Ann Johnson (South Whidbey School District school board Position 5 At-large, Washington, candidate 2025)

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Ann Johnson

Nonpartisan

Candidate, South Whidbey School District school board Position 5 At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Washington State University, 1996

Personal

Birthplace

Spokane, WA

Profession

Educator and administrator

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Ann Johnson ran for election to the South Whidbey School District school board Position 5 At-large in Washington. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ann Johnson provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 21, 2025:

• Birth date: June 13, 1974
• Birth place: Spokane, Washington
• High school: Wilbur High School
• Bachelor's: Washington State University, 1996
• Gender: Female
• Profession: Educator and Administrator
• Prior offices held:
  • South Whidbey School Board Director, Position 5 at Large (2020-Prsnt)
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign slogan: Ann Johnson: A Voice for All!
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for South Whidbey School District school board Position 5 At-large

Gwendy Gabelein and Ann Johnson ran in the general election for South Whidbey School District school board Position 5 At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Gwendy Gabelein (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Ann Johnson (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Johnson received the following endorsements.

• State Rep. Dave Paul (D)
• State Rep. Clyde Shavers (D)
• Langley City Councilor Chris Carlson
• South Whidbey School Board Memb. Andrea Downs (Nonpartisan)
• South Whidbey School Board Memb. Joe Greenheron (Nonpartisan)
• South Whidbey School Board Memb. Marnie Jackson (Nonpartisan)
• Superintendent of WA OSPI Chris Reykdal (Nonpartisan)
• South Whidbey School Board Memb. Brook Willeford (Nonpartisan)
• Frmr. Langley Mayor Paul Samuelson
• Island County, Wash., Democratic Party
• South Whidbey, Wash. Education Association
• Washington Education Association
• Indivisible Whidbey

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ann Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Johnson's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ann Johnson. I've lived in Washington State my whole life and on South Whidbey Island for 20 years. As the daughter of a farming family, I recognize the positive impact that a rich school-centered community plays in small, isolated school districts. That was a large part of what inspired my husband and I to move to rural Whidbey Island to raise our own children; our two daughters are both graduates of South Whidbey High School.

I've spent my career thus far as an educator, starting with several years of classroom teaching in a large public high school. My move to South Whidbey introduced me to the nonprofit world, where I was able to extend my skills to basic and academic needs support for students and their families as well. In 2013 I followed my children in their passion for performing arts, and volunteered at our local Whidbey Children's theatre, where I now work as the Executive Director, a teaching artist, and set designer.

One of my great joys is that through all of my job pivots, my goals and tasks have always been rooted in building opportunities for learning for children and youth. Being on a proactive, effective school board is another way for me to continue giving back to the educational community that has embraced me for so many years.

In my time away from work and school board duties, I love camp, draw, paint, read, cook, collect rocks, sticks and other flotsam, and enjoy the view from my deck with a warm cup of coffee in hand.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I stand for the freedom to learn, and for excellent, equitable education here on South Whidbey. My core priorities are to continue our work to create space for South Whidbey's children, families, teachers, and staff deserve a safe, trusted place to engage and build community. In the past five years I have been proud to see measurable progress in efforts to amplify the voices of students so they have a say in their educational experience, and continue practicing equity and restorative work in our district-wide culture of care.
• In the five years I have been in office, the South Whidbey School Board has worked together alongside our community to consistently pass levies. Our community passed a bond measure in 2023 to provide our schools with much needed infrastructure updates, and joined us in a three year process to hire a new Superintendent as to replace our retiring Superintendent of fourteen years. Our Board of Directors has been recognized as a Washington State School of Distinction for the past two years, and look forward for continuing to serve on behalf of my constituents.
• Schools, including ours, face immense funding challenges, and a federal government that aims to intimidate schools and communities that do not bend to their ideology. Our schools are not a political playground; they are places for learning and care. I will stand strong for our community values and our mission to provide excellence, equity, and safety for all students.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about policies that center public health, civil rights, and education. All three deeply affect the relationship that children and youth have to the communities they live in and the schools they attend, and intersect with each other to either support or thwart positive outcomes for our youngest Washington state citizens.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe empathy, integrity, and a community-centered mindset are most important for an elected official.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

My core responsibilities as a School Board Director include deep listening and accurate, thoughtful responses to my colleagues and constituents, to continue to educate myself on policy and practice as it corresponds with my responsibilities, and to amplify the voices of folks who have been historically marginalized in educational spaces, including the students themselves.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Mt St. Helens erupted! I was five years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

At the age of eleven, I became a professional combine driver. I grew up on a wheat farm in Eastern Washington state, and some of my earliest and most fond summer memories come from sitting tucked next to my dad on the combine with my book and some snacks, with the loud hum of the machinery all around us. I don't remember exactly when I was recruited (although it was probably my idea) to start learning to drive a piece of machinery that weighed 25 tons and cost a quarter of a million dollars, but I was probably about eight. Two months after my eleventh birthday, I took my first solo lap around the field. I drove from that summer until the summer before my dad passed away in 2018.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. For me, the best books are those that have interesting, fully formed characters and elaborate, elegant world building. This book has both of those things and the added advantage that I would definitely LIVE in a world that includes dueling magicians, intriguing midnight dinner parties, and a complex cast of characters that all came to the Night Circus for various intriguing reasons.

