Tara Star Johnson

Tara Star Johnson is an Associate Professor of English Education at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction within the College of Education at Purdue University. She currently serves as the Associate Dean for Learning and Co-Coordinator of Transition to Teaching Programs.

• Education: Ph.D. in Language Education (University of Georgia, 2005), M.A. in English Education (University of Georgia, 2001), B.A. in English (Grand Valley State University, 1993)

Her research focuses on social justice in education, spanning two phases: (1) Sexual dynamics in classrooms (including teacher misconduct, embodiment, and racial/community factors) and (2) Scholarship of engagement examining K-12 education policy, Indiana standards development, and high-stakes assessment politics. She aims to demystify policy climates for educators.

Recent publications address topics like educational ethics, policy compromise, and systemic discrimination. Her work appears in journals such as English Education and Teachers College Record, as well as edited volumes like Generation Bullied 2.0.

• Key Courses: Teaching English in Secondary Schools (EDCI 42200), Capstone Inquiry into Practice (EDCI 67900), Teaching Internship (EDCI 69500)