Member, Board of Education — Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

Jon Kean

Raised and educated in Philadelphia, Jon moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to pursue a career in entertainment and that journey has been anything but linear. He created and operated an acclaimed theatre company, winning awards as a director, producer and actor in Los Angeles and New York; he wrote and directed feature films beginning with his feature debut Kill the Man, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999; and performed in theatre, television and film throughout the ‘90’s. In 2003, Jon moved into the world of documentary filmmaking as a director/producer and has been working in that genre ever since.

His films include: Swimming in Auschwitz, Mythical Creatures (in post-production), and After Auschwitz which garnered a perfect score of 100% fresh on the review website Rotten Tomatoes as well as inclusion on various “Best of 2018” film lists. Currently in production are an Untitled Rwanda Documentary and a project centered around acclaimed fashion icon and Holocaust survivor Renee Firestone.

In addition to his work in film, Jon has worked to develop curriculum at Chapman University with Dr. Marilyn Harran focused on Holocaust: In History and Film. He was fortunate to serve as a guest lecturer at Chapman for two years, co-teaching that course. Jon continues to lecture and teach students globally through his work in film.

Jon has two children who attended SMMUSD schools before both heading to Philadelphia for college where his daughter is majoring in Political Communications and his son in Urban Studies. Jon’s wife Beth left a career in finance to become the executive director of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust in Pan Pacific Park. When not working on film projects or SMMUSD related issues, Jon still plays Sunday soccer with the Santa Monica AYSO coaches, hikes the local mountains, or enjoys a good cup of coffee at one of his many local shops. If you are looking for a good caffeine buzz in Santa Monica, he is your best resource.

Accomplishments:

In the four years since my election victory in 2016, I have spent 2017-2019 as Board Vice President and 2019/20 as Board President and can look back at numerous accomplishments, including:

·      Creating a Social Justice framework for grades K-12, including our preschool classes

·      Passing an American Cultures/Ethnic Studies graduation requirement for all students

·      Expanding access to preschool for families who do not qualify for full state subsidies while increasing services for all students at all preschools

·      Increasing student engagement with Project Based Learning training for all staff and started a PBL high school pathway

·      Passing a $485m facilities bond to continue our High School transformation while supporting projects at elementary schools

·      Working to streamline our annual general budget in a time of economic hardship

·      Saving residents millions of dollars by working to raise our bond ratings and monitoring market conditions to refinance existing debt

·      Changing the culture  of our school campus through an expansion of Restorative Justice practices

·      Fostering better communication with stakeholders in our community by serving as a Board Liaison for the District’s Special Education District Advisory Committee, Early Education District Advisory Committee, PTA Council, and the Financial Oversight Committee

·      Saving taxpayers 10’s of millions of dollars by meeting with ratings agencies to secure higher ratings for school bonds

·      Working closely with Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services to realign annual budget to prevent teacher cuts and protect valuable school programs

·      Closing the achievement and opportunity gaps further through advanced project-based learning training for all teachers who expressed interest and creating a Project Based Learning Pathway for high school students looking for a new approach to their specific learning styles

·      Creating a Capstone program for Juniors and Seniors in high school to further engage and help them prepare for college and career

Goals for the next four years.

First and foremost, my goal is continue to provide strong leadership and serve as a link between the community and the district as we try to recover from the immeasurable impacts of COVID-19. As we plan for the upcoming school year, I will ensure that our students learn in a safe and meaningful environment.

My other goals over the next four years, include increasing the engagement of students, which we all know will lead to deeper learning and better outcomes, by:

·      Passing a social justice agenda that will outline how our district will address the systemic biases that exist in our schools and communities and create a meaningful course of study that examines the history of Santa Monica through a lens of sociology, economics, technology and social justice

·      Pushing for foreign languages in all elementary schools

·      Continuing to rework the budget so that it represents our priorities and is sustainable

·      Changing the master schedules so that our students have more access to elective courses that make them want to go to school and keep them engaged

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR EXTRAORDINARY TIMES

I am a civil rights attorney with a long history of public service. A seat on the SMMUSD School Board is an extension of my commitment to serve the public good, but in this case, my clients are the families of Santa Monica. My wife and I have our own two elementary school age daughters and understand first-hand the need to invest in the future of our community.