Who are your constituents?

I represent every citizen in our school district area as an "at large" elected board member. My constituents come from various generations, backgrounds, neighborhoods and townships that are knitted together by a community that is always growing and changing, as much as it is by history and tradition. Some of my constituents have lived in South Whidbey for generations, and some just moved here. What I recognize is that most of the folks who I talk to are on South Whidbey for a reason - they are seeking a community that cares for each other as individuals and feels like home.

I believe that all of my constituents want safety and belonging for our local kids, and understand that schools are an essential cornerstone for building the next generation of productive, passionate, empathetic citizens starts at the school door. Many of my constituents are deeply invested in schools, even if they don't have children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews of school age. They want effective staff, beautiful safe buildings our community can be proud of, modern classrooms, arts education, athletic opportunities, and best practice in providing rigor and academic excellence at all grade levels.

We don't all agree, of course. The vast majority of our community believe that Social Emotional Learning should be rooted in DEI learning and practice, and that our district's continued progress as a culture of care is essential to preparing our students for the global community. There are a few who disagree for various reasons and push against equity and restoration practices.

My work is to listen carefully, offer avenues for communication through accessible channels, and keep the mission, vision and values of our community and the school district top of mind as I lead alongside my colleagues on the board.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Our district continues to dedicate time, energy and resources to the study, understanding, and practice of DEI and restorative work. This has resulted in measurable differences in how many of our students, staff and the larger community view the work of the school. As a school board member, I can continue to support all contributors by learning alongside them, communicating authentically, asking questions, and fully participating in efforts to build compassionate, caring spaces within and outside of our educational community.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I've found over the years that relationship and community building are among my strengths, and I truly enjoy that work. We are so fortunate on South Whidbey to have robust community networks, and the thread between our schools and our larger community is historically strong. My work will be to continue to expand my understanding of what services, organizations and individuals exist who are already connected to schools, and supporting those who wish to be.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Good teaching starts with a culture of care, and the ability teachers to

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

In my five years as a school board member I have become an increasingly active advocate for properly funded schools. My actions include getting to know my district's state representatives and communicating with them about my own district's needs, and giving my time to state-wide efforts by boards and other school leaders to demand funding beyond what is currently provided, especially but not limited to Special Education, more support staff like Para-educators, nurses and counselors, transportation, infrastructure, and arts curriculum.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Every student deserves to feel safe in their school. Our current board policies are derived from and updated frequently to include evidence-based best practices in a climate of continued violence inside school buildings.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

By providing clear and intentional policies and to support a fair and safe working environment.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

South Whidbey School Board policies are audited and updated on a regular basis. We continue to update language to recognize equity, ie. adding "and caregivers" to "parents", and "they" instead of she/he pronouns as standard language.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Currently, the following organizations and individuals have endorsed me: 10th District Representatives Dave Paul and Clyde Shavers, Island County Democrats, Langley, WA City Council, South Whidbey School Board members Marnie Jackson, Joe Greenheron, Andrea Downs and Brook Willeford.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

Our board and district have multiple, accessible channels in which a parent or caregiver can communicate at any level in the "chain of command", but that's just one small step in building relationships and trust with parents and caregivers. I always like going to student-centered events like sports matches, band and choir concerts, art showings, curriculum nights, graduations, etc. That's where my role as a board member most clearly meets their role as a parent or caregiver.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

I encourage our district administrators to use a DEI lens when recruiting potential employees, and in my role as a board member I uphold and update policy that allows our administration to practice their professional craft effectively.

Are there any areas of school curriculum you would like to see changed?

I am deeply proud of the curriculum that our small schools are able to provide as state funding continues to shrink. One valuable area that I would like to see expanded is the visual and performing arts. The ability for a school district to provide a comprehensive arts curriculum is essential for student brain development and positive mental health outcomes.

What role should artificial intelligence have in your school district?

AI should be seen as a tool, just like the devices, materials, and platforms that already exist to support student learning. As educators we can't ignore the impact, both positive and negative, that AI has on our students, but we can embrace it as another opportunity to teach students how and when Artificial Intelligence can be of service to their academic life.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Other survey responses

Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Johnson completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

• VoteWA Profile

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