Candidate name: Monica Bruaw
Candidate email: monica.bruaw@gmail.com
Candidate age: 52
Candidate party affiliation: (left blank)
Position Sought: Lakewood School Board
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No
What is your educational background?
BS in Business from Miami University, majoring in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior Lakewood High School ~ Class of 1990. Professional Certifications include: – Construction Industry Technician, Clemson University – LEED Green Associate, U.S. Green Building Council – Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM), Society of Marketing Professional Services
What is your occupation?
Educational Planner for a professional design firm that specializes in K-12 education
Do you have any previous experience as an elected official?
No
Why are you seeking office?
Our schools are more than buildings. They are the anchors of our neighborhoods, the hubs of our community and the foundation of our children’s futures (including my own three young Rangers). With my background in educational planning, I am committed to ensuring that the decisions made for Lakewood today honor the investments of the past while building a strong, sustainable path for generations to come.
What do you think the single most pressing issue facing the Lakewood School Board is?
Division within the city.
Our schools face big challenges: facility decisions, funding shifts, student well-being, enrollment fluctuations, equity and transparency, among many others. The most important thing we can do as local leaders is to unite and turn these challenges to triumph through good communication, transparency and collaboration- not just the veneer of these things.
What differentiates you from other candidates?
I’ve made a career in K-12 education planning and advocacy, helping districts make decisions that shape the future of education. That means:
Evaluating facilities to see if they meet the needs of today’s students.
Engaging the community so families, teachers, and students have a voice in decision-making.
Leading Task Forces to bring together diverse voices and expertise to guide decisions.
Collecting and Analyzing data on enrollment, demographics, and usage to plan responsibly for the future.
Collaborating with architects and leaders to design schools that are flexible, innovative, and welcoming.
Please summarize your campaign platform.
Increase transparency at the board level.
Re-evaluate the performance of key admin with focus on hiring and retaining Lakewood residents as employees.
Be approachable and build true transparency and trust with the Lakewood community at large. We are in this together.
Keep our neighborhood schools open. Work with the city to initiate a marketing effort to attract and retain families to make Lakewood a destination school district
Ensure that any future planning process is fully transparent and takes a comprehensive, district-wide approach to evaluating the entire school system.
Help Lakewood students prepare for the real world.
Foster inclusiveness by promoting a welcoming environment that supports and celebrates diversity.
Offer strong curriculum options for students on all paths for success.
Elevating Management for Lasting Impact
Set a strategy for the district that outlines where we are going, formed with community input and buy-in.
Utilize my degree in Human Resources Management to improve hiring, management, and ongoing evaluation of the school district’s administrative employees
The Superintendent is a key individual who sets the tone for the district. I am comfortable providing targeted, even-handed feedback that encourages growth and identifying how each individual contributes to an overall goal.
Making tough decisions to terminate employees who are not advancing the mission of our district.
What past experiences indicate that you’ll succeed as a Lakewood school board member?
I served as Board of Trustee for six years on the Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation. I’ve been involved with the Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) Mentor of Cleveland program for 16 years, including 10 years as a mentor to high school students and six years as Scholarship Chair. I am currently a Director on the ACE board.
Is there anything else voters should know about you?
I love Lakewood. This community has shaped me, and I want every student to have the same strong foundation that I did. For more than half of my life I’ve been listed as a Democrat in the eyes of the Board of Elections and am currently listed as a Republican. I am fiscally conservative and socially progressive. I don’t make my decisions or life choices through the lens of either political party. I am not connected to MAGA politics, Trump or LifeWise. I consider the issues and each candidate’s position, experience and ability to contribute when I make my informed decisions and I ask the Lakewood residents to do the same. My experience in K-12 educational planning allows me to meet the current challenges of this district with clear eyes.
Do you have a website?
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