Rebekah Johnson is a 2025 Teach Plus National Teacher Policy Cabinet member, she coordinates the Gifted Education program for 2nd-6th grade students at Southeast Elementary and Middle Schools in Meridian, MS. In her role, Rebekah designs and implements curricula that challenge and engage gifted learners, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Her teaching career began with ELA in various districts, where she excelled as the English department leader. Recognized for her dedication, Rebekah was named Rankin County Learning Center’s Teacher of the Year and has been awarded several grants, including the Carol Paola Gifted Teacher Grant, the Conrad Castle Gifted Teacher Grant, and three Junior Auxiliary Teacher Mini-Grants.
In addition to her teaching roles, Rebekah is an advisory board member of the Mississippi Association for Gifted Children, serving as Legislative Chair, and is an active member of Mississippi Professional Educators. In 2024, she presented at Mississippi’s state Gifted conference on the importance of field trips in gifted education and the use of AI in the gifted classroom. Rebekah also serves as the Administrative Chair of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra League. She participated in the Mississippi State University Computer Science WONDER cohort, focusing on integrating technology into her classroom. Furthermore, Rebekah was honored to be a 2023-2024 Teach Plus Mississippi Policy Fellow and participated in Teach Plus’s “Innovation Studio: Building AI Into Your Practice” design thinking project.
Rebekah earned her BA in Religion and English from William Carey University and completed her teacher certification through the MAT program at Belhaven University. She is currently pursuing her National Board Certification in Exceptional Needs Specialist-Gifted and Talented.
