overview

• Dr. Jerry Johnson is the inaugural Phoebe Moore Dail Distinguished Professor in Rural Education in the COE. A former high school English teacher and principal, he has taught in educational leadership programs for 18 years and served from 2003-2008 as policy research director for the Rural School and Community Trust, a national non-profit organization addressing the crucial relationship between good schools and thriving communities. The 2017 recipient of the Stanley A. Brzezinski Memorial Rural Education Research Award from the National Rural Education Association, Johnson is the author of more than 70 publications on rural education policy, school-based leadership, and place-based learning. He has testified before state legislatures and presented research briefings on Capitol Hill, and his research has been cited in state school finance litigation/legislation and contributed to the development of state policies and regulations governing teacher and leader preparation. His work has been supported by extramural funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Office of English Language Acquisition; state departments of education; private foundations; and local school districts.