John McKerley has a passion for history, education

John McKerley was one of two people to be elected to the Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors courtesy of a write-in campaign in 2019. To introduce him to the community, The Union sent McKerley a list of questions. The questions will appear in bold.

Can you tell us about your background, such as where you grew up, where you went to school, and how long you've lived in Fairfield?

I grew up and went to school in Huntsville, Alabama. I first came to Iowa in 1999 to attend graduate school at the University of Iowa. After stays in Alabama and Maryland, my wife (whose father's family is from New London) and I moved back to Iowa with our first child. We settled in Fairfield in 2010.

Can you tell us about your family, such as your parents, siblings, spouse and/or children?

My wife, Heather Davison, is an associate professor of History at Indian Hills in Ottumwa. Our eldest daughter attends Fairfield Middle, and our youngest will be starting kindergarten at Washington in the fall.

What sort of activities are you involved in?

I work as a historian for the University of Iowa Labor Center, where I manage a 40-year-old oral history project devoted to the history of Iowa workers. Several of our interviews regard the history of Fairfield, especially the city's machinists. I am president of the Iowa Labor History Society, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Iowa labor and working-class history. I am a member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 716 and SEIU Faculty Forward.

What motivated you to run for office?

I was (and continue to be) very concerned about the direction the state has taken with regard to education policy in the last several years, and I hoped to make a positive difference by volunteering at the local level.

Since learning of your election in November, how have you been preparing for your new role?

Over the last several years, my work has included the history of local school workers around the state, so I come to the position with some familiarity with how a district has worked over time. But I have already learned a great deal – including from veteran board members – about the hard, day-to-day work that goes on today.

What do you hope to accomplish during your term on the council/board?

For a town like Fairfield, public schools are arguably the single most important development tool that a community has. They are (or should be) an important source of good paying, union jobs for both blue and white collar workers. They should be a magnet for families seeking to provide the best possible opportunities for their children, and they should provide such opportunities to children of all incomes, types of residence, and backgrounds.

Of course, no board – certainly not a single board member – can make all of that happen alone. It takes a lot of people coming together to work toward those goals at both the local and state level. I hope to be one small part of that process.