Emma Johns Appointed Education Director

By Marisol Gonzalez

HOLLYWOOD — Emma Johns has been named Education Director after serving as acting director for nearly seven months, following former director Louise Gopher’s retirement. She was formally named director of education by a Tribal Council resolution that passed May 28.

Johns has worked for the Tribe for more than eight years, beginning by working as a counselor for the Family Services Dept. for nearly three years. She then went on to work for the Education Dept. as an education advisor, before being promoted to assistant director in April 2007, and then acting director in December 2007.

Johns attended Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville for two years before she decided to pursue undergraduate studies at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Upon completion, she attained a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and has also received a certificate of completion in a women’s studies program and took continuing education courses in student counseling.

“I went to school because I wanted to better myself and it was paid for 100 percent,” she said. “I was not going to let such a great opportunity slip away.”

Even though she had to overcome obstacles while in college, such as becoming pregnant her junior year, working full time and making a daily two hour drive each way, she still was able to complete her education. Johns said her family supported her through these times, specifically acknowledging her parents, her brother, Alex, and his wife Liz.

“My family has been amazing in helping with my daughter while I was in school and even now,” she said.

On the professional side, Johns said education plays a very important role in the Tribe today. Working with kids and helping them in any way possible is only a small part of what her department does on a daily basis.

Along with former director Louise Gopher and Education Specialist Tony Bullington, she took on the arduous task of starting a charter school on the rural Brighton Reservation about four years ago. Today, the Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School is gaining national recognition as a model school not just in Indian Country, but in the entire U.S.

“My daughter [Kailin] is a product of what is happening in the Charter School,” she said. “Language and culture is covered daily and the students are now able to speak in complete sentences when before they would only know words, colors, letters and numbers.”

“It is very important to maintain our language and culture in order to be a federally recognized Tribe,” Johns added.

With goals of helping the students and the communities, the Education Dept. has put initiatives in place to target areas of attendance, grades and grade point averages. Since they have begun, Johns said she has seen a significant change in these areas, as well as increased enrolment in higher education institutions.

As a result of these initiatives, Johns said the Education Dept. is becoming more visible with the community and the community members are showing acceptance and are grateful for all that is being done.

“I tell my staff they are not allowed to tell anyone no,” she said. “We are here to help them in any way possible; there is always a way to help someone.”

Johns said the Education Dept.’s ultimate goal is to raise the Tribe’s graduate rate from 50 percent to 100 percent. She said she strives to put the message across that each student should value their education, and not view their studies as work, but something they should do to better themselves.

Blessed with what she called the greatest staff in the world, Johns said her staff deserves accolades for much of the department’s success. She said she knows each one of them truly love their job.

“Credit for the department should be given to the staff,” she said. “They are in there working day to day and they are great.”

In addition to her work duties, Johns is an active, voting member with the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Education Association, the Tribal Education Department National Assembly and United Southern and Eastern Tribes, where she serves as the organization’s secretary.

Johns also holds a CDL Class B License, which has come in handy to step in as a bus driver whenever needed by her staff. She was also a freelance reporter for The Seminole Tribune for several years.

She was born in Avon Park, Fla., and to this day still resides on the Brighton Reservation where she recently moved in to her new home. Johns is the mother of Kailin, 10, and daughter of Carolyn and Timmy Johns.