Donna Johnson (Special Education Program)

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 6 - Issue 1 - August 2022

Donna Johnson has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Special Education program since 2012. She has an Ed.D. in Education from Rowan University, an M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from The College of New Jersey, an M.Ed. with Reading Specialist Certification from Georgian Court College, and a B.A. in Special Education from Georgian Court College.

For Professor Johnson, the single most important thing we can do to provide all students with a high-quality, equitable education is to ensure every student has high-quality teachers, staff, and leaders guiding their educational experiences. “Teacher preparation and induction programs are at the center of creating and sustaining systems that support educator and leadership pipelines,” she says.

What Professor Johnson loves about teacher and school leader development is the opportunity to intentionally craft their onboarding and learning experiences based on research about what works best for student and adult learning. She acknowledges that teacher and leader turnover is a real problem and argues that part of that problem lies with districts and leaders regarding issues such as sustainability and compensation. “Much of the issues with teachers leaving the profession within 3-5 years can be addressed with quality teacher preparation,” she added. In her opinion, well-designed educator onboarding, development, and pipeline programs help educators understand the challenges that they will face; provide time and support to reflect on those challenges and build the skills and toolbox to effectively address those challenges; and support educators in how to organize their work and build their networks to effectively apply those tools and skills.

“Working in teacher preparation and induction gives me the opportunity to empower others to become powerful practitioners in education, both in and beyond the classroom.” Professor Johnson values and appreciates the opportunity to be innovative and entrepreneurial, while supporting the work of and growing with a dedicated team. She is particularly excited to give back by developing the capacity of the next generation of educators and leaders across New York City schools to promote excellence and equity for all children in the city.