide an education for all our students. We must communicate and engage the community on a continuous basis to keep them abreast of the needs of the district.
What would you propose to increase parent and community involvement and support for each Ravenna school?
Parental partnerships with each Ravenna school are what help our students be successful in attaining an education. This is an area that we must look for creative ways to meet parents where they are at and try to remove any barriers that may hinder involvement. It can be offering childcare during parent-teacher conferences or holding conferences before athletic events. There are no simple solutions, and we must keep seeking ways to increase involvement with parents.
I would engage community support by developing ways to integrate our community into various school activities. I would seek to engage community support by hosting town halls within the community to connect and provide updates about our district. I believe the partnership between our school district and our community is key to ensuring that we provide an exceptional educational experience for all our students.
LaTesha Dukes, 46
What is your educational background and work history?
I have a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and pursuing a master’s in Human Development and Family Studies.
I am employed at Kent State University as the Assistant Director of donor recognition programs and also a current Co-Advisor for our Kent State Student Ambassador, which involves mentoring and providing students with community service and networking opportunities. I have been employed by Kent State University for the past 9 years.
Have you had children in the district? When or for how long?
I have three children that have graduated from Ravenna. The last one that graduated in 2018.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education?
I want to help the connection between the community and the school district as a whole. I know as a parent I feel like I am not kept in the loop on what is going on in the district. I know that if the community sees themselves in the board, they will become more involved and supportive of the district.
Do you support the district’s current Covid safety plan? What would you propose?
I support safety for our students. So I do support the current plan and do think the district is doing what is best to provide a safe learning environment for our students, faculty and community.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion?
The district has had a DEI task force group. There is a lot misinformation about the role and purpose of the task force. The task force has not produced any work and there has not been any change made to policies or curriculum based on the task force group.
What do you consider to be the school district’s No. 1 budget priority?
Right now the district is trying to make sure that issue 25 renewal levy passes which will ensure money for newer buses and books and putting in a/c units in the school’s building.
What would you propose to increase parent and community involvement and support for each Ravenna school?
When parents feel understood and respected in the school environment then involvement will be increased. So, providing parents with a way to be involved with what is going on in the schools will increase their feeling of being a part of their children’s educational process. There are some parent community groups that are dormant at this time that I hope will become active again which will increase the parent/community involvement.
Wesley Ransom, 46
What is your educational background and work history?
I attended Ravenna City Schools and Kent State University.
I have worked in Ravenna the majority of my adult life. However, for the last 15 years, I have been in public service in areas ranging from Housing Management to what I do now, which is Project Management. I ensure that residents our agency serves don’t just have safe housing, but that it is market comparable housing that our residents can be proud to live in.
Have you had children in the district? When or for how long?
My son graduated from Ravenna and went on to college. I currently have a daughter in 6th grade, and one in 8th. Both daughters have always gone to Ravenna, and will graduate from Ravenna.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education?
I chose to run because I felt the need to BE the change I wanted to see in our district. I always say, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” I felt the best way to begin to see some of the critically necessary changes the district needs was to be a part of the board. Additionally, as a current parent and community member, I feel I have a good grasp on what our district’s children need, and what their parents want to see done.
Do you support the district’s current Covid safety plan? What would you propose?
[Did not answer]
What are your thoughts on the district’s current efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion?
I think we, as a district, can do more. There is currently a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force that I am a part of. It’s made up of community members, faculty and staff, district administration, and board members. The group meets to try to come up with solutions and ways to make the district more diverse and inclusive. I think it is vital to level the playing field. Not just in terms of ethnicity, but gender as well. We have a diverse group of children, and it is important for them to see themselves represented in the staff that educates them.
What do you consider to be the school district’s No. 1 budget priority?
I believe one of the most important issues our district is facing is performance scores. There should be monies budgeted specifically for score improvement. More study tables, after school tutoring, etc. There are local community centers who offer tutoring, but the district should too. Raising our performance scores should be a top priority. When families consider moving to a city long term, they look at how good the schools are. If we want to attract stable, long term family residents, we have to raise our performance scores.
What would you propose to increase parent and community involvement and support for each Ravenna school?
Since we serve the community, I would propose town hall meetings regularly. But this can only be done after the school board and district administration get back into the community—talking to families, attending community events.
The community should know who they are entrusting their children’s education to. The school board and administration should regularly communicate with families, community centers, and churches to assure the community that we care about their needs and are willing to meet them where they are to find out what they, and their children, need.
Dirk Remley, 57
What is your educational background and work history?
Ph.D. in English—Rhetoric and Composition from Kent State University
I have taught in the Department of English at Kent State University for over 30 years.
