Revere Superintendent’s Corner by Dr. Michael Tefs

As the new year begins, we would like to introduce you to our two newest elected school board members and provide a highlight of the work of this dedicated team of individuals.

During the Jan. 9 organizational meeting of the Revere Board of Education, Kasha Brackett, Natalie Rainey, and Courtney Stein were sworn in. Brackett and Rainey are new members of the board, while Stein was elected in November following an appointment to the board in March 2023. Congratulations! In other action, Keith Malick was elected president and Courtney Stein was elected vice president of the board.

Following are the committee assignments of the board:

Finance and audit – Keith Malick and Kasha Brackett; facilities and grounds – Courtney Stein and Hayden Hajdu; legislative – Natalie Rainey; policy – Natalie Rainey and Courtney Stein; Revere Athletic Hall of Fame – Hayden Hajdu; and OSBA liaison – Kasha Brackett. 

Many of our readers know Natalie Rainey as the former Richfield Elementray School PTA president. During her involvement with the PTA, she helped bring new initiatives to buildings to enhance the student experience including a father/daughter dance, mother/son night, pancake breakfast, and playground committee. She also has been a sponsor, supporter and volunteer for RSF Illuminate. In the community, Natalie has been an event volunteer, including at Richfield Community Days and Steak Fry; a member of Friends of Richfield Heritage Preserve; and a previous county early literacy volunteer tutor.

When asked about why she ran for the school board, Natalie shared, “I’ve been involved since our children started school, most recently running the PTA at Richfield Elementary during the 2022-23 school year. During that role in particular, I spoke to many of our families, staff, and community members and spent a lot of time listening to them: who they are, what they love about Revere, their concerns, and their wishes for the district.

“We had an incredibly successful year with community engagement and participation, and I knew my time on the PTA board was coming to an end. I felt that my volunteer roles in the district, combined with my education and work experience, had prepared me to serve on the board of education. There aren’t any sitting board members with elementary school children, and I felt like that was a unique perspective that I could add. My kids are a little older and self-sufficient now, and I felt ready and able to give the necessary time and attention to serving on a district level.”

As a new board member, Natalie said she is most excited about working together to serve our children and to continue listening to the voices in our community, to help preserve the traditions that make Revere great, and to have a hand in guiding the future of our school district in accordance with what is best for our kids and in alignment with our community’s vision for Revere.

Natalie lives in Richfield with her husband, Matt, and three children who attend Richfield and Bath Elementary.

Kasha Brackett currently works as executive assistant at Bath Township. In previous years, she served as an educator in Revere Schools in the areas of STEM, computer and library studies. Kasha has been involved in the schools PTA and PTSA as a teacher and parent, Revere Players Boosters as co-president, Family Game Night, Book Swap organizer and much more. In the community, Kasha is involved with Bath Township Friends of Yellow Creek and Bath Township Park Board. She also helps organize Spring into Nature with STEM at the University of Akron Field Station in Bath Nature Preserve.

When asked why she ran for school board, Kasha shared, “To use my knowledge and experience as a Revere educator, Revere parent, and active community volunteer to give back to the community in a meaningful way.”

As a new board member, Kasha is most excited about helping our district maintain its strong academic standards and provide our students with the resources to be successful in life after their time in Revere.

Kasha and her husband, Dan, have three children who attend Revere High School and a beagle, Winter. ∞

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