LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The East Lansing Mayor decided not to seek reelection next year. That’s because this fall she will be heading back to school. She will not be returning as a student, but to pursue her passion as a teacher.
“What is it that I will regret if I don’t do something about it and the biggest one was not fulfilling my dream of becoming a teacher,” said Mayor Ruth Beier.
Beier is the current mayor of East Lansing which is a part-time position. This leaves her time to work as a second-grade teacher later this fall.
“In the Lansing school district, that means I get to teach everything. I get to teach the academics and the music and PE and the art,” said Beier.
She said she wants to help students the way her public school teachers helped her.
Beier said, “I had huge needs that they actually met for me and essentially saved my life.”
The process to become an educator took her about six years, “The classes were at night and on weekends,” said Beier. She is ready to take on her new role and work with her students.
“They don’t fight learning and improving they enjoy it,” she said.
During a pandemic, she said she refuses to bring COVID-19 back to her family, so she built what she calls a COVID cave in her basement. Other than that she can’t wait to get started.
“I only have 10 or 15 years in this career and I want to make it count,” Beier said.
