Stanley L. Johnson Jr., Ph.D. is a Senior Project Scientist at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, where he leads the California Educator Diversity and Computational Thinking Equity projects. He is also an educational consultant, researcher, and practitioner with an extensive background in K-12 leadership, teacher education, and learning sciences with an emphasis in language and literacy development. He holds additional roles as a researcher at the UCLA Black Male Institute and as a board member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education, where he served as president during the 2024–25 school year.
Prior to working at CTS, Dr. Johnson previously served as consultant for the Los Angeles County Office of Education (in School Improvement, District Capacity Building, and Curriculum and Instructional Services) and a Managing Director of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach for America where he supported and built capacity with Program Improvement schools and districts in the areas of effective language arts instruction and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) through professional development, coaching, and providing technical assistance to educational leaders and classroom teachers. Dr. Johnson was also the Founding Principal of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community School in Oakland, CA and he began his career in education through Teach for America, where he taught all levels of English/Language Arts and Advanced Placement English at Centennial High School in Compton, CA. Johnson was awarded a promotion to Program Coordinator, a district office administrative position in curriculum and instruction, after successfully serving as Centennial’s Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Self-Study Chairperson and getting the school’s accreditation reinstated.
With respect to academic research, Johnson critically examines effective secondary English teachers who implement culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical and instructional practices in their classrooms to close literacy gaps and address their students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. Johnson is particularly interested in how Advanced Placement English teachers facilitate high levels of engagement for their high achieving boys of color (and especially African American males) by ensuring that they have access and exposure to language and literacies of power.
Johnson received his Ph.D. in Education (Urban Schooling) from the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, his Master of Arts in Secondary Education along with clear teaching and administrative credentials from Loyola Marymount University, and his Bachelor of Arts in American Literature and Culture with college honors from UCLA. Johnson is the recipient of numerous academic distinctions and community service awards. He received the Randall C. Bacon Alumni Achievement Award from the Western Province of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. In 2010 and the National Science Foundation-sponsored Colloquy on Minority Males in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics summer fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. In addition, UCLA presented him with the Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award for his outstanding teaching of undergraduate students’ significant contributions to the educational community. Johnson lives in View Park, enjoys reading, spending time with family, and is an avid, nationally ranked tennis player who competes regularly.
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