Candidate for
Member of Board of Education; Winton Woods City School District

I have been married to Ronald E. Johnson for 30 years, and have lived in the Winton Woods School District since 1986. Throughout the 27 years, we have had three Winton Woods graduates and have a current junior. I have worked in administrative and professorial roles with Cincinnati State Technical and Community College for the past 23 years. Prior to this, I was a buyer for General Electric Aircraft Engines in Cincinnati and an educator and academic administrator at Essex College of Business in the state of New Jersey. I earned my bachelor's degree in Business Education from West Virginia Institute of Technology, my master's degree in PM/Deaf Studies from St. Thomas University, and my Doctorate in Education from the Union Institute and University.

Currently, I work in the Information Management cluster of the Business Technologies Division at Cincinnati State. I have emphasis on student development and training, educational leadership, general business, career assessment, computer application, and curriculum development, as well as programs in development. I have worked to develop business partnerships with area employers to build pipelines of cooperative education experiences for students to work in entry-level professional positions in their area of study. During the transition to semesters at Cincinnati State, I successfully navigated through the Ohio Board of Regents and the State Department of Education, Division of Vocational Education and the Higher Learning Commission criteria to develop the course documents and course curricula in the Information Management cluster. I also led the development and creation of several new semester courses that were approved through the Ohio Board of Regents. I am dedicated to providing inroads to non-traditional students creating an atmosphere that empowers students to pursue life-long career goals while developing professionally. It is my belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to learn and earn a respectable salary and I place high value on developing relationships that build a culture of high expectations and excellence. It is my desire to bring awareness to the social injustice that has befallen those individuals who have been marginalized--especially those at risk of slipping through the cracks--in the community and to see them have equal access to education through appropriate assessment tools.

My educational outlook is steeped in the belief that restructuring the classroom with the understanding and consideration of the social and culture of the students within the classroom giving them an opportunity to participate and increase their ability to learn. The sociocultural approach suggest that if teachers recognize the body of knowledge and experiences that the students bring into the classroom, and incorporate them into the learning process then culturally diverse students will encounter success in the classroom. This accumulated body of knowledge, experience, social and linguistic practices is referred to as "funds of knowledge."

As an educator with over 30 years of experience, I believe that every student can learn and my favorite quote is, "When a learner is ready, a teacher will appear." I am poised and ready to work on behalf of the students, teachers, and residents in the Winton Woods City School District as the next School Board Member.