Michael Thomson

Candidate for Greater Albany Public Schools Board, Zone 3
  • Occupation: Parent.
  • Experience: Greater Albany Public Schools board member since 2019; Officer, Takena-Central PTA; Volunteer, Greater Albany Public Schools; City of Albany Budget Committee (12 years); City of Albany Human Relations Commission (4 years); Albany Partnership for Housing and Community Development board member; Friends of Historic Albany board member; Volunteer, St. Mary’s Parish, Albany.
  • Education: Clark Community College, AA; The Evergreen State College, BA
  • Hobbies/interests: Public policy, sports fan (Portland Timbers/Thorns, Seattle Mariners and Seahawks, Oregon State Beavers), live music. 
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  • Why I am running: 
​  I am the son of two public school teachers. I have long understood the difficulties teachers face every day. Now, the challenges are even greater. We need to support and do more for the folks who teach our kids every day. 
  Parents and teachers working together to help students meet their needs is what I am focused on. What we don’t need are endless political culture wars in our classrooms.  Part of meeting those needs includes making sure our students are learning the skills they need to be successful in their careers, college, and lives. That means expanding instruction in practical skills and technical training. And it means investing in and collaborating with our community colleges and higher education institutions to ensure all students can learn the skills they need to enter the career field of their dreams.
  During my first term there have been successes I was proud to be a part of: Approving funding for a Counselor in every elementary school; ending the “pay to play” fees in Middle and High School,; keeping class size at an average of 18 for Kinder and first grade; starting a “grow your own” program that helps classified employees become certified classroom teachers. The District also began to serve a badly needed role in offering pre-kindergarten opportunities starting with saving  the quality Maple Lawn Preschool from closure.
  Finally, we all know that students have fallen behind because of the Covid pandemic shutdowns. I have advocated for and will continue to ensure that GAPS is making learning recovery, summer programs, and one-on-one interventions accessible for every student who needs them. There is much more to do. I am running for reelection to continue my work in solving the hard problems and I  will not hesitate to speak up when the situation calls for it.