Campaign email: russjohnsonusa@gmail.com
Age: 63
Employment: Yes. I am the broker/owner of My Real Estate GPS, a real estate firm in Elkton, Maryland.
Education: B.A., McDaniel College
Why are you running for the school board?
The board needs an independent, from outside of the school system, voice who will serve in trust for the community, not the education bureaucracy. Very similar to the way a corporate board member serves in trust for the shareholders. I’m running to be that voice.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
Other than the time I spent as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, I’ve been a lifelong resident of Cecil County, and have a 57-year connection, in one way or the other, with our school system. I’ll look at the challenges we face from an analytical and a logical perspective, then apply a big dose of common sense to the solutions. I’m willing to take risks and challenge the status quo, which is the type of leadership I’ll bring to the board, and the type of leadership the board needs.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
N/A
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
Our kids have fallen way behind. Less than 42% are proficient in Math and less than 46% are proficient in English Language Arts (HS less than 59% proficient in ELA). We must fix this. To improve student achievement, we need to refocus our efforts on what should be our core mission: Providing a rigorous, high standards-based academic program of instruction, and hold all parties involved accountable. To fix, an all-hands-on deck approach will be necessary, requiring staff, administrators, and supervisors to spend time in the classroom teaching, as well as tutoring students who are behind. Getting discipline under control will also be a critical piece of the student achievement challenge.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
We should always be concerned about school safety, and it should remain a top priority. CCPS has done a good job focusing on safety at our schools.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
I currently do not have concerns.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
Yes, books that contain sexually explicit or age-inappropriate content that kids can access without parental consent. A good test would be if you can’t read excerpts from a book during the public comment slot at a school board meeting, because the language or subject matter is too vulgar or inappropriate, then perhaps that book should not be in the school library for minors to read.
