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Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson was an at-large member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. He assumed office in 2019. He left office on December 31, 2022.
Johnson ran for election for an at-large seat of the Ann Arbor Board of Education in Michigan. He won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Johnson earned his B.S. in business management from Hampton University in 1997. He then received an M.B.A. from the Michigan Ross School of Business in 2002. His professional experience includes work as associate director of M.B.A. admissions - diversity recruiting at the Michigan Ross School of Business.[1]
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Ann Arbor Board of Education At-large on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jessica Kelly (Nonpartisan)  | 15.6 | 29,801 |
| ✔ |  | Rebecca Lazarus (Nonpartisan) | 15.2 | 28,990 |
| ✔ |  | Bryan Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 14.5 | 27,545 |
| ✔ |  | Susan Baskett (Nonpartisan) | 12.3 | 23,492 |
 | Lucas Cole (Nonpartisan) | 12.3 | 23,346 | |
 | Christine Stead (Nonpartisan) | 11.0 | 21,021 | |
 | Patricia Ashford Manley (Nonpartisan) | 9.6 | 18,288 | |
| Suzanne Perkins (Nonpartisan) | 9.1 | 17,385 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 585 | ||
| Total votes: 190,453 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bryan Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Johnson's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1) Maximize achievement of all students regardless of race, gender, ethnicity 2) Attract and retain a more diverse group of teachers 3) Implement more effective and efficient student testing practices
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Criminal justice reform: I believe the criminal justice system unfairly targets minorities limiting our options in life. Too often, black and brown people are given harsh sentences that reduce their ability to be meaningful contributors in our society and this overly harsh sentencing creates a large burden on taxpayers. I believe education reform can help reduce the likelihood that minority children come into contact with law enforcement as well.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Barack Obama. I believe he had strong ideals and worked hard for this country. I also love that he's a devoted husband and father.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty and the ability to work with people who have different ideas. I also believe that one has to have the ability to debate an issue without tearing others down.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I can discuss issues and see them from several different sides. I have a level head and believe I make rational decisions. I'm a team player.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The core responsibility of someone in public office is to serve. Too often people seek public office to gain connections or allow themselves to become inaccessible to the public. I want to do just the opposite.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I'd like to leave a strong example of someone who tried to do the right thing even when it was tough to do. I'm not perfect but I'd like to demonstrate that treating people fairly and being good to people pays off.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The Ronald Reagan/ Jimmy Carter Election. I was five years old
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
I worked for Sibley's Shoes in Briarwood Mall for about a year. It was a co-op job for school.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Thanksgiving because it's filled with food, family, and football
What is your favorite book? Why?
IXI Rise of the King. It's my favorite because it's the first book I wrote and published and I put in a lot of work to make it a reality.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
T'Challa from Wakanda
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My coffee maker. It gets me started every morning
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
"Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," by Milli Vanilli
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
It was a struggle for me to pay my way through undergraduate school
What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?
To help create a district where all kids can reach their full educational potential
Who are your constituents?
Students and families of the District
How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?
Be a listening ear to hear their concerns and a leader who can help bring constituents together to solve the challenges that we'll face together
How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?
Visit schools and neighborhoods through neighborhood meetings. Structure board meetings in a way that allow constituents to have one on one conversations with board members. Encourage the superintendent to create a more formal community outreach function to allow the district to maximize the capabilities of our community to help educate our children. I'd target undeserved communities who often aren't considered in board decisions.
What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?
Visit PTO and PTOC meetings. Visit community centers during parent pickup times at places like Bryant Community Center and Peace Neighborhood Center.
Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?
Yes. I believe it's very important to recruit diverse teachers to the district. I will request that the superintendent create a recruitment plan to target diverse candidates. I recruit minority students to a very competitive MBA program and I'm eager to share best practices with the Superintendent and her cabinet.
What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?
I think resource gaps get in the way of quality education. Most successful students are learning inside and outside of school. Successful students have tutors to help with academic subjects, vacations and travel expand their horizons, and role models who help them create positive visions of themselves. They don't have to worry about having healthy food to eat. Children without many of these resources struggle in school. I think the district can do a better job of connecting with community organizations and resources to provide additional resources to the children who don't otherwise have access
What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?
Good teachers engage their students and inspire them to learn. They use teaching methods that help students improve their academic ability and they get to know they're in touch with student needs. I believe educators are the best people to help measure how well teachers are doing in these areas. Teachers know who the good teachers are and who the bad ones are. I'd lean on teachers and administrators to develop an effective way to evaluate teachers.
What type of skills should students be learning for success in the 21st century?
First of all, they should develop empathy and learn to be good citizens. They should understand historical context of what's happening today, and they should be able to think critically about issues. I believe a lot of these critical thinking skills are developed through strong reading and analytical skills.
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.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
A "one size fits all" approach allows too many students to fall short of their potential. I hope to help create innovative methods to help customize the student educational experience in AAPS. Is there anything you would like to add? I'm a Pioneer High School graduate and my kids will be the third generation of my family to graduate from AAPS[2] |
” |
| —Bryan Johnson[1] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
| Ann Arbor Public Schools elections in 2018 | |
| Washtenaw County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 6, 2018 |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
