Anne Ritter
Anne Ritter was the Zone 4 member of the West Ada Board of Trustees in Idaho. The seat was up for general election on May 19, 2015. She ran against challenger Julie Madsen. Ritter was unseated by Madsen.[1]
Ritter participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates.
Biography
Ritter obtained a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Redlands. She continued her education at the University of Southern California where she obtained a master's degree in education. She went on to earn a J.D. from Western State University College of Law. She has worked in various legal and educational settings. She serves as the Pacific Regional Director with the National School Boards Association.[2]
Elections
2015
Three of the five seats on the West Ada Board of Trustees were up for election in the general election on May 19, 2015. The seats represent five geographical zones.
In Zone 2, incumbent Mike Vuittonet faced challenger Christine Bitler Whited. Zone 4 incumbent Anne Ritter faced challenger Julie Madsen. The Zone 5 incumbent, Janet Calinsky, did not file for re-election. The candidates for the open Zone 5 seat were Gregory Deitchler, Rosemary Demond, Russell Joki and Louis Pifher.[3][1]
Results
Zone 4
| West Ada School District, Zone 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Julie Madsen |
57.6% | 522 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anne Ritter Incumbent | 42.4% | 385 | |
| Total Votes | 907 | |||
| Source: Ada County, Idaho, "Consolidated Election May 19, 2015,," accessed June 2, 2015 | ||||
Funding
School board candidates in this election were not required to file any campaign finance reports, but the election in May 2015 was the last election for which there were no reporting requirements. On April 3, 2015, Gov. Butch Otter (R) signed SB 1072 into law which requires school board candidates in districts with an enrollment of 500 students or more to comply with campaign finance reporting requirements.[4] A majority of Idaho's school districts have an enrollment below this threshold. Of the 149 districts in the state tracked by the National Center for Education Statistics, 74 had an enrollment of 500 or greater in the 2012-2013 school year.[5] The law took effect on July 1, 2015.
Endorsements
Ritter received official endorsements for her campaign from the following during the election:[6]
- State Sen. Marv Hagedorn (R-14)
- State Rep. Mike Moyle (R-14A)
- Dr. Todd Wells, president of Idaho School Board Association
- John Tuttle, president of the National School Boards Association
- Frank Pugh, Pacific Region Director, National School Boards Association
- JoDee Sundberg, Pacific Region Director, National School Boards Association
- Sue Hull, Pacific Region Chair, National School Boards Association
2011
| West Ada School District, Zone 4, General Election, 4-year term, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Ann Ritter |
54.4% | 2,044 | |
| Nonpartisan | Steve Campbell | 45.6% | 1,713 | |
| Total Votes | 3,757 | |||
| Source: Ada County, "Ada County, Idaho Consolidated Election Results May 2011," accessed April 28, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2015
Ballotpedia survey responses
Ritter participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Student success is always at the top of my list. It comes in many forms. Student achievement can be measured by increasing test scores, higher graduation rates, increased participation and passage of AP tests, dual enrollment classes, PTE classes, IB, and more AA degrees being conferred at the high school level.
There are also soft skills that matter. Do the students have good work habits? Do they come to school on time? Do they work well with others? Can they communicate effectively both orally and in writing? These skills are the ones that contribute to a successful working life.[7] |
” |
| —Anne Ritter (2015)[8] | ||
Ritter also included the following statement with her responses:
| “ | The West Ada School District under the current leadership team has dramatically expanded student opportunities even though we were operating under a reduced budget.
We never lost focus on our core mission which is "Success for every student every day." We have a current, complete and comprehensive strategic plan. That document is produced with the input of all of the departments in the district. It is the guiding document in the budgeting process. We have a plan going forward that continues our commitment to expanding opportunities for students. School board members set the policies for the district. Implementing those policies is the responsibility of the superintendent and the staff. A school district is only as good as its teachers, support staff, and all others who dedicate their lives to improving those of our students.[7] |
” |
| —Ann Ritter (2015)[8] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Idaho. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving college readiness | |
| Expanding career-technical education | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| Expanding arts education | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column, and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| "We have been actively implementing the Common Core standards for years. The issue is the appropriateness of the testing. Is it too burdensome? Does it give results that improve instruction? Are the results timely? Any test should have at its core the ability to inform instructional decisions that ultimately increase student achievement." | |
| "Every proposed charter school should be evaluated independently. Is it good for kids? Is it financially sustainable? Part of the analysis must be the cost to the district of its oversight responsibilities." | |
| "Public schools are, and always have been, a foundation of our society. If vouchers, in any form, are approved it would take dollars away from the public schools who are charged with educating every child that comes through the door. Some children require additional services. For example, currently the federal government pays only 17% of special education costs. The district absorbs the remainder. If vouchers were approved many of the resources that are used to augment these federal dollars would disappear leaving the district with more seriously underfunded mandates." | |
| "Standardized tests are one measure of student success, but only if they are based on a growth model. Any test must be reliable and valid. A better approach is to use multiple measures of student achievement in all disciplines.There are many disciplines that do not have the ability to use a standardized test. Music and art are prime examples. In those circumstances a portfolio, a performance, or any number of multiple measures can be used in place of a standardized test." | |
| "Early effective interventions are essential at all levels. Identification of students needing additional instruction should occur as early as possible. That additional help must be given in a timely and effective manner. If the problem persists the interventions should increase in frequency and intensity.