I have made a career fighting for the underdog.  As a Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, I prosecuted abusers on behalf of domestic violence victims. As a criminal defense attorney, I accept court appointments to defend indigent members of our community. As a civil attorney, I have defended the intellectual property of some of our local artists against large companies and movie studios, protected women and minorities from discrimination, and enforced prisoners’ rights including the first successful lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons on behalf of prisoners who became ill with Valley Fever while imprisoned.

The late Robert F. Kennedy said: “The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” I have lived that idea whether it’s volunteering for many years at the Venice Family Clinic or serving on the College Board of Trustees as the elected student representative for my law school or serving on the Board of Planned Parenthood as well as being a member of the PTA for John Muir and Franklin Elementary, community service is a part of my life.

As a parent in SMMUSD, I have watched the district debt crisis deepen. Parents feel more removed from the School Board’s decision making process. And as a parent of a special needs student, I have seen too many disputes unnecessarily devolve into lawsuits causing precious resources to fund lawyers and settlements instead of those resources going to our teachers, students and schools.

I support the Board’s mission of closing the achievement gap, but we need new leadership for these extraordinary times.  The achievement gap closes when all students achieve their potential. 

We have fantastic schools, but a dysfunctional bureaucracy. Wonderful teachers, but our School Board has become complacent. I pledge to you that this will change.

My agenda for the SMMUSD School Board:

·       Transparency on the Board. Our district boasts of transparency, yet the Board lacks true public input and chills the debate of ideas and points of view. There are public meetings, but it seems like all the votes are worked out in advance. There are public comments, but time and time again the constituent is thanked for their input with no action  taken or accountability for failing to follow through.  I will ensure that parents and members of our community are informed, involved and their voices heard.

·       Race and Social Justice Curriculum. Most everyone agrees with this goal. How to get there is a matter of great dispute. Needed on the School Board are individuals with proven track records on this issue in order to have credibility, ability and insight to lead the district. We need a curriculum that is more inclusive and accessible to our entire student body and teaches a diverse, inclusive and fact-based American history in an even-handed way that prepares our students for a future of social harmony.

·       Special Education. Anyone serious about closing the achievement gap must advocate for improving special education. Provide more options to parents. Reduce lawsuits. Focus on children’s needs and family priorities.

·       Teachers first, not first victims of budget cuts. The budget crisis is real. We need to make tough choices. But, your School Board voted to terminate 24 teachers in the first round of budget cuts this year. This is wrong.  I believe we should invest in teachers and students, not bureaucracy.

Steven Johnson and his wife Emily Arms have been SMMUSD parent-volunteers since their daughter Abby started Kindergarten at Grant Elementary School in 2007.

Steven has been involved with numerous activities at the school-site level, including Grant PTA, Grant Talent Show, JAMS Science Magnet Board, JAMS' "Hour of Code" seminars, JAMS-SMASH Theatre, Samohi Choir Steering Committee and "Sweet Serenade" Online Auction Co-Chair.

Steven has been active in community athletics. For years, he was a parent-coach in AYSO and in Santa Monica Girls' Fastpitch Softball.  (Even further back, Steven taught baby swim classes at the Santa Monica YMCA!) 

Since 1995, Steven has been a stalwart member of the Santa Monica Rugby Club, winning back-to-back national championships in 2005 and 2006. In more recent years, Steven continues to play in "old boys" rugby tournaments, as well as coaching youth rugby. Steven is the current President of the Santa Monica Rugby Club.

Steven, Emily and Abby are committed members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Santa Monica, an LGBTQ-welcoming congregation. Steven has served on Church Council, helped organize Sunday School activities, and participated in food drives, neighborhood clean-ups, assisting the homeless, and other community volunteer activities.

His wife Emily is currently a part-time English professor at Santa Monica College. She earned her PhD in Education at UCLA (researching gender equity in education) and has previously taught in EdD and Master's programs at LMU and USC. Prior to UCLA, she was a classroom English teacher for 9 years, and curriculum director at San Gabriel Mission High School.

Abby is a 2020 graduate of Santa Monica High School. She is currently enrolled at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, majoring in vocal performance.

• prioritize equity and access for students

• work relentlessly to reduce class sizes

• defend our flagship Arts and Immersion programs

• protect families’ digital privacy as third-party online technology is integrated into the curriculum

• bring scrutiny and transparency to our budget processes

• promote data driven decision-making with measurable outcomes for student achievement

• ensure full compliance with Brown Act open meeting laws

• write no more “blank checks” and demand detailed accountability for the taxes 

and bonds that Santa Monica and Malibu residents have generously supported

• end multi-year deficit spending; teachers should never be first on the chopping block