An Atlanta high school principal has been selected to oversee the Georgia Department of Education’s school improvement work.

Jackson High School principal Stephanie Johnson will serve as the state’s deputy superintendent for school improvement.  Johnson will focus on helping all schools, including low-performing campuses, improve.

She'll also collaborate with whoever is eventually named Georgia's Chief Turnaround Officer, the leader of Georgia's efforts to intervene in the state's lowest schools.

Johnson, a 2017 National Principal of the Year finalist, previously served as principal of Sequoyah Middle School and Jonesboro High School in Clayton County.

State officials described Johnson as a “turnaround principal.”

“Stephanie Johnson is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of beating the odds and eliminating barriers for students,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said.

Jackson assistant principal Adam Danser has been named interim principal at the school.

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Sheree Smith (left) casts her ballot at Wolf Creek Library in Atlanta on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. In addition to municipal races for mayors, city councils and school board members, this year’s election also will decide the members of the Georgia Public Service Commission. (Miguel Martinez / AJC)

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