We should never forget the students in the middle who should be challenged, supported and encouraged to do their very best. Advanced opportunities should be easily accessible, affordable and plentiful at the secondary level. Gifted and Talented Education, AP, dual enrollment, IB, Professional Technical classes and the ability to graduate with an AA degree should be available at every secondary school." | |
| "Expulsions are very serious and are a life changing event for students. Expulsions should be used only as a last resort. Expulsions are used when there are numerous egregious rule violations or the safety of the other students is a legitimate concern. Due process is very important. The student and their parents have the right to a hearing after a full and fair investigation. There are alternatives to expulsions. Interventions after a first infraction are sometimes successful. Alternative school placement is an option. Each case is unique and is entitled to a full evaluation." | |
| "I prefer to think of them as turnaround schools. We have a system of budgeting that invests in schools in need of improvement. The staff, with the leadership of the principal, design a plan to meet their particular deficiencies. The plan is monitored and the resources are invested to maximize the effectiveness of the plan. Schools help each other. They share ideas, strategies, and successes.The latest turnaround school strategies included the addition of a curriculum coach to the staff which helped teachers improve their instructional practices, increased professional development and a data board that helped teachers assess each student's academic progress. All of these efforts helped the staff work together as a team to meet the individual needs of the students. Due to their successes we are now evaluating whether to use many of their proven strategies in other elementary schools." | |
| "Merit pay should be instituted only if a growth model test is used. That test must be valid and reliable. There must also be multiple measures available. Those could include, but are not limited to portfolios, end of course assessments, and parent and student evaluations, Leadership premiums are also beneficial to teachers. They are based on additional work responsibilities such as curriculum coaching, mentoring, department chairmanships, committee membership and other tasks that are completed outside of the school day." | |
| "Effective teachers are highly skilled. If a teacher is under performing every resource should be used to help them improve their teaching. Mentoring and coaching have proven to be two very successful strategies." | |
| "This is a constant challenge. Consistent honest communication is essential. Parents, patrons, and the business community all have a stake in successful schools. They should be welcome in the schools.
Their input, whether supportive or critical, should be solicited and valued. We have a very robust committee system to address issues and policies. The public is always encouraged and invited to participate in those efforts. We have a very popular website that has recently been updated to make it more user friendly. It has been a great success due to its ease of use, completeness, and timeliness. I personally answer all emails and phone calls. I try to answer the questions or concerns, and if I cannot I refer them to the appropriate person either at the school or the district office. All school based complaints or concerns are referred back to the school principal. If they are unresolved at that level they are referred up the chain of command. It is very rare occurrence when an issue can not be solved in a positive manner with the involvement of the school principal. There is always room for improvement." |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Anne Ritter West Ada School District. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- West Ada School District, Idaho
- West Ada School District elections (2015)
- Embroiled incumbents see differing outcomes in May 19 school board elections across five states (May 21, 2015)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ada County, Idaho, "May 19, 2015 Consolidated Election," accessed May 27, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "About Anne Ritter - West Ada School Board Trustee," accessed April 28, 2015
- ↑ West Ada School District, "West Ada School District Board of Trustees," accessed February 25, 2015
- ↑ Open States, "64th Legislature, 1st Regular Session (2015): Idaho Senate Bill 1072," accessed April 24, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 24, 2015
- ↑ Tiffany Rouse, "Email communication with West Ada Board of Trustees candidate Anne Ritter," May 2, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "Anne Ritter responses," May 2, 2015
| 2015 West Ada School District Elections | |
| Ada County, Idaho | |
| Election date: | May 19, 2015 |
| Candidates: | Zone 2: • Incumbent, Mike Vuittonet • Christine Bitler Whited Zone 4: • Incumbent, Anner Ritter • Julie Madsen |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
