![Photo of Tara Star Johnson]( "Photo of Tara Star Johnson")
Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education 100 N. University Street West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2098 BRNG 3281Gwork
Work Phone: (765) 494-2702work
Work Email: tarastar@purdue.eduINTERNET
Tara Star Johnson
Associate Dean for Learning; Coordinator, English Education and Transition to Teaching Programs; Associate Professor of English Education
Literacy and LanguageCurriculum and Instruction
- Ph.D. — Language Education, University of Georgia (2005)
- M.A. — English Education, University of Georgia (2001)
- B.A. — English, Grand Valley State University (1993)
- 2023 – present
Associate Dean for Learning
College of Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2010 – 2023
Associate Professor of English Education
English & Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2006 – 2010
Assistant Professor of English Education
English & Curriculum and Instruction, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
- 2005 – 2006
Temporary Full-Time Assistant Professor
Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
- 2000 – 2005
Research Assistant
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- 2000 – 2003
Teaching Assistant
Department of Language and Literacy Education
College of Education, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- 1994 – 2000
English & Science Teacher, 9th-12th grades
Newaygo High School, Newaygo Public Schools, Newaygo, MI
- 1990 – 1993
Writing Tutor
The Writing Center, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI
Dr. Johnson’s research trajectory includes two separate but related phases; though topically distinct, they share a common theme of social justice in education. Her early-career focus was on sexual dynamics in the classroom, resulting in a book and multiple journal articles stemming from three studies. The first examined how pre-service English teachers dealt with issues of embodiment in their classrooms; the second analyzed how and why secondary teachers “crossed the line” by having a sexual relationship with a student; and the third investigated the racial and community dynamics at work in a South Carolina school district plagued by three incidents of sexual misconduct. Though this body of scholarship still informs Dr. Johnson’s teaching, her research has taken a deliberate turn toward the scholarship of engagement. Deeply concerned about the current state of K-12 education, she is studying the process and politics behind the development of standards and high-stakes assessment in Indiana and writ large. She hopes to be of service to the beleaguered teachers and administrators with whom she has cultivated both research and teaching relationships by demystifying the policy climate affecting their schools.
Selected Publications
- Johnson, T. S. (2020). Sine die and Sankofa. Editorial. English Education, 52(4), 272-281.
- Johnson, T. S. (2016). Finding common ground: Reasonable compromise, gray areas, and telling it slant. Editorial. English Education, 48(2), 100-108.
- Johnson, T. S. & Cutter, E. (2013). Bullies and bodies: Addressing weight discrimination. In s.j. Miller, L. Burns, & T. S. Johnson (Eds.), Generation bullied 2.0: Prevention and intervention strategies for our most vulnerable students (pp. 69-87). New York: Peter Lang.
- Johnson, T. S. (2010). Crossing the line: When pedagogical relationships go awry. Teachers College Record, 112(8), 2021-2066.
- Johnson, T. S. (2010). Practice what you preach: A personal and pedagogical social justice policy. In s.j. Miller & D. Kirkland (Eds.), Change matters: Critical essays on moving social justice research from theory to policy (pp. 33-40). New York: Peter Lang.
- EDCI 42200 — Teaching English in Secondary Schools (English Education program)
- EDCI 67900 — Capstone Inquiry into Practice (C & I online M.Ed. program)
- EDCI 69500 — Teaching Internship (Transition to Teaching program)
