INTERIM DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING BEGINS IN AUGUST
Johanna Cooper
An Oskaloosa Community School District Press Release
July 21, 2022
OSKALOOSA, IOWA — Oskaloosa Community Schools will have a new curriculum leader this fall as Johanna Cooper is appointed the Interim Director of Teaching and Learning. This position replaces the curriculum director position held by Angie Hanson with a title change to encompass expanded responsibilities. Cooper was approved by the Oskaloosa Board of Education in a special meeting on Wednesday, July 20.
Cooper is currently a part-time prevention specialist at YSS in Ames and will begin working in Oskaloosa in August. Her background includes state, national, and international experience. Cooper’s educational background includes serving as an elementary school principal in Ankeny and an Instructional Coordinator in Texas. She’s also been a Head of School in Thailand and worked as an Academic Director in Durango, Mexico. Her international experience includes serving on the Abu Dhabi Educational Council in the United Arab Emirates.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” says Cooper. “I’m really excited to start working and getting to know the community and the teachers. I want to learn what the students and teachers are hungry for and work with them to build a curriculum that will impact every student.”
Her top goals in her interim year are to continue to build upon the great things the students and staff are already working on. She strives to provide strong curriculum leadership and deliver expertise to grow the district. She will continue to provide professional development for teachers and build strong professional learning communities (PLCs) within the school.
“I want to give teachers the tools to implement the best curriculum we can in the schools,” notes Cooper. “I want to work with teachers to be innovative. I want teachers to take risks. Students want different types of learning, so I want to ensure teachers are connecting with the students and students are getting what they are asking for.”
“We are excited to have Johanna’s background and experience as part of the Oskaloosa Community Schools,” says Mike Fisher, superintendent. “We are eager to see how her knowledge and experience will continue to enhance the Osky school environment to provide high academic achievement for all
kids.”
Cooper was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where her parents still reside. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico and her Masters of Education in Public School Administration at Texas A&M University. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign studying Educational Policy: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has two children, a senior at Iowa State University and a sophomore at Ames High School. Her fiancé has been part of the Oskaloosa for the past seventeen years . She is fluent in Spanish and speaks Arabic. When she is not working, she enjoys traveling, reading, and cheering for the Houston Astros baseball team.
