Dr. Stephanie Johnson, who has served as the Georgia Department of Education's Deputy Superintendent for School and District Improvement since 2017, has been named Superintendent of Rockdale County Public Schools.

Superintendent Woods has appointed Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease, who currently serves as GaDOE's Director of School Turnaround, as the agency's new Deputy Superintendent for School and District Improvement and Chief Turnaround Officer.

"Dr. Stephanie Johnson has raised the bar for student achievement throughout the state and transformed our approach to supporting struggling schools," Superintendent Woods said. "The word ‘can't’ is not in her vocabulary, and that springs from her fundamental belief that every district, every school, and every student can succeed. I'm grateful for all she's accomplished at the state level and look forward to working with her as a local superintendent. I know she will do an excellent job in Rockdale County. Likewise, I know that Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease will do a phenomenal job stepping into this role and continuing our efforts to help all schools improve." 

Dr. Johnson has led the Georgia Department of Education's school turnaround efforts since 2017, when Superintendent Woods appointed her as Deputy Superintendent for School and District Improvement. Under her leadership, more than 250 schools exited low-performing status, with graduation rates and content mastery increasing annually for schools served by the Office of School and District Improvement she led. 

Dr. Johnson redesigned Georgia's school improvement system to emphasize tiered, tailored support and strengthened the Continuous Improvement Team (CIT) model — a collaborative structure that unites GaDOE, RESA, and district personnel to provide aligned, consistent support to schools. Her focus on reducing learning variability, building leadership capacity, and improving instructional systems contributed to one of the most significant and sustained periods of statewide school improvement in Georgia's recent history. 

Beginning in 2025, Dr. Johnson also served as Superintendent Woods' Special Advisor to Dublin City Schools, supporting the district in the Financial Improvement Plan it entered into with GaDOE. Dr. Johnson's efforts were instrumental in ensuring continued learning in the school system and stability for its teachers, staff, and students.

Prior to her tenure at the Department, Dr. Johnson led the turnarounds of Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta and multiple schools in Clayton County, and was a finalist for National Principal of the Year in 2017. Prior to her work as a principal, she served as an assistant principal, school counselor, and classroom teacher.

"Serving Georgia's students, educators, schools, and districts as Deputy Superintendent and Chief Turnaround Officer has been one of the greatest honors of my career," Dr. Johnson said. "I am deeply grateful to Superintendent Richard Woods for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this important work and for his unwavering commitment to ensuring that every school and every student can succeed. I am extraordinarily proud of our team and all we have accomplished together over the past nine years. I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease. She is an exceptional, proven leader who is deeply committed to school improvement, and I know this vital work will continue to thrive under her leadership. As I begin this new chapter, I am tremendously excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, staff, families, and community of Rockdale County Public Schools. I look forward to continuing our partnership with Superintendent Woods and the Georgia Department of Education as, together, we help every student soar."

About Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease

Known for her collaborative leadership and commitment to continuous improvement, Dr. Kilcrease has led transformational efforts that significantly improved literacy, numeracy, graduation rates, and overall student achievement. Her expertise spans instructional leadership, school turnaround, strategic planning, leadership coaching, and systems improvement, making her a trusted voice in education at the local, state, and national levels.

Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease is an accomplished educational leader with more than 33 years of experience driving school improvement, leadership development, and transformational change across Georgia. She currently serves as Director of School Turnaround for the Georgia Department of Education and, throughout her career, has served as a middle school teacher, assistant principal, principal, Director of School Improvement, Associate Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and district Chief of Staff.