Meet Jake Johnson
Meet Jake Johnson
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Jake grew up in Stewartville, Minnesota, with 10 siblings in a working-class family. His dad collected garbage and his mom went door to door reading meters. When his parents got divorced, Jake helped his mom and stepdad, a disabled Vietnam veteran, raise his younger siblings.
Growing up, times were tough. Jake and his family worked hard, but that wouldn’t have been enough on its own. His small town community, his church, and his teachers helped him stay on track, and public programs like SNAP and Medicaid were lifelines.
Jake attended Stewartville High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball, and was just good enough to catch the eye of his future wife, Molly. He mowed lawns and received Pell Grants to be able to afford college at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, just across the river from home.
After graduating, Jake and Molly got married and started building their life together. Jake got the first job he applied for: teaching math in Rochester Public Schools. Jake was excited to help others just like his teachers had helped him.
For the past 20 years, Jake has taught students from all walks of life, in classes ranging from remedial math to AP Calculus. He’s done it with the belief that every student is capable of greatness if they work hard, no matter where they start from.
Jake has helped dozens of students who were initially “projected to drop out of high school” not just stay in school, but end up taking accelerated math classes. Jake's success in the classroom has made him a two-time recipient of the highest recognition in the state for math education, given to no more than three K-12 math teachers per year.
Outside of the classroom, Jake has navigated complex policy and budget debates as the Governmental Relations Coordinator and a bargaining team member for his union. His work helped improve wages and working conditions for 1,000+ teachers, nurses, and counselors. He has served on the board of the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition, which improves financial literacy for kids and young adults, and he helped lead a referendum campaign that kept three public schools from closing.
Jake and Molly — a paraprofessional who works with deaf and hard-of-hearing children — are raising their four boys just 10 minutes from where Jake grew up. In his spare time, Jake enjoys distance running, reading books with his kids, and staying optimistic about the Vikings.
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