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Eddie Ryder: Seeking 5th term
General Election 2007
BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER
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HOT SPRINGS - With 16 years experience on the school board representing the Cedar Creek district, Eddie Ryder is by far the senior member of the Bath school board.
"I feel like I am dedicated to the office. I have only missed one meeting in 16 years," Ryder said. He was in the hospital at U.Va. when he missed that meeting, he added.
But why run for office one more time? "Everyone needs to give back to the community," he said.
"I like to listen to people's concerns. I like to be informed," Ryder said of his leadership style. He also said he should help mentor board members and try to create a team approach to problems.
Ryder is a contractor and said his position on the school board has an economic impact on his business. He does no business with the schools, he said.
Of school superintendent Dr. David Smith, Ryder said, "I think he has done what the board has asked him to do." He points to SOL scores as a measure of Smith's success.
Ryder points out it is not up to a school board member to make decisions. The board, he said, sets policy in line with state and federal law. And board members should not get involved in the dayto day operations of the schools. "That has a name called micromanaging," he said. By setting policy and following process, Ryder feels everyone has the same set of rules, making the system fair.
Like other incumbents, Ryder is familiar with the long budget process. "With the cost of everything going up, money is going to get tight," Ryder said. While the citizens of Bath County have "adequately and fairly funded the schools over the years," there will always be need for more and the board will have to make priorities, he said.
Ryder thinks the school board should be diverse, with members from a mixture of backgrounds, which helps bring more and different ideas to the table.
The current relationship between the school board and board of supervisors is "excellent," according to Ryder. "It is probably about the best working relationship I've seen. We can't expect them to give us everything," he said.
Ryder serves as the president of the Virginia School Board Association, a role he takes seriously but speaks little about.
The change in county demographics and the move toward a global economy are the biggest threats facing the county school system, said Ryder. "We need to think as a board how (our kids) can compete in the world. The school board needs to focus on the things our children need to succeed."
Ryder said he cares so much about the kids, "I'll do whatever it takes to get things done."
About the candidate Eddie Ryder
Age: 65
Lives in Virginia Heights with wife Peggy.
Graduated Valley High School. Extensive job related technical classes.
Self-employed.
Appointed to school board in 1991. Elected to board in 1996. Reelected every term since.
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