CIU Alumnus named Alaska’s Education Commissioner
July 13, 2016
Alaska’s new education commissioner received his earliest training in education in the heat and humidity of South Carolina. Dr. Michael Johnson, originally from Rossville, Georgia, earned his bachelor’s degree (’94) and master’s degree (’97) from Columbia International University.
The Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development announced Johnson’s appointment in June, which was approved by Governor Bill Walker. Johnson officially became commissioner on July 1.
Johnson says he is ready to tackle the task of overseeing education in Alaska at a time of economic adjustment for the state because of falling oil prices and a declining amount of oil flowing through the Alaska pipeline.
Johnson also faces the daily education challenges unique to life in Alaska. For example, many of the schools are only accessible by air or sea.
Johnson also notes that the Anchorage school district is one of the most diverse in the United States with over 90 languages spoken there.
Johnson says every area of his life and career has been impacted by his education at CIU and his time in Columbia. In 1997, he did his student teaching at Harbison West Elementary School under the guidance of cooperating teacher Joyce Hamilton, the wife of CIU seminary professor emeritus Dr. Don Hamilton.
“I still wear a tie her class gave me at the end of my student teaching experience,” Johnson said.
Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. CIU prepares students to make a positive impact on the world through their professional calling. The university is recognized for the quality of its academic offerings, consistently ranked among the top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
