Cape Girardeau School Board candidate Jared W. Ritter

Name: Jared W. Ritter

Age: 25

Place of Birth: Cape Girardeau

Spouse, children's names

NA

Occupation: Realtor

Employer: Ritter Real Estate

Business owned, all or part

Ritter Rental Properties, LLC. Ritter and Roth Properties, LLC.

Previous offices held or sought

NA

What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?

I am the most qualified candidate for this position because I have been inside the classroom walls of our district as an English teacher. Not only inside the walls, but at Central Academy, possibly our most demanding school. I have the perspective of a former teacher and the desire to make sure our kids have the best possible education process they can inside our district. I'm young, energetic, and ready to make an impact.

What do you see as the opportunities and challenges in the district?

All of our students need to be cared for where they're at. We must face each school's needs and evaluate them. Every school within our district has the opportunity to be better and we must ensure that they're all receiving the same support. With one-to-one, I see it as an opportunity for our teachers to spend even more quality time with their students, allowing them to give lectures from a distance and explain further together.

How will you communicate your work to your constituents?

I will communicate my work to the constituents in a number of ways. Primarily, and an option I believe that I thrive in, would be social media. I want to further help create an awareness to the general public of what the school board is doing and how we can be further connected to the community. We want to pursue more understanding of what the board does and how we can make the district better.

What are the factors on which you will base your decisions as a school board member?

I will provide my 1 in 7 voice to support what I believe is the best decision for not only our students, but our teachers. If elected to serve on the school board, I hope the community will trust in my judgement. I will base my decisions also on past experiences as a public school teacher. We do not have a former teacher on the board and we need that perspective.