Issues that are Important to Me

Thank you so much for taking the time to come to my site and thoughtfully consider your vote. I am running in district 4, which covers areas by Oak Meadows, Harvest Hills Steam Academy, and 1/2 of Southshore and Bell Mountain. 

I intend to run for school board in the Menifee School District. I have lived in Menifee since 2000 and got my first teaching position at Menifee Valley Middle School. In 2002, I transferred to Bell Mountain Middle School when it first opened. I have continued teaching over the years in the Temecula district and I have taught online. I will be entering my 19th year of science teaching this fall. Below is a link to my curriculum vitae so that you can see other educational and research projects that I have been involved in. 

I have five children, four of whom are school-aged. They attend Bell Mountain (8th grade and 6th grade) and Southshore (3rd grade and 1st grade). My husband is a sixth grade, special education teacher at Bell Mountain. 

I decided to run for school board after attending the twice-monthly school board meetings for this past year. I have spoken at two meetings. I believe strongly that as our city grows, we need to work hard to shelter our students from the growing pains that are felt by the district. We have a tremendous group of teachers in our district, and I would like to meet with them and listen to their concerns and support them in their jobs. I believe strongly in school safety and have heard parent concerns regarding drug use, fights and violence, bullying, rampant disrespect of teachers at our middle school level, sexual and physical harassment and other problems. While the district has reported that suspensions have decreased, I wonder if this policy is turning a "blind eye" to these serious safety issues. 

Special education is a very important concern for me. The IEP process is one that should take serious consideration and all agreements should be kept. I want to see that the right people are in the right positions to make ensure that FAPE is followed and that disagreements are minimalized. To do this, I believe that more teachers are needed to reduce the stresses on caseloads so that teachers can help students meet their goals and in some cases, transition from the program.

As a long-time resident, I know that Menifee will continue to grow. However, I believe that we need to manage our growth in a way that shelters students and teachers from the growing pains that we are experiencing. I believe in seeking the thoughts of all concerned stakeholders about the progress of our students and district.

You are my inspiration for running! Menifee board members are compensated with benefits (my husband and I already receive them from our schools) and a stipend of about $275 per month. Neither of these is something that I need. I am doing it for you: the students, the teachers, and the community. Wipe away everything that is bogging us down, and we can achieve so much with the amazing foundation that we have already built.

I am thrilled at the prospect of having a voice in these and many other issues that are facing our district. Please let me know if you are willing to endorse my candidacy. 

Jackie Johansen Curriculum Vitae (Resume/Education/Community Project History)