Dr. Willie F. Johnson, Jr.

Dr. Willie Fred Johnson, Jr. is an accomplished educator with a passion for improving education quality for at-risk students. He has served as an adjunct professor, school principal and educational consultant for multiple high schools and universities. Johnson is also an avid community member, involving himself in projects that provide food, clothing and even vaccines to citizens of Dallas County. He is married to his loving and supportive wife, Denorah, who is also an A&M-Commerce alum. They have 3 children: Tevin, Willie III and Allyson.

Johnson's impact is far-reaching and is felt by many. His work is encapsulated by the motto, “Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up; figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

Education

Johnson received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from East Texas State University (now A&M-Commerce) in 1992. He then went on to receive a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science at A&M-Commerce in 1999 and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Administration and Educational Leadership at Walden University in 2013. He also earned certificates in both Higher Education and School Management and Leadership from Harvard University, as well as an endorsement from Cornell.

Career

Johnson has had a long and impactful career that has touched countless lives. For over three decades, he has served in multiple roles from school counselor, basketball coach, principal and adjunct professor. He specifically focuses on working with at-risk students and communities.

He served as a school principal in Dallas ISD. During his tenure as a high school principal, Johnson was challenged to lead the charge to boost two low-performing schools to an academically acceptable level. As a result, both campuses—South Oak Cliff (SOC) High School and E.B. Comstock Middle School—earned TEA academic distinctions and notably reduced their racial achievement gaps.

SOC High School continues to defy societal odds and norms under Johnson's leadership. Unique for inner-city schools, the school has played for the Texas UIL 5A Division II Football Championship for the past three years, earning two state championships. Most notably, SOC High School was acknowledged for having the most college/university signees in the nation, which speaks to the caliber of SOC's academic/athletic program.

He also currently provides support to future school leaders as an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University. He operates an educational consulting firm known as IMPACT. He is currently an active member of several educational associations, has earned numerous awards, was recognized by the U.S. Congress and Texas State Senate, and has served on many Dallas ISD and civic task forces and committees.

Community Work

Johnson has also impacted his community in many ways. He worked as an ambassador to convert undeveloped, trash-riddled land into greenspace known as SOC Renaissance Park. He was also honored by the U.S. Congress, Dallas City Council, and others for his work to sponsor a vaccination site for the 75216 community during the pandemic.

Johnson and his team also partnered with various Dallas County food distributors during the pandemic, making SOC High School a food pickup hub for the community. The SOC team also delivered food to the homes of those who were sick and in need. From those initial efforts, SOC formed a three-year partnership with PepsiCo and Friendship West Baptist Church to create the SOC Food and Clothing Pantry to provide students and community members in need with clothing and non-perishable foods.