A West Plains woman with nearly 25 years in educational experience at every grade level is the new director of the Exceptional Child Education Cooperative.
Jennifer Johnson, currently the assistant principal and special services director at Koshkonong, was hired by the Houston school board during its May meeting. She replaces Jeremy Smith, who resigned in late March.
Johnson, 45, is a 1990 West Plains graduate who has worked in five different school districts. She has served in her current capacity at Koshkonong –– Oregon-Howell R-3 –– since 2015.
“My heart is special education,” Johnson said. “This gives me the opportunity to get back to it full time.”
Johnson earned an education degree from Southwest Missouri State University in 1994 and later received her education administration and education specialist certification through the institution.
She got her start in education as an eighth-grade teacher at Richards Elementary in West Plains. She was then an elementary teacher in Poplar Bluff and St. Mary’s Catholic School in West Plains before joining Koshkonong as a K-6 special education teacher in 2001.
The ECEC is located in the vocational agricultural building adjacent to Houston High School.
Johnson was a resource teacher, kindergarten and first-grade teacher at Junction Hill School in West Plains before rejoining Koshkonong in 2010 as the high school special education teacher.
She was named Koshkonong’s special services director in 2011 and assistant principal four years later.
“I’m anxious to get started in my new position,” Johnson said. “Looking forward to meeting all the staff and continuing to provide the best services available to meet the needs of our students.”
Johnson has two children: Isabel, 18, and Noah, 10.