Dr. Kabrina Johnson Named Director of Middle Schools
Dr. Kabrina Johnson is the district’s new Director of Middle Schools.
Des Moines Public Schools is pleased to announce Dr. Kabrina R. Johnson will be joining the district as the new Director of Middle Schools. She arrives in Des Moines with two decades of experience as an educator and leader.
Dr. Johnson holds an Ed.D. in higher education and adult learning from Walden University in Baltimore, MD, and three master’s degrees: one in administration and supervision, and another in curriculum and instruction focusing on reading, both from the University of Houston in Victoria, TX, and a third in curriculum and instruction from Houston Baptist University in Houston, TX. Her bachelor’s degree is in applied learning and development earned at the University of Texas – Austin.
In her role as owner and lead consultant at Entrusted Educational Leaders, Dr. Johnson collaborated with school leadership teams to support goals and build staff capacity. She also served as Director of High School Curriculum and Instruction at Spring Independent School District in Houston, TX. Dr. Johnson began her career as an elementary school teacher and Instructional Coach for the Houston Independent School District. She worked as an Intervention Specialist for Spring Branch Independent School District, an English teacher for the Abu Dhabi Education Council in the UAE, a Reading Facilitator for Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Texas, and a middle and high school administrator in Houston Independent School District.
“Dr. Johnson brings tremendous experience to our Teaching and Learning team,” said Tim Schott, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. “Her passion for improving both the experience and the outcomes for our middle school students is inspiring and will serve DMPS well into the future.”
As Director of Middle Schools, Dr. Johnson will be responsible for supervising and evaluating principals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and leading professional development focused on instructional leadership. She said she chose DMPS because the district is ready for meaningful change.
“DMPS’s current work shows a commitment to disrupting inequities and closing the achievement gap,” said Dr. Johnson. “My goal is to build leaders who are confident in their individual abilities to tailor their practices to the uniqueness of their building, staff, and students to ensure all staff and students are stronger at the end of the year than they were at the beginning of the year.”
Dr. Johnson began work in May of 2024, following approval by the Des Moines School Board.
