John Wilson

As a lifelong educator I am excited to bring my classroom perspective and passion for another four years to the Oakwood School Board.

My family and I made the decision to move to Oakwood almost 15 years ago for the strong schools and community pride. I am now the parent of two Oakwood graduates and a senior at OHS, and I am grateful for 15 happy, productive years. I am proud to advocate for all students as a current Oakwood School Board member.

I earned my Masters in Special Education at Wright State and my teaching degree at Kent State. I spent my first four years teaching adults with exceptional challenges in residential and employment settings. I have been teaching History and Government in high school for almost 25 years. I am passionate about preparing students to enter the most diverse and globalized workforce the U.S has ever had.

I bring a practical, hands-on classroom perspective of how school policies and procedures impact students, staff, and the community. I have sat at the coffee table and listened to parents about important issues in the community and taken those concerns back to the board room table and fought for what I believe is right. I am ready for the next four years.

My family lived in a diverse community in the city of Dayton for more than 15 years. As a classroom teacher, I see the struggles that students have with finding their identity in both the school setting and the world.

I also see the struggle teachers have with creating an inclusive environment for all students when we are limited by our own experiences and culture. EDI training gives teachers more of the skills and understanding of how to create lessons and a classroom environment that allows each student to understand their contribution to the larger world.

I teach an extracurricular class where I take future leaders into fortune 100 companies to learn how these companies rely on Diversity and Inclusion to advance their mission, vision, and values. My vision for Oakwood City Schools is that we are preparing students to be leaders in the most diverse and globalized work force the United States has ever had in our history.

Prior to my teaching career, I worked with adults with special needs to create environments for their learning and development.

As a teacher, I have a Master’s Degree in Special Education and have implemented hundreds of Individualized Education Plans in my classrooms. I will continue to bring that classroom perspective and will continue to advocate for students with individualized needs.

As I’ve said before, I place a high value on the board’s activities being transparent and accountable.

I’ll continue to support this approach to our decision-making, and will be continually evaluating new and better ways to ensure transparency remains as part of the board’s standard operating methods.

We can do better.

One of our big challenges is the available facilities and space. One way students can be life -long learners is taking ownership of their personal health and nutrition.

We must model that in our schools as well as our homes. The district recently revamped all of the health standards, and embedded within those changes is the new nutrition and science behind healthy eating habits. The next step is to find projects and programs that allow nutrition staff and the facilities to meet those higher goals.

As a parent, my family relied on South Connection as both my wife and I work full time. Quality care for students outside of classroom hours is a vital part of the community.

While there are many options for this type of care, South Connection is an outstanding partner and provides a valuable service for our families. I remain committed to assisting them in maintaining and/or gaining the resources they need to increase their capacity for Oakwood families.