Dear School Board Members, Two years ago, I participated in Childpeace Montessori’s “Silent Journey & Discovery.” I loved it. I’ve attended both biannual sessions since 2023 (2025 link here), and they’ve been among my favorite experiences as a parent. This is a school with deep potential, rich history, and overwhelmingly good people—children, parents, and staff … Read more
From John Fial, a Parent April 24, 2025 Dear Childpeace Families, Many of you know me as a longtime member of this community—my child has been at Childpeace for years, and you’ve likely seen me at drop-offs, family events, classroom visits, or reading beside my little one in the hallway. I’m writing this one-time letter … Read more
This year’s Silent Journey was a smaller gathering than the one I attended two years ago, though first-timers wouldn’t have known the difference. Still, it was fabulous. I wish it were offered annually—or even twice a year—to increase attendance among parents. But given the immense effort required from staff (on a weekend, no less, between … Read more
Update 2025-03-10: See https://www.johnfial.com/fial-v-oregon-lawsuit-updates/ Hi Friends and Supporters, I’m writing to update you on a major step in the federal lawsuit I filed to challenge the constitutionality of ORS § 107.169(3), Oregon’s custody law. The law prevents judges from ordering joint custody even when both parents are deemed fit and share equal parenting time. On … Read more
Dear old friends, It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since I began campaigning for the Presidency. When I started this journey in August 2023, it felt like few people took my run seriously. The early websites and messaging weren’t perfect, and the terribly corrupt primary processes didn’t help. Many of us have … Read more
This letter was originally written for my religious community to share my personal decision to run for President of the United States. I am sharing it publicly to provide transparency about my motivations and to invite broader dialogue on the important issues it addresses. My intention is to foster understanding and to invite support from … Read more
1,400 wordsRead time @ 250 words/minute: 6 minutes Dear America, I’m a good father. It’s a job, in some sense — the most rewarding, wonderful, challenging, ever-changing work of a man’s life — but a job nonetheless. It’s a job, but not one, like the fields, or construction sites, or office chairs, that the father … Read more
3,300 wordsRead time @ 250 words/minute: 14 minutes Executive Summary / TL;DR: This essay highlights the deep flaws in Oregon’s custody laws, particularly the prohibition on judges ordering joint custody unless both parents agree. Through personal experiences, I illustrate how this law has exacerbated conflicts, created instability for our son, and allowed my former wife … Read more
An Open Letter to the Childpeace Montessori School Board on the Eve of Its “State of the School” (March 14, 2024) Dear School Board Members, As “Pi Day” approaches, I regret to inform you that my son and I will be out of state during the “State of the School” meeting. However, I wish to … Read more
Editor’s Note: The Presidental Election system proposed here has been re-formatted on our campaign website at https://www.fialforward.com/blog/reforming-presidential-elections-a-fairer-system-for-america . We’ve included the below for archival purposes. You’ll be redirected in 10 seconds… Editor’s Note: The system text below was originally proposed as part 4 of 7 in a longer campaign newsletter, but has since been edited … Read more