Following the November 7, 2023, election, the Revere Board of Education welcomed three new members with different perspectives as they have children in the Revere School District currently.
One incumbent, Courtney Stein, and two new members, Natalie Rainey and Kasha Brackett, were appointed to the board on November 7, 2023. Now all five board members have children who are currently enrolled in Revere schools.
Courtney Stein is a graduate of John Carroll University with a degree in Elementary Education. After college, she taught 2nd grade at Stow Munroe-Falls before choosing to stay home after her first child, Meredith, was born. She now works in Business Development at Engage Virtual Range.
Since then, Stein stayed active in the Revere community. She joined various organizations and did volunteer work around the schools.
“I was PTA President at Hillcrest, Bath and Revere Middle School and a member of the RHS PTSA as well as other committees and organizations in which my kids have been involved,” Stein said.
Stein was elected to the board after the resignation of Mike Kahoe in March 2023, so she was an incumbent in the November 2023 election. She chose to run for the board because she wants others to hear her thoughts and wants to make a change.
“I love Revere and the wonderful experiences and education [Meredith and Avery] have been provided. I decided that I didn’t want to keep myself out of the running and see the district change in ways that are detrimental to our schools and students and know that I just sat back to watch,” Stein said.
Stein explained that a board member oversees the superintendent and treasurer. The board members work closely with the superintendent and treasurer to establish policies and manage the fiscal health of the district.
“I believe it is important for school board members to be active members of the community and involved in a way that they are present and available to community members. Board members need to be objective and open-minded, willing to listen and learn before making decisions,” Stein said.
Stein plans to continue working on safety throughout Revere Schools. She wants to work closer with student resource officer Scott Dressler to make sure students in all buildings are safe.
“I would like to continue to work closely with Officer Dressler and be sure that we are doing all we can to keep our students and staff safe. I would like to see another full-time SRO (Student Resource Officer) be hired in the district and will work to see that we do that,” Stein said.
Stein is looking forward to maintaining the excellence of Revere with her fellow board members.
Natalie Rainey
Natalie Rainey is originally from Northeast Ohio and earned a bachelor’s degree in both Economics and English Literature. She then attended law school and after graduating worked in juvenile court. She also spent time working in law firms before staying home to take care of her children, Harper, Fletcher, and Harrison, who now attend elementary school in the district.
Similar to Stein, Rainey has stayed active in the Revere School District since her children began attending Richfield Elementary School.
“I most recently [served] as the PTA [president] at Richfield Elementary during the 2022-23 school year. During that role in particular, I spoke to so 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,” Rainey said.
Rainey explained that she decided to run for the Board of Education due to her volunteer service, work and education experience that prepared her for the role. Additionally, she noted that there were no members on the board that had elementary school-aged children.
“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,” Rainey said.
To prepare for this election, Rainey designed flyers and mailers, created a website and participated in many community events to gain recognition. She knocked on doors throughout the district to make sure she was meeting people on a more personal level.
“My goal was to speak with as many people as possible and to hear what was important to them, and to give them the opportunity to ask any questions about me. I found that people are much more comfortable asking sometimes highly personal questions on their doorstep than in a public forum, so I was so happy to have reached so many [people] in our community,” Rainey said.
Rainey says that she does not have any specific plans to introduce but is excited to work with the other members on the board.
Rainey is now preparing to begin on the board and she is excited to work with the other board members to decide what the future of the Revere School District looks like.
Kasha Brackett
Kasha Brackett graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in psychology and a focus on child development. She then became a teacher at Richfield Elementary. After her twins, Eli and Amelia, were born, she took some time off and later returned to substitute teaching a couple years later when her first daughter Evie was in elementary school.
Brackett explained that she decided to run for the board election because she has a different perspective after being an educator within the Revere district.
“I understand what it’s like to be within the buildings and what it is to be an educator and the struggles they face on a daily basis,” Brackett said.
Brackett explained that this was the right time to run for the election due to her perspective from being a teacher and also having three children who have attended all buildings in the district. She also has past experience working for the township.
“I’m somebody who has always loved to serve my community. I volunteer actively and I took a job in the township to serve the township that I live in,” Brackett said.
To prepare for the election, Brackett explained the difficulties that she faced. She described her struggle speaking comfortably in front of others.
“Campaigning seems like a sales job, and I’m not really a salesman. I’m more of somebody that likes to serve others. So that was putting myself outside of my comfort zone and being willing to do so, was what I thought was right for our teachers and our students,” Brackett said.
Brackett explained that with her position, she would like to focus on the educators more. She wants educators and all students’ voices and opinions heard by administrators.
“I think sometimes the administration can be a little inaccessible, or not willing to hear what the teachers have to say. I feel the same about students. I want students’ voices to be heard, whether that be through the teachers for the younger grades or directly for middle and high school students,” Brackett said.
Brackett is excited to begin serving and wants everyone to know that she and the other board members are focused on the students.
The new board members will begin serving in January.