Teacher John Waldron bids for a seat in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives.

Today’s political atmosphere has opened up a myriad of opportunities for dedicated, hardworking educators to run for political office. One educator who has decided to take advantage of these opportunities is John Waldron, a Tulsa high school social studies teacher who is bidding for a seat in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives.

John is running on the Democratic ticket to represent District 77. The seat is currently held by Representative Eric Proctor. Proctor, also a Democrat, has reached his term limits and asked the respected educator to run as his replacement.

If elected, John intends to make funding for education one of his priorities. “I hope to be part of a movement that reverses policies of tax cuts for the rich and service cuts for everyone else,” declares John. “I hope to make Oklahoma more fair, more equitable and more mindful of its responsibility to future generations.”

John earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Virginia in 1990 and his Master’s degree in International Relations and Affairs from George Washington University in 1995. His first teaching position was at the School Without Walls in the DC Public School System. He worked there from 1991 to 1999. Since 1999, the candidate has worked at Booker T. Washington High School in the Tulsa Public School District, where he teaches courses in World History, European history, and the History of East Asia and Oceania for the school’s International Baccalaureate program.

“After 20 years of teaching, I still appreciate the chance to help a kid move along his or her path of development,” says John. “Kids need to be taught to believe in their own capacity to shape the world. They need a little discipline, perhaps, but there is nothing more exciting than seeing a child begin to envision how they might change the world,” he says.

To learn more about John Waldron and his campaign for public office, you can visit his website at www.waldron4ok.com.

Educator Janna Lind is running for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives.

This year’s mid-term elections have offered a multitude of opportunities to dedicated and civic-minded educators who hope to make a significant positive impact on their communities. One of these educators is Janna Lind, a high school social studies teacher from Montana. Janna is running for a seat in her state’s House of Representatives.

Janna is running on the Democratic ticket to represent District 56. She faces off against Republican candidate Sue Vinton. If elected, Janna intends to work towards increased school safety, improving the economy, strengthening Montana’s infrastructure, and providing better health care for the state’s citizens. “I am running to be a voice for those who are underrepresented in Montana: the youth and young mothers, and the disenfranchised,” declares Janna.

Janna graduated from high school in Hysham, Treasure County, Montana. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Rocky Mountain College located in billings, Montana. She earned her Master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of the Southwest located in Hobbs, New Mexico.

For the past seven years, Janna has taught government and social studies at Hardin High School in Hardin, Montana. In addition, she currently serves as a Lockwood School Board Trustee in Yellowstone County, Montana. She has also worked at the Boys and Girls Club in Lockwood.