Berken Seeks Second Term on School Board

Don’t look for any yards signs, door hangers or fliers promoting incumbent Johanna Winfield Berken’s candidacy for the Brentwood Board of Education. There aren’t any.

While Berken may be political, she “is no politician.” Her only exception to her self-imposed no-ad zone is an announcement she placed in an auction book of . “And that was more of a gift,” she said.

A private person who craves her anonymity, Berken would much rather talk about her board experience than advertise it. And that’s what she did one Wednesday afternoon while her 8-year-old daughter, Zöe practiced her violin in one room, and George, the family’s Labrador-poodle mix, pranced in another.

Berken, 48, is an account executive for Cornerstone Insurance Group. She previously developed and marketed K-6 curriculum for educational publishers.

She is seeking a second . She ran unopposed the first time.

“There was a vacancy. They were hard pressed. I was fulfilling a need,” she said. “I had never been to a school board meeting.” About the same time her daughter started kindergarten, Berken became a school board member.

“There was so much to learn in terms of understanding policy and past history,” said Berken, who attended a “weekend-intensive” program for school board certification. She also had to quickly learn nontraditional bargaining, a collective bargaining process used to negotiate with teachers. Negotiations occur every two years.

“Understanding that process was new to me, and challenging, in terms of understanding a teacher’s perspective," she said. "Knowing that our students’ success is dependent on our staff.”

Although it has been “an interesting and worthwhile journey,” Berken could not identify her most difficult decision while serving on the board. That’s because she hasn’t had one.

“I feel that I’ve been provided with all of the information I need” to make a decision, she said. “I care little for being ‘right.' I care about making the right decision.”

But that’s not to say the process has been easy or without sentiment. “There have been many issues that are emotionally fueled,” Berken said. “And while you cannot negate passion about an issue, I believe that in order to make a rational and unbiased decision, attention must remain on facts.”

Berken said her biggest frustration occurs when there is a public perception of an inequity, and she and other board members cannot discuss it because of confidentiality.

“Any person who is going to be successful spends more time listening than talking,” she said.

However, for the interview, Berken did talk more, addressing the district’s finances.

“We are not in the same financial condition as some other school districts,” she said. “So little of our money comes from the state. We are facing a backlog in personal property taxes being paid. Hopefully, we will catch up soon.”

The tax-collection rate has dropped to around 94 percent. The district is also dealing with $1 million loss in revenue due to a tax-rate calculation error. The district will be repaid, but over the next three years. Then, there is the issue of declining property values. While all affect the district’s bottom line, they are “not enough of an assault to affect our curriculum at this time," she said.

Even if cuts were to become necessary, she said curriculum won't be disrupted.

“Some things may have to be postponed,” she said. “It may require us repairing rather than rebuilding, or doing major construction.” To that end, the board has sanctioned a study to determine what the school buildings will need in years to come.

The board may have to find balance between wants and needs, she said. “Do we piecemeal or delay?”

Berken believes that her background in education has provided her with a solid understanding of curriculum needs, and that she has contributed as an active and informed voice on the board and on the committees on which she serves, including the African-American Achievement Gap committee, which was developed to bring up standardized test scores.  

“I know that I am a good choice for continued service on the board,” Berken said. “I don’t have a (personal) hidden agenda. I have no agenda except for the success of the students,” she said.

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Johanna Winfield Berken
8928 Pine Avenue

PERSONAL: Age 48. Married to Scott Berken. They have one daughter, Zöe, 8.

OCCUPATION: Account executive for the Cornerstone Insurance Group.

EDUCATION: Berken received a bachelor’s of arts degree in theatre in 1984 from Fontbonne University.

RELEVANT BACKGROUND: Berken is a member of the St. Louis Special School District governing board. Berken has more than 10 years experience in developing K-6 curriculum for educational publishers. While living in England, she developed an after-care program for school-age children of Air Force military parents. Berken was a reading mentor for three years in the New York City Public Schools.

Editor's note: This is the fourth article in a series of candidate profiles leading up to the April 5 election.