Have you had children in the district? When or for how long?
I have two children, both of whom have attended school in the Ravenna district for their entire k-12 education so far. One graduated in 2021, and the other is in 11th grade.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education?
I have been involved as an active parent in my children’s education, interacting with administrators and teachers regularly. I have been involved on a few issues the board has addressed in the past two years; and I have advocated for school children beyond the district, corresponding with state officials on multiple issues.
Many have encouraged me to pursue board membership because of this involvement, and I understand how I can be a productive member of the board. I have a number of ideas to help improve academic performance and preparation for life beyond school. I detail much of this information and ideas on my candidacy website: profdirk90.wixsite.com/website.
Do you support the district’s current Covid safety plan? What would you propose?
I support mask mandates. While I respect personal rights, the virus is so contagious that we must protect others as well as ourselves. Those who feel that they are immune could still be asymptomatic carriers and cause others to become sick. I understand that masks are uncomfortable and restrictive, but masks have proven to be effective generally against spreading the virus.
Masks will help to keep students in the classroom, where they will learn better than if they are missing classes due to illness. If the state legislature bans such mandates I have several ideas and would get input from others regarding feasibility and implementation. I describe these ideas on my candidate website.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion?
I address this on the aforementioned website, too. I know that there is a committee that is working on this, but no action beyond planning subcommittees has been announced publicly.
What do you consider to be the school district’s No. 1 budget priority?
Instruction and support are the main drivers of academic performance; so, I would prioritize those areas in budgeting. Students from all backgrounds need to know they are getting the best education they can within the district’s financial abilities. However, the home environment plays a large impact on education and academic performance.
To optimize that budgeting, I would also look for fiscal and non-fiscal measures to encourage more support at home for students. I discuss this in more detail on the aforementioned website, too.
What would you propose to increase parent and community involvement and support for each Ravenna school?
I would encourage a marketing effort to make parents and more community members aware of how they interact regularly with district students and graduates and the importance of supporting them with a positive attitude toward education. I would encourage more visibility of the positive impact our students and graduates have within the community and beyond. I would seek ways for parents and community members to engage more with students and school administrators through public events and as role models.
Finally, I would encourage developing tools to help parents support their children’s education in various ways. The home environment is an important part of education, and parents and students need tools to support learning outside of the school setting.
Joan Seman
What is your educational background and work history?
KSU Graduate with a BS in Education
Educator in the Ravenna School System for 35 years
Have you had children in the district? When or for how long?
I graduated from the Ravenna School System, my three children graduated from the Ravenna School System and received an excellent education, and I now have two granddaughters attending the Ravenna schools.
Why did you choose to run for the board of education?
After teaching for the system, I found it hard to leave. I loved my job. I loved my students and their parents. I appreciated the parents and their enthusiasm for their child’s education. I wanted to be part of a system I loved. I wanted to help the system thrive and be as good for my grandchildren as it was for the rest of my family.
Do you support the district’s current Covid safety plan? What would you propose?
Yes, I do support the plan. It’s as much the boards job to protect the children as it is to educate them. I trust the science and truly believe that the plan is a good one. I believe that the masks are working and I hope that a good percentage of our younger children will be able to be protected by the vaccine.
What are your thoughts on the district’s current efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion?
I feel it is important in this rapidly changing world that we learn to appreciate each other, to see that we are more alike than different, and that we must depend on one another in order to make this a safer, kinder and happier place to live.
What do you consider to be the school district’s No. 1 budget priority?
It is my belief that at this moment in time, our number one budget priority is to make our buildings as safe as possible and to get it done as quickly as possible.
So much learning was lost last year and I think we must do whatever is necessary to keep our children in school and safe. Upgrading most of our buildings is possible right now because of the ESSER [Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief] funds from the federal government, that must be used within a certain amount of time or we lose them.
What would you propose to increase parent and community involvement and support for each Ravenna school?
Parent involvement is a tough one and it’s not what everyone thinks it is. Some think it is volunteering at the school, being in PTO, working in the booster booth and these are good things. But I think parent involvement begins with parents valuing education and passing that feeling on to their children. I think it’s reading as much as you can to your children especially when they are young. I think of it as knowing how and what your child is doing in school, knowing if they have homework, knowing if it is getting done, knowing their grades, and attending parent-teacher conferences to see what you can do to help your child. That’s true involvement.
I think parents need to feel safe and not judged when they come into the building. We need to invite our community members in to enjoy what is happening in our schools. Our teachers have been doing many great things that they can show off, but Covid has put such a damper on all the activities that it is going to be like starting all over again when we can finally open up our buildings to our community.
Candidates Mike Tontimonia and Fred Walz III did not provide answers.
