Julian Bradley
Demonstrated Commitment to Collaboration in Our Community: As outgoing PTA Council President, longtime treasurer of Mercer Island Girls' Lacrosse, head coach of Majors softball, past Island Park PTA President and Secretary, room parent, and regular classroom volunteer, my demonstrated commitment to our young Islanders is unmatched in this race. Through these roles, I have proven my ability to listen, learn, and get things done by bringing together diverse perspectives across our community. I have a reputation for working collaboratively with families, educators, and administrators to strengthen our schools so they can continue to serve students better. In a time of political divisiveness, our schools need collaborative and bridge-building leadership now more than ever.
An Advocate for Student Safety: As our community comes to terms with the shocking news about two teacher abusers in our schools who seem to have escaped with impunity, the board needs to be single-minded in its commitment to ensuring student safety, not protecting predators. I will push for an independent investigation, not just of the two instances that have recently come to light, but of the district’s handling of any concerns that have been raised, reaching back decades. We must begin with a clear-eyed understanding of how the district has addressed and investigated prior complaints. We must then work to make our district a place where every student and community member feels safe raising concerns, knowing that our leaders will do everything in their power to protect our kids. It is our solemn duty.
A Leader Who Gets Things Done: Under my leadership at PTA Council, our incredible members have spearheaded many district-wide initiatives that are critical to our Island's students, including:
-Piloted a program to better serve students with dyslexia in our schools
-Took a leading role in advising on the District's new cell phone policy
-Launched educational and advocacy initiatives surrounding e-bike safety
-Advocated statewide to ask leaders to close the funding gap for public schools, and to raise the cap on levy funding
-Sponsored PTA Reflections program, supporting our student artists
-Sponsored MI Community Scholarship Program
Financial and Management Experience to Meet the Moment: As a proud U.S. Navy Veteran, I led incredibly diverse teams of sailors from across the U.S. through critical missions on behalf of our country, while also managing the entirety of the budget for the nuclear submarine on which I served. Following my time in the Navy, I obtained a Masters in Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management and had a career in finance that included teaching bankers to conduct sophisticated financial analyses. With the ongoing budgetary challenges faced by all school districts in Washington State, my training and experience will lend a steady hand as we navigate fiscal uncertainty in the coming years.
Champion for Every Student: My time volunteering in our classrooms and on our sports fields have galvanized my commitment to making our schools places where every young Islander can learn, grow, and thrive—no matter their background. I have a deep belief that every student deserves access to excellent public education, and I'm committed to building a supportive, inclusive, and high-achieving school environment for all. I recognize our schools have more work to do to be sure this vision is fully realized for every student, regardless of their race, LGBTQ+ identity, special education or HiCap status, but I know that this diversity is one of the things that makes our schools strong, and we must continue to build programs that embrace and support these differences.
A Positive Vision for Our Schools: I am a passionate believer in the power of public schools to shape bright futures for all Mercer Island students. Mercer Island has a strong history of supporting its schools, which have historically been the pride of our community. That's a high standard to maintain, but I firmly believe the best is yet to come. With a community that is more diverse than ever, in a time when technological and societal changes are fundamentally transforming education, we need directors who are prepared to approach today's challenges with good faith, collaboration, experience, and integrity.
I'd be honored to be your choice.
