The following was submitted by Antioch School Board Trustee Walter Ruehlig who is announcing a run for Contra Costa County Board of Education.
CCCBOE Area 5 Candidate Announcement
I will be submitting my candidacy papers on Monday, July 16th to run for Area 5 of the County Board of Education, which covers Antioch, Bay Point, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Clyde, Knightsen, Oakley, and Pittsburg.
In June of 1968, I dedicated myself to public service and youth education when I taught English for the Peace Corps in Sultandag, a rural village in Turkey that had no electricity. Fifty years later, the idealism continues.
I believe that that my twelve-year service, with three years as President, on the Antioch School Board, and my experience with the Pittsburg Unified School District as a California Department of Rehabilitation Workability Program Director for adults with disabilities and as a career counselor, have given me useful insight into County Trustee duties. I am excited by the challenge of overseeing career training programs, special education, community day schools, and facilities for incarcerated juveniles.
I was a late-bloomer myself but, fortunately, had teachers who didn’t give up on me. I eventually caught fire and worked my way through college. My passion for sharing opportunity and persisting with high-risk, disadvantaged or under motivated students is my way of returning thanks.
Aside from counseling, teaching and administrative background, I feel I have the proven temperament and intangible skill sets requisite for good governance.
I enjoy communication and transparency. I am open, creative and innovative but believe in sober budgeting, no-nonsense classroom behavior standards and back to the basics core curriculum. I am pragmatic and put my ego at the door to focus on getting the task at hand done one building block at a time. In this age of divisiveness, I am proud to say that I can get along without always going along. I am a consensus-builder but no pushover. I cannot be bullied or bought.
I look forward to meeting the voters of Area 5, hearing their concerns, and presenting my vision. I welcome their scrutiny and would be honored by their support. I pledge not to let them, or their kids, down.
Walter Ruehlig
Candidate, Area 5
Contra Costa County Board of Education
2 comments
Lets clean up the school system. If you do half of what you said, that would be an improvement. The Antioch school system is terrible and the people that run it are all POS
Walter Rueling is a good man and his years of experience in the education field will serve the Board well. Fair minded, responsive to constituents, and very knowledgeable.
Good luck Walter!
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