Michelle Ruehl

Michelle Ruehl

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

U.S. Air Force Academy, 2003

Graduate

University of Colorado, 2012

Ph.D

George Mason University, 2024

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Air Force

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Military officer

Contact

Campaign website

Michelle Ruehl is running for election for an at-large seat of the Colorado Springs School District 11 school board. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Ruehl completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michelle Ruehl has served in the U.S. Air Force since 2003. She earned a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2003, a graduate degree from the University of Colorado in 2012, and a Ph.D. from George Mason University in 2024. Ruehl's career experience includes working as a military officer, pilot, life coach, executive coach, English teacher, equine riding instructor, theater director, and professional speaker. As of 2025, she was affiliated with the United States Air Force, the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Elections

2025

See also: Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado, elections (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		LeAnn Baca Bartlett (Nonpartisan)
		Michael Carsten (Nonpartisan)
		Bruce Cole (Nonpartisan)
		John Gustafson (Nonpartisan)
		Charles Johnson (Nonpartisan)
		Jeremiah Johnson (Nonpartisan)
		Michelle Ruehl (Nonpartisan)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michelle Ruehl completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ruehl's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a mom of two little ones, wife to a military veteran, and I recently retired from the Air Force after 21 years. I'm also a soccer coach for two teams, a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and an equine (horse) riding instructor for children with disabilities.

    In the military, I was a pilot and an English instructor at the US Air Force Academy. I also taught English around the world where I saw children risk their lives to come to class. They believed education was their best hope for a better future. 
   Here at home, attendance is plummeting, kids are struggling to read, and academic achievement is at an all-time low. Public school curriculum has become saturated with social topics, but we need to get politics out of our classrooms and get back to the basics: reading, writing, math and science. We also need to teach our children how to think critically, how to become lifelong learners, and how to discern truth amidst all the noise.

After two decades in the military, my new mission in our nation’s children. We can improve education if we focus on three areas: improve academic achievement, create more pipelines for employment, and restore trust and safety in our schools.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We must raise Math and Reading Levels to 70% by 2030 by: increasing CMAS scores by 5% each year (focused learning), integrating other comprehensive measuring tools (experiential, performative), and equipping schools with high quality instruction (attracting, equipping, mentoring the right teachers for the right schools with a focused curriculum). -Raising our scores, raises our kids' chances of success after high school, either in a college or workforce setting. In turn, this raises their chance of economic success and stability for the next generation in our own communities. Raising scores also helps keep America strong on a global scale. We owe it to our kids to help them get back on track for academic achievement.
• We need to forge new work force pathways by matching workforce demands with student talents, expanding experiential learning (internships, apprenticeships), building pipelines with local businesses, and streamlining hiring processes with major corporations in town. In 2025, Colorado Springs was ranked “#5 Best Performing City,” by the Milken Institute, due to a strong job market, robust innovation ecosystem, and increasing job market, including 57.9% growth in high-tech GDP. Yet, many of these jobs are taken by outsiders who move here and drive up the cost of living. If we don’t forge direct pathways into these jobs, our own D-11 kids could get driven out. I’d rather drive them in!
• Boost trust and safety by improving school safety and security and building healthy learning environments. As a mom, I understand the responsibility that D11 has to be good stewards of the trust parents and taxpayers put in our schools. Every aspect of the school environment should support student learning. That means age-appropriate classrooms free from political agendas, healthy food in the cafeteria, clear behavior standards, secure campuses, and a relationship with parents grounded in transparency and respect.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, National Security, Mental Health, and Veteran Care.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Mother Teresa, a woman who touched thousands of lives while insisting that holiness is found in small, hidden acts of love.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The characteristics and principles that are most important for an elected official are transparency and integrity, as well as honestly representing constituents.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of an elected school board member is to represent parents, students, teachers, and community members, while keeping children's safety and academic achievement at the core of every conversation.
Published board responsibilities include ensuring higher student achievement, promoting transparency, supporting students/parents/teachers/staff, addressing budgets, engaging with the community, and overseeing the Superintendent.

What legacy would you like to leave?

"When all that's left of me is love, give me away" (Merrit Malloy)

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Challenger accident when I was in kindergarten.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Besides babysitting, horse camp counselor for five years in Michigan.

What is your favorite book? Why?

You are asking an English teacher to pick one book! Fiction: The Sun Also Rises (Hemingway) or The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams). Non-Fiction: The Second Mountain (David Brooks) or The Power of Now (Tolle).

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Linda Hamilton - Terminator

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Seeing children suffer in war.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The Colorado Springs D-11 School Board plays a crucial role in the district's governance and decision-making processes. The board is responsible for setting the vision and direction of the district, ensuring transparency with the public, and supporting parents, students, teachers and staff. They also handle the district's budget and educational performance, aiming for higher student achievement. The board members are involved in discussions and decisions that impact the district's operations and the well-being of its students and staff.

Who are your constituents?

Parents, students, teachers, administration, and community.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Parents have choice. They can choose the school that best fits their child's needs. Our district has many support features for different types of learners, but there is always room for improvement. The more parents and teachers speak out and communicate what they need, the better we can serve students.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

The same way I build relationships in my business: reach out, set up meetings, communicate openly, find shared goals, create a plan, and assess often. For example, one of my goals is to create more workforce pathways to employment. I would expect a district to reach out to corporations, find out workforce demand, match it to student talents and create internships and pipelines for employment after graduation.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Good teaching means children feel inspired to learn, they master material, and they can perform at or above grade level. A good teacher sets a high bar for academic achievement and rigor but uses patience and creativity to help students reach that bar. Teachers want targeted professional development, frequent feedback, and rewards for high performance.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Balance the budget and use the funding it has wisely.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

I helped design a school safety program, so I would use the same principle I did then: parents should know when they drop their children off at school, they will be safe in the school's care. Good safety programs require constant threat assessment, continual practice (exercises with local law enforcement), and consistent staff training.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Mental health is important, but not always a school's job. Many mental health decisions should be made by parents for their children outside of a school environment. However, I work in mental health with children, and I care deeply for their well-being. As adults, we can monitor the kids we know and if they are struggling, we can point them towards resources, with parental consent.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

Any policy that does not raise academic achievement or improve safety.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Congressman Jeff Crank, Colorado Representative for HD16 Rebecca Keltie, Former Mayor John Suthers, Colorado State Board of Education Member Steve Durham, Former State Senate President Bill Cadman, and Pikes Peak Association of Realtors.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

Safe and predictable with clear behavior expectations.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

Outreach, communication, invitations to participate, and transparency.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

Allow incentive pay for high performing individuals, which means setting clear goals and celebrating a job well done.

Are there any areas of school curriculum you would like to see changed?

Yes.

What role should artificial intelligence have in your school district?

Learn to use AI wisely and ethically.

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

So many, from single moms with children who have special needs to deployed military members who want to know their children are safe in schools back home. I hear you and I want what's best for your kids.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

My two kind, confident, caring children.

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Candidate

Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education At-large

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