Q&A with Jon-Michael Johnson, Candidate for Walnut Creek School District Board

Walnut Creek Patch is featuring Q&A profiles with all five candidates vying for three seats on the Walnut Creek School District governing board. We will run one candidate Q&A each day this week, going in alphabetical order.  

This district usually does not have contested elections for its governing board. Patch writer Lou Fancher submitted a series of questions to each candidate, asking them their views on such issues as teacher tenure, how the district can cope with ongoing budget cuts and the debate over bringing all K-8 Walnut Creek schools into one district. She also asked them to explain their educational philosophy and personal and professional experiences that would make them qualified for this important job.

Today's Q&A is with Jon-Michael Johnson

Click on the names below to read the Q&A with the candidate or candidates whose profile has already run. 

Monday: Angela Borchardt 

Coming Up: 
Wednesday: Tobias Lester
Thursday: Barbara Pennington
Friday: Robert Stankus

Jon-Michael Johnson has been a resident of Walnut Creek since 1992. Born in 1968, he holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from UC Davis, and a master's degree in structural engineering UC Berkeley. He is a business owner and CFO of a commercial renovation construction company.

Johnson has been a volunteer coach for Walnut Creek soccer and baseball leagues. He donates to the Walnut Creek Education Fund and the PTA, for which he has hosted events and made personal fundraising contributions.  This election is the first time he has run for an elected public office.  He has spent $950 for the inclusion of his candidate statement in the voter guide.  He hopes to spend less than that amount for his campaign flyers, signs, and website.

Married to Kristin Johnson, the candidate has three children: Chloe, 9; Spencer, 7; and Hunter, 5.  All three children attend Walnut Creek schools.

Question: What is the role of the school board in relation to the school administration?  

In broad terms, the board and the superintendent work as a team to set policy.  The board does have the ultimate responsibility to the community to provide leadership and citizen oversight of the district, including the performance of the superintendent and administration, but the best way to achieve good results is to work together.

Question: How do you think the state should reform its process so that public schools are not left with an annual budget crisis?

This is not a simple answer. California changed education funding from primarily local control to state control in the 1970s with a key state Supreme Court ruling and the passage of Proposition 13. Unfortunately, the goal of providing equal funding to schools regardless of income resulted in local control being taken away and given to the state.  The state's education leaders and the teachers' unions need to find some common ground that puts the children first.  This seems difficult since recent attempts at gaining additional aid from the federal government appear to have been unsuccessful. This is partially due to the lack of communication between the state's leaders and the teachers' unions.  The state needs to figure out a way to put more control back into the hands of the local communities that are invested and passionate about the education of their children, while still maintaining a level of funding equality regardless of the communities wealth or lack of wealth.    

Question: What measures can the school board take to improve academic achievement?

Elementary School:  With 3 kids in elementary school, I have firsthand experience.  I would continue the very successful Reading Recovery program and extend it to more students.  Students that struggle with reading early on will have difficulty catching up, they will struggle with math "word" problems, and they will get frustrated and eventually lose interest in learning.  Getting back to class sizes of 20:1 student to teacher ratios would help as well.  Even with increased class sizes, we should try to add classroom aides in order to help those few kids that are either falling behind or disrupting the other students in the class.

Middle School:  I would need to understand from the teachers' perspective what they believe will have the greatest impact.  I have not yet had an opportunity to talk with the middle school teachers or observe their programs. If elected, I would certainly spend some time with the teachers and principals to better understand what they feel would be best.

Question: What is your position on standardized testing, teacher tenure and allowing students who live out of the district to attend Walnut Creek schools? Where do you stand on the following issues:

Standardized testing:  Having the ability to measure results and compare or evaluate the effectiveness of different teaching methods, instructors and curriculum seems to be one of the only ways to understand what works and what does not work.  If created and interpreted properly, standardized testing should be an effective tool to monitor what is going on.

Teacher tenure:  I support keeping tenured teachers if the goal is to prevent higher paid teachers from being fired in order to make room in the budget for lower paid, less experienced teachers.  I do not believe that an ineffective teacher should continue to be entrusted with the minds of our children just because they have taught for a certain number of years.

Allowing students who live out of the district to attend Walnut Creek schools: I would like to see the state modify the method they use to determine the funding of a school.  When funding is based upon attendance, then schools might be reluctant to suspend students that are discipline problems.  Furthermore, schools should not be punished for encouraging sick students to stay home.  The good of the many outweigh the good of the one, so schools should be able to make the right decisions without fear of losing precious funding.

Question: What steps can be taken to deal with achievement gaps in Walnut Creek schools, especially gaps related to students' socioeconomic backgrounds? 

We need to continue to assess those children that are struggling and find ways (such as Reading Recovery and classroom aides) to help them catch up.

Question: If you win a seat on the board, how will you listen to the people who elected you?

The biggest challenge will be to get feedback from everyone in the community.  I plan to establish communication with key community leaders who have networks in each of the various neighborhoods and can share the concerns of the residents in their network.  As a parent of three children in three different grade levels, I will have a natural connection to many of the parents who share grade levels with my children.  I plan to extend my network beyond the parents of the school-aged children with a website and e-mail access for all interested residents.

Question: How will you work with parent groups and the Walnut Creek Education Foundation?

I look forward to meeting with parent groups, PTA, union representatives, and WCEF on a regular basis to hear what their concerns may be, as well as keeping them informed of the issues that face the school district.

Question: How will you work with other local organizations, such as the City of Walnut Creek, to bolster services provided to students and the school communities?

In my line of work, I find myself meeting with various city officials throughout the Bay Area.  I find that is very important to understand both sides of an issue before making a decision.  I look forward to working with our city officials to continue the great traditions that brought me to Walnut Creek in the first place.

Question: What is your view on the long-standing debate about merging all Walnut Creek K-8 schools into one district? 

In reviewing the ongoing discussions regarding this issue, I agree with the current board that now is not the best time to move forward with this proposal.  I am willing to explore the issue further and better understand the pros and cons of such a move.

Question: What is your educational philosophy, and did it develop in response from your own experiences as a student or from other events in your own life?

In third grade, I was challenged by my teacher to focus my "competitive" energies on my academics and was encouraged to compete with myself and try to get better at every subject.  I set personal goals for reading and math and pushed myself to excel, with encouragement from my teachers.  Although we all have different abilities, I believe personal pride in your work can be a great motivator.

Question: What unique history or challenge shaped your interest in education or in seeking this position? 

Over the past three years, I have seen the revenue of my own company get reduced by more than 50 percent (with factors outside of my control). With a staff of both union and non-union employees, I have personally experienced the struggles that go along with reductions in revenue similar to those that the school district has faced during the same time frame. I am running for the board because I hope to bring my experiences and some fresh ideas to an already well-functioning group of people.