Johnston, Chris - Hazel Park
Are you an incumbent?
No
Brief Intro of Candidate
My wife Amy and I moved to Hazel Park in 2004. We have 3 kids in the district, one at the High School, one at the Junior High, and one at Hoover Elementary. I have a history of being involved in the community; I have volunteered to coach multiple teams through the Hazel Park Recreation Department, and helped to build the play structure at Scout Park. I am a veteran, serving 6 years in the Marine Corps infantry. I graduated from Lakeland High School, where I was an all-conference football player. I am a Central Michigan University graduate, with a degree in Sociology. I currently work for a market research company called Escalent, located in Livonia. My wife was a teacher for Flint Public Schools for a dozen years.
Endorsements
Michigan Education Association (MEA)
Hazel Park Education Association (HPEA)
Hazel Park Paraprofessional Association (HPPA)
Top financials Contributors
Website and social media links
Self-funded
How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?
I would have workshops and brainstorming sessions for the community to participate in. All interactions with the community need to be accommodating to the needs of the community. That means having workshop sessions outside of regular business hours, so that people with jobs can attend. That can also mean that these workshops need to provide food and possibly childcare so that community members are not forced to pick between eating dinner or going to the workshop.
What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?
Disciplinary actions that the district takes should be appropriate for the current incident and consistent with past similar incidents. Restorative practices are very beneficial in helping people to understand how their actions effect other people. This knowledge reinforces the sense of community that should flourish within the schools.
What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health
Improved mental health is the result of many factors. Ensuring that someone’s needs are met; a full stomach, a safe and secure building, and a comfortable classroom environment are starting points. Having an empowered teacher to do whatever they think is needed in the moment helps. Having a school counselor that can act on behalf of the student is also needed.
What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?
Ensuring that student’s needs are met will improve achievement. This includes providing a breakfast and lunch that is both appetizing and nutritional. The building and atmosphere within the building needs to be safe. Having teachers and staff that the students can relate to will provide inspiration and role-models for the students. Having a curriculum that is relevant and relatable to the students will help improve their attention to the subject matter, and improve achievement.
What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?
Respect. The administrators respect and empower the teachers, and the teachers respect their students. Within an environment of respect, what your demographic profile is doesn’t differentiate how you are treated. Everyone should be treated as an individual, with individual needs that need to be met.
What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?
Recruiting and retention of high-quality teachers and staff are fundamental to school improvement. Both are dependent on two things: pay and support. The pay-scale that is agreed upon with the district and the teacher’s union should ensure that pay is competitive with other districts. Support needs to come from the top-down. When a teacher has an issue, their principal needs to support them, and the superintendent needs to support both the principal and teacher. The teacher/administration relationship should be one of mutual support. The administration should empower teachers to teach as they feel is appropriate, since the teachers know their students best.