Rachel Braaf Koehler’s 10th-grade goal was finally achieved on April 2, when she was elected to serve on the Lindbergh School’s Board of Education.
“I can specifically remember sitting in one of my classes my sophomore year, and thinking about the candidates that were running at that time. The board looked very different in terms of who made up the board than it does now. They were mostly men, I believe, at the time, if not all, and there was a woman that was running. That’s what initially triggered my interest,” Koehler, an alumnus of Lindbergh High School, said.
After looking into what it meant to be on the board, Koehler knew she wanted to somehow stay involved in public policy and education. She also knew that she was not planning on being an educator, though by joining the board, she would have the opportunity to give back to the community and participate in the decision-making processes.
Following her graduation from Lindbergh High School, Koehler attended Truman State University to pursue an undergraduate degree in political science. She later attended Washington University School of Law, graduating in the top 15% of her class, leading her to serve as a judicial law clerk at the Missouri Supreme Court. Koehler also worked in higher education for 13 years – specifically in career services at both Washington University undergraduate and law school – and in a variety of service and leadership positions, from Girl Scouts to the district’s parent-teacher organizations, further preparing her to take on the role of a first-time elected official.
“In terms of my preparedness with understanding how things work in the district, the service has certainly been a huge asset. When we had a board workshop, I believe it was in April, and the principals from the various schools came and talked about things that were taking place in their schools, not only did I already know a little bit about some of those things, but I understood who each person was, I understood the role they played, I understood the role that we played and the importance of us hearing from them,” Koehler said. “I just feel it’s helped me feel more confident in sort of jumping right in (and) being able to be an asset.”
On top of being greatly helpful, Koehler’s preparedness also made her victory even sweeter as she had been waiting for the moment for decades.
“(I felt) deeply humbled, to be quite honest, and grateful, very excited, but humbled and just honored that I had earned the trust of our community to serve in this role and represent their interests on the board,” she said. “I take it very seriously, not only just because I am an alum and a parent, but I have deep respect for processes, our system of government. As a public institution, our role as directors on the Board of Education is very important.”
After a month and a half on the board, Koehler’s main goal right now is furthering district communication, a desire that many of the directors and staff share.
“We have an outstanding communications team. Outstanding. But I also feel that, especially in the age we are in with social media, that it is imperative to always be looking (if there) is another way that we can get more information out to parents, to residents,” Koehler said. “Any way that communication can be improved amongst all the stakeholders – whether it’s parents and students, families, taxpayers, staff – that’s something that I would like to provide a positive impact on.”
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