Michelle Albert running for Westlake School Board

I am currently seeking a position on the Westlake Board of Education. I am a 1992 graduate of Westlake High School and I returned to the community after studying physical therapy at Bowling Green State University. I currently work in Westlake at NovaCare Rehabilitation as a physical therapist and center manager.

My husband David, a 1991 graduate of the district, and I decided to send our children to the Westlake Schools. Our oldest son just started school at Hilliard Elementary this fall. Our younger son will be following in his footsteps in two years. My family values education, with David having two bachelor’s degrees, and I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. I have also recently decided to go earn my doctorate degree in physical therapy. I want to instill in my children a love of learning that persists throughout their life, I expect their teachers to be dedicated to their education and their future. 

I will bring a unique skill set to the Board of Education based on my administrative experience in health care. I have experience in making business and financial decisions that benefit my patients, my employees and my company. I understand cuts in government funding and how they affect people. I have to adapt to provide better care, because people expect more, with less money.

I am a team player and I look at all sides of an issue before making a decision. I understand how to compromise to arrive at the best possible solution to our issues. These skills will enable me to serve our community as a school board member. I will put the quality of our children’s education first, and look for new and innovative ways to slow the growth of expenditures per pupil.

Based on our five-year forecast, Westlake Schools will be in a deficit of over $15 million by 2015. Our personnel allocations are nearing 91% for fiscal year 2012. I challenge you to research the fiscal health of our district on the Ohio Dept. of Education website. It is not possible to provide an excellent education and ignore our fiscal limitations.

Our current board is discordant. Members have been vilified for expressing ideas that go against the status quo. That is not good for Westlake Schools. The status quo is not working. We CAN NOT guarantee continued excellence if something does not change. A good board is comprised of a group of people along a spectrum.

We need a spender – a board member who wants to support the district regardless of cost. We need a saver – a board member who only looks at dollars and cents. We need three additional board members who fall somewhere along that saver-spender spectrum. Then the board members need to work together, respectfully, with each other, the administration and the community. This is truly the only way we can protect our investment in our schools without overburdening the taxpayers.

Please vote for me, Michelle Albert, this Nov. 8. Our children are depending on us.