Shenita Johnson

Shenita Johnson

2016 NACSA Leader

Deputy Director, Illinois State Charter School Commission

Shenita Johnson is currently the Deputy Director of the Illinois State Charter School Commission. She has worked in the public and private sector with diverse groups and various constituency levels for more than ten years and is an effective consensus builder and a manager of group and interpersonal dynamics.

Shenita is a licensed attorney and previously practiced as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the second largest prosecutor’s office in the country.

Prior to law school, Shenita worked with NACSA, managing the high-profile charter authorization work in Detroit and New Orleans, post-Katrina. She also worked for the Chicago Public Schools in the New Schools Development Department, where she coordinated recruitment of high-quality school operators, guided and supported applicants, and conducted community outreach. She also played a pivotal role in the launch and implementation of Renaissance 2010, Chicago’s initiative to close low-performing schools and re-open 100 high-quality, high-performing public school options.

Shenita holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University, a M.A. in Public Administration from Baruch College in New York, and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of law.


Most Recent Posts
After a Quarter Century: Time to Reboot the New Charter School Application Process
The public charter school sector was designed to be responsive and innovative, operating in a space freed from the bogged-down bureaucracy that so often hampers other public schools. Each new...
Why NACSACon 2025 is THE Conference for Charter School Authorizers and Public Education Leaders
NACSACon isn’t just for authorizers—it’s for public education leaders who are passionate about improving outcomes for students. Whether you’re new to authorizing, a veteran authorizer, or an education leader in...
NACSA Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Case
Statement from NACSA President & CEO, M. Karega Rausch, Ph.D., on NACSA’s amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of St. Isidore of Seville...