Lisbeth Johnson, Ed.D.
Teacher, Professional Developer, Executive Coach-Consultant
Lisbeth Johnson received her doctorate in Organizational Leadership in 2002 from the University of La Verne and completed her dissertation on the topic of Integrating Instruction with Technology. She has worked in educational settings for forty-six years in Pre-Kindergarten through Post- Secondary settings. Her education includes a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters Degree and teaching credentials from San Diego State University. She is also certified as a Leading Edge instructor for online learning.
Starting out as a Head Teacher in Head Start Schools in San Diego, California, she went on to become an elementary teacher and taught consecutively in Kindergarten through Sixth Grades as well as serving as a reading resource support teacher in South Bay Union School District. While serving as a teacher, the district selected and trained Ms. Johnson to develop student achievement evaluation reporting data for presentations to the district’s school board. After serving for nine years in South Bay, Dr. Johnson moved to Cajon Valley Union School District in the East County of the city where she was hired as a Principal. Over an eleven year period, she served successfully in three different schools in K-8th grades as their site leader and finally as an Area Director for regional Principals.
Demonstrating early on a love of curriculum development, Lisbeth was then hired as a K-12 Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Walnut Valley Unified School District in the San Gabriel Valley. After six years in this District, she returned to her San Diego home to be selected as a Kindergarten through Eighth Grade Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Santee Union School District. Under her leadership, this blue collar school district increased their student achievement to the mid-860 average API range and ranked 8 among San Diego’s 42 districts in student achievement. She was then hired as District Superintendent in Santee. Her continued accomplishments included establishing a vision for redesigning school curriculum. Through extensive professional development for her teachers at UCLA SEEDS, she and her staff transformed traditional school instruction into twenty-first century learning focusing on several learning outcomes including project based learning and integration of technology. She also is credited with rallying the community to pass a bond measure that brought new science classroom buildings, modernization, and digital infrastructure to the district schools for the first time in forty years.
Lisbeth retired from the Santee School District in 2009. She, however continues to serve as an Executive Coach for Principals, Superintendents, and aspiring Superintendents as well as a consultant for school districts and Charter and private schools. Lisbeth has won many awards throughout her career including “top-fifty Principals to observe” in San Diego, Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year as Superintendent, Association of California School Administrators San Diego Administrator of the Year and recognitions for outstanding performance as a leader from the State Assembly.
Dr. Johnson has participated in many prestigious professional organizations including the National Staff Development Council and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development where she is currently a faculty member: http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/oscb/faculty/Johnson-L.aspx . She has been a part-time faculty member at USD, San Diego State University and now is an adjunct faculty member and Cohort Mentor for transformational leaders and doctoral students through Brandman University. In 2014, she published a book Transforming Ice Age Schools with her co-author Leighangela Brady who is currently Assistant Superintendent, of Educational Services in award winning Encinitas School District.