Marilyn Johnson-Farr, Ph.D., is one of four new individuals elected to the Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) Board of Education in May 2025. She’ll serve a four-year term representing District 7.
Johnson-Farr, a professor of education at Doane, is a Lincoln High graduate who went on to work as a teacher in the district for a number of years before starting at Doane in 2003. She sees her public official role as an opportunity “to redeposit” the time and effort LPS invested in her.
“I've made a commitment for the next four years to take what I believe is life experiences, education and the spirit of serving to give back,” Johnson-Farr said.
Johnson-Farr ran on a platform of recruiting and retaining teachers to fill LPS’s teacher shortage and supporting students on a variety of pathways to success — from joining the military or the workforce, to attending college or a trade school.
Johnson-Farr empowers her own students at Doane to use their leadership skills in capacities outside the classroom. She has long embodied her own teaching, serving on boards and volunteering with community nonprofits like Lincoln Children’s Museum, Lincoln Police Advisory Board, Nebraska Loves Public Schools, Malone Center and Friendship Home.
“There's more to teaching than being in a classroom,” Johnson-Farr said. “To teach, really is to serve, and to figure out how you serve beyond that classroom space.”
