SANDUSKY — She’s been a teacher for 50 years, first in Ohio and then, for 35 years, in the Fairfax County (Virginia) Schools.
When she retired in 2010, Jennifer Ashburn decided to return to her home town. She thought she could make a difference. She’s been a substitute teacher in the school district, and for the past two years a volunteer tutor at Mills School, where she started the “Reading ‘Riting Room” for children enrolled in the city recreation department’s youth development programming.
“The emphasis in the Reading ‘Riting Room is to help children learn reading and writing is fun,” Ashburn said.
“When the kids are here, Ms. Asburn’s here,” said Tondra Frisby, the youth programming director with the city recreation department. “Her presence here is a delight. She brings much needed value.”
Returning home
Ashburn is a 1971 graduate of Sandusky High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Virgina Union University in Richmond. Along the way she also earned a master’s degree in administration from Cleveland State University and a master’s in reading from Shenandoah University.
She is an associate pastor at Second Baptist Church, on Decatur Street in Sandusky, where her father also was a pastor. He was a teacher with the city schools in the 1970s.
Ashburn said she believes top administrators, school board members and other higher ranking district employees should work to get to know students better.
“They all should go to a classroom at least once of twice a week,” she said. “You have to be willing to work with kids, even the ones who are failing. You cannot sit in an ivory tower, because if you do, things won’t change.”
Make a difference
Asburn said she’s running for school board because she’s sure she can make a difference.
“The Sandusky city schools are a model for the nation, for the buildings, the equipment and the beautiful facilities we have,” Asburn said. “But I want every child who goes there to be able to read. I want to continue working to make sure every student who graduates from Sandusky High School can read.”
To do that, Ashburn repeated something she’s said often.
“We need to meet them where they are, work with what you have and then take them where they need to go,” she said.
Ashburn will be at Sandusky’s July 4 celebration downtown circulating her candidate’s petition.
“If you seem me, please say, ‘hi,’” she said. “I want to get to know our district families as much as I can.”
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