Jonathan Johnson

Overview

Jonathan is the founder and chief executive officer of Rooted School where he helps prepare students for college while providing a consistent local talent pipeline to New Orleans high growth high wage industries. Rooted's flagship campus focuses on the digital sector creating a model of schools that provides lucrative career pathways for the Greater New Orleans region. Previously he taught eighth graders at KIPP Central City Academy in New Orleans. During this time 83 percent of Jonathan s students achieved a passing score on the eighth grade test compared to the average passage rate in his district of 57 percent. In 2014 Johnson was a finalist for the Fishman Prize a highly selective and prestigious national teaching award. Most recently he won the Future of School Challenge an innovative competition of 4.0 Schools New Schools for New Orleans and Khan Academy to incubate radically new public school designs for New Orleans. Jonathan has been featured in Forbes and interviewed by NPR s Michel Martin to discuss the need for Rooted and its potential for impact across the United States.