Candidate for
Board Member; Oak Hills Local School District

Ritsa Tassopoulos, Candidate for Oak Hills Board of Education

http://www.ritsatassopoulos.com

My name is Ritsa (rhymes with pizza!) Tassopoulos (rhymes with Acropolis!). My husband and I have lived in the Oak Hills School District for over 35 years. We have four daughters who grew up in the Oak Hills district and who attended Delshire, C. O. Harrison, and Oakdale elementary schools, Delhi and Bridgetown middle schools, and graduated from Oak Hills High School.

I received my Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Cincinnati and my Masters degree from Marygrove College. I was one of the first National Board Certified Teachers in Oak Hills, and I inspired many others to earn certification. I was a trained Praxis assessor (a teacher certification program developed by the Ohio Department of Education).

Aside from working with children, I have presented workshops for teachers in the Winton Woods City School District and the Springboro Community City School District. In coordination with the University of Cincinnati, I taught several CORE literacy classes offering college credit to teachers in Oak Hills. I have written several grants, some alone and some with a team of teachers, to acquire funds to enrich the learning of students. An article I wrote was published in Teaching PreK-8.

I was employed by the Oak Hills School District for more than 25 years. During most of that time, I taught at Delshire and Oakdale elementary schools, serving the last few years of my career as literacy coach at District Office. I retired from the Oak Hills School District in November, 2008. Following my retirement, I was hired by the Hamilton County Educational Service Center as a School Improvement Coach, servicing two Cincinnati Public Schools. Currently, I am a part-time employee as a School Improvement Coach with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center servicing Cheviot Elementary.

So . . . why would a semi-retired teacher want to run for the Oak Hills Board of Education? Wouldn't you think after so many years in education I would be tired of it all? No . . . I value children, always have and always will. That is why I have chosen to run. The children of today are our future. They need the best opportunities made available to them. The job of the Board of Education is to make sure schools are run well so that our children can have the best education possible. How could I not continue doing something that would extend my passion for the best education for children?

Our four daughters, Dori (Oak Hills Class of 1988), Maria (1990), Stacy (1994), and Eleni (2006) received an excellent education in Oak Hills schools. I want that excellence to continue. My passion for the education of children and my experience as an educator are strengths which are important in serving as a member of the Oak Hills school board team.