Cleveland “CJ” Johnson Runs for Re-Election to MVUSD

Moreno Valley Unified School District Board Member Cleveland “CJ” Johnson Jr is running for re-election to the board this November, and said he feels he can bring “level-headedness and a desire to see our youth get the best and highest education possible.” A member of the board for four years, Johnson said, “I work hard every day to improve the academic performance of our students and keep them safe. Over the past four years, Moreno Valley schools have made great progress. Our district’s performance score has raised significantly, dropout rates cut in half, and graduation rates have seen the second highest increase in California.” Johnson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and has worked as a military airman and a logistic manager for Pepsi, said it was his enjoyment of “working for people, especially our youth in achieving better education,” that gave him his drive to run for re-election. Johnson said he wants to “keep what’s working,” including the Safety Routes to school program, which helps strengthen campus safety, and expanding after-school activities for students. Johnson said other accomplishments of the board during his tenure included “voluntarily lower(ing) the stipend our board receives,” and hiring a new superintendent and installing new principals “in strategic areas to ensure our students are receiving the highest quality of education.” He would like to help pass a bond for maintenance of the district schools, he said, if re-elected. Other goals of Johnson’s, he explained, are to “continually increase our graduation rate and eliminate our dropout rate,” while also changing summer school from mandatory to voluntary attendance. “My experiences as a 36-year resident of Moreno Valley, a bachelor’s degree, an Air Force veteran, a PepsiCo manager, parent and an advocate for our students makes me uniquely qualified to continue serving our school board,” Johnson said. Other candidates for MVUSD school board include incumbents Jesus Holguin and Gary Baugh, who seek re-election; and Delorise Anderson.