Michael Aaron Berry (Rio Rancho Public Schools school board District 3, New Mexico, candidate 2025)

Michael Aaron Berry

Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

---

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Rio Rancho Public Schools school board District 3

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Utah State University, 2015

Ph.D

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 2020

Personal

Profession

Scientist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Michael Aaron Berry is running for election to the Rio Rancho Public Schools school board to represent District 3 in New Mexico. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

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

Biography

Michael Aaron Berry provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 30, 2025:

• Bachelor's: Utah State University, 2015
• PhD: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 2020
• Gender: Male
• Profession: Scientist
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Rio Rancho Public Schools school board District 3

Michael Aaron Berry is running in the general election for Rio Rancho Public Schools school board District 3 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Michael Aaron Berry (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

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Aaron Berry completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Berry's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a scientist by training and hope that my professional experience working with data and evidence-based decision making may benefit the school district. I have three children that are currently enrolled in, or will soon be enrolled in RRPS. I hold a PhD in geophysics from New Mexico Tech, and a BS in Physics from Utah State University. I am currently employed at Sandia National Laboratories as an R&D scientist and project lead.

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?

• Every child deserves the tools and support to succeed — whether their path leads to college, skilled trades, or direct entry into the workforce. My focus is on preparing students for real-world success in a rapidly changing world using evidence-based and pragmatic approaches.
• Teachers are the heart of our schools. Across the country, burnout and turnover are on the rise. We need to create an environment where excellent educators feel valued, supported, and empowered to do what they do best — teach and inspire.
• Research is clear: early childhood education has lifelong benefits. Programs like Shining Stars Preschool are already making a difference in our community. I will advocate for expanding and strengthening these efforts so all young learners have a strong start.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Carefully and measured use of AI in education. While I support thoughtful use of technology, we learned during the pandemic that excessive screen time, especially for young children, is harmful. I think this is the same for using AI. Struggle is part of learning; if students immediately turn to AI when faced with friction, their development suffers. I’m not opposed to AI outright. Carefully designed tools that extend a teacher’s reach should be carefully examined. And I believe comprehensive AI literacy should be part of curriculum as early as possible.

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

An elected leader should represent the interests of the community not just the loudest voices, advocate for their behalf, and calm more crises than they create.

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

I had a paper route from when I was 14-15 years old

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Martian by Andy Weir. Love the problem solving against insane odds.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

Guide school policy withing the the bounds established by state and national laws. Hire the superintendent and evaluate his/her performance. Be responsive to the community.

Who are your constituents?

The residents around Rio Rancho, Martin Luther King, Joe Harris, and Maggie Cordova Elementary Schools.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. One of the biggest gaps in school safety is how we address student behavior issues that can become safety hazards for other students and staff. Elementary principals in our area have reported a significant rise in behavior challenges among the most recent incoming classes—serious enough that the broader elementary staff must get involved. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but this is an area where we need to focus our efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff.

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

Nationwide, schools face teacher shortages and rising burnout. While fair compensation is an important step in retaining teachers and reducing turnover, creating a safe and supportive work environment is just as critical for staff well-being. Teachers and staff are more likely to stay when they feel empowered to make good decisions and trust they will be reasonably supported when conflicts arise.

Research on organizations shows that “psychological safety”—the belief that people can speak up with ideas, ask questions, or admit mistakes without fear of judgment or punishment—is foundational for building strong, effective teams. In schools, this kind of environment not only improves staff morale but also helps attract and retain talented educators.

As a school board member, I would ask: What steps are district and school leaders taking to create a workplace where staff feel valued and supported? And just as importantly, what measures are being put in place to reduce burnout and make schools a place where teachers want to build long-term careers?

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

Parents and teachers want consistency. When schools frequently change tools, teaching programs, or curricula, it creates instability that can frustrate educators and families alike. While some adjustments are necessary to keep pace with best practices, changes made too quickly—or without strong evidence—can disrupt learning. For example, adopting a new learning software only to replace it within two years often leads to wasted training time, reduced instructional continuity, and frustration for both teachers and parents.

Research shows that constant program shifts can increase teacher stress, limit effective lesson planning, and reduce classroom efficiency. Families, too, benefit from consistency, since stable programs help parents better support their children’s learning at home. Ultimately, students are the ones most impacted when instructional approaches lack continuity, especially in critical early grades.

We should make changes only when there is clear evidence they will improve outcomes, and those changes must be communicated thoughtfully with teachers and staff. Above all, we should work to avoid “educational program whiplash,” where frequent shifts leave students, families, and educators struggling to keep up.

What role should artificial intelligence have in your school district?

I use AI every day and am also involved in research around it. Until there is substantial evidence showing which methods and models are genuinely useful in education, I would urge restraint. While I support the thoughtful use of technology, the pandemic taught us that excessive screen time—especially for young children—can be harmful. I see the same risk with unfettered access to AI. Struggle is an essential part of learning; if students turn to AI the moment they encounter friction, their development suffers.

That said, I am not opposed to AI outright. Carefully designed tools that extend a teacher’s reach—such as the well-defined, education-focused model used by Khan Academy—hold real promise. I also believe that comprehensive AI literacy should become part of the curriculum as early as possible.

However, with many startups rushing to push AI into education, I worry that school districts risk spending enormous amounts of money on tools that are, at best, unproven and, at worst, damaging.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Being a dad of three brilliant kiddos (not sure I had anything to do with it)

Completing a PhD in geophysics--graduate school is always an especially soul crushing experience, but it's also one of tremendous growth.

Finally, serving as a full time missionary for my church for two years taught me a lot about myself and the world, and provided me a chance to meet some of the most wonderful people.

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.

See also

2025 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Rio Rancho Public Schools school board District 3

Website

Facebook

Instagram