Ashley Ritchie

How many years have you lived in Clark County?

I have lived in Clark County my entire life. Where I am a proud 1998 George Rogers Clark graduate.

Do you have any children in the Clark County school system currently or who have graduated?

I currently have 4 children attending school in the Clark Co. school district. 

Outside of the School Board, where are you employed?

I have been a master cosmetologist for the past 20 years and I have owned my own salon for the past 9 years here in Winchester. 

What are you most looking forward to when working with the newly elected board members?

I am hoping that we can bond together and work as a team and move forward as a Board. I was fortunate to work with Mrs. Considine when she was the assistant superintendent and she will be bringing the knowledge of working inside of the buildings as well administration experience to the board. Mrs. Hendricks was my grandparents neighbor and was always very compassionate and also a mother to children that will be apart of our district, those qualities are always needed. So I think the two of them will be a great fit with the 3 of us that remain.  

What change/fix to our community & school system is most important to you?

The top priority always has to be the children of Clark County. You always have to put their best interest first no matter what issue you are talking about. Curriculum and safety always are the two highest on my list of what I look at first. 

How do you plan to tend to the students of Clark County and listen to their opinions/stances on certain topics or issues that may arise?

The board is always open for suggestions from students; you can email us, come to meetings and sign in to speak, or if you see us in your buildings/at an event, stop and talk to us. 

What steps do you plan on taking to keep students & staff in Clark County safe from Covid-19 while also allowing them to learn/work in an ideal environment?

That is the hardest question right now to answer. We have implemented the temperature scans at the front doors, many schools are checking again during the day. We have the covid task force that is a group of people who are volunteering their time to try and stay on top of all the new guidelines. They give suggestions to the board and superintendent. We were able to hire additional teachers who will remain virtual through the year for the students that plan to remain on virtual learning. Right now I think the most important thing is it has to be a community effort. We cannot do this by ourselves. Until we can start lowering our numbers significantly as a community, I’m not sure there is much more we can do right now as a school system. We do realize that virtual learning has not been ideal for some so the staff and administration are working daily to improve it, to make things easier for the students and parents while giving them the best education possible. We also have to remember that this is a first for the teachers and staff as well and during the first semester they had several things they were having to juggle with small groups, virtual, and preparing for hybrid. They were never given the opportunity to solely focus on virtual learning so again I am hopeful that it is improving. 

What is your advice to the students of Clark County right now in regards to our current situation navigating sports & school amidst the pandemic?

The best advice I can give is don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to the staff if you need anything. We are going to do everything we can to get you all back to school and sports as soon as we safely can. Keep your head up and your dreams strong because this will not last forever.