Warren Board Of Education Profile: Lori Ruckstuhl-Clar

WARREN, NJ — Warren Township School Board has five candidates vying for three seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 3.

David Brezee, Christian Bellmann, Eric D. Winch, Todd Weinstein, and Laura Keller are vying for the three, three-year seats on the board.

Lori Ruckstuhl-Clar is also running for one, one-year unexpired seat.

Are you running for office in Warren? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Warren Patch.

Lori Ruckstuhl-Clar

1. Why are running for Board of Education?

I am running for the Board of Education for my children and the families and children in Warren, who, like me, live here and/or moved here in large part because of the quality of schools and education offered. We all want the best education for our children and we want them to be happy. The last six months have not been easy for anyone and I am excited for the opportunity to work to make a positive impact.

2. What are your qualifications for this position?

My most significant qualification is that I am a mother with two children in elementary school here in Warren. Professionally, over the course of my career, I have worn many hats. I have been a writer. I have run a non-profit organization with a substantial community benefit component and where consensus building was a fairly significant aspect of my job. Most recently, as a competitive and business intelligence professional, my job is to conduct research and analysis to determine a best path forward.

3. The single most pressing issue facing our school district is ____ and this is what I intend to do about it:

The most immediate issue is working together to find ways to safely return our children to as close to a normal, productive educational experience as possible. The recent upheaval is extremely difficult for children, especially our youngest and those with special needs. For the youngest, their basic, essential skills are delayed — reading, writing, socialization. For those with special needs, regardless of age or issue(s), the current learning conditions are not sustainable.

As a competitive and business intelligence professional, I often use a SWOT analysis (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats). I know this town and honestly have the best interests of our children, families, teachers and staff at heart. I also know together, the Board, the principals, our teachers and staff, our families and our children — have amazing strength. We know what the major threat is. So, let’s take an honest look at our weaknesses and with that whole picture — roll up our sleeves and use our collective experience and ingenuity to identify the opportunities for a safe and successful path forward.

4. What are other issues you would like to see addressed in the school district?

The current environment poses many challenges for schools and our families. I think for each family and individual, the problem areas differ. There are limitations on what can and can’t be done — based on decisions and regulations that are beyond our control right now. To make any impact we need to focus on what can be done to improve the situation, rather than focusing on what we are not able to do. We need to first focus on where we can make an immediate impact. Get the youngest children back in school as close to full-time as possible. Get our special needs children back in school — as much as possible — and get them the special services and accommodations they need and are entitled to. For all children, putting a buddy system in place for in-school children and hybrid children or full-time remote children may be beneficial. And, perhaps most importantly, offer more social/emotional support to children, which will ultimately help our teachers, families and the community.

As we continue to adapt to the "new normal," I think we can look back on this experience and lessons learned to help us respond to an unexpected situation in the future. How can we leverage and build on the successful innovations that have been put into place during the pandemic to enhance our children’s education moving forward?