Carpenter Charter’s Mark Johnston Gets PTA’s Highest Award

He helped keep students safe at , and for that, volunteer parent received California’s highest PTA honor—the Golden Oak Service Award.

“They all gathered around and presented it to me, it is a great honor,” said Johnston, who was particularly involved in the Emergency Preparedness work at Carpenter—something that received a ful-out test when the school was in a earlier this year, without incident.

“I can think of no one more deserving,” said the school’s principa. “He has been an integral part of our school community.”

Johnston was not only involved with the school safety program, but has served on the school’s firstl, made up of teachers and parents that make decisions for the school since it became an affiliated charter school last year.

Johnston is also the one who drove the charter application documents downtown in order to make the deadline, said one of the moms who helped write the charter application for the school, and serves as the Governance Council president.

“We are the most prepared school for a disaster than any other school in the district thanks to Mark,” DeBonis said.

Johnston served for six years on the PTA, and he is already getting involved in the safety programs there. He has known newly elected Reed PTA president ey over the years because they both coach athletic teams at Beeman Park. And, he has already started discussions with Reed’s principal Donna Tobin about a safety committee.

“This is the highest award that the PTA can give, and he is one of our irreplaceable PTA volunteers,” said PTA president Andrew Barrett, who nominated Johnston for the honor.