FACEtime with Our Staff: Marlicia Johnson, Director of Family Outreach & Education
Marlicia Johnson, as she puts it, is a “proud product of the School District of Philadelphia.” Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Ms. Johnson started her education at William Dick Elementary School and graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1980. She never realized she had a passion for education until she began working for the School District of Philadelphia in 1998.
“I had a variety of positions in the district that really prepared me for the Director of Family Outreach and Education position here in the FACE office,” Ms. Johnson explained. “At each step, I was forced to learn and appreciate where I was. It all tied together, and to end up in the FACE Office and be able to put all of my experiences together, that’s what really makes me appreciate my purpose. I’m excited to be back in the environment of helping parents, families, and the community.”
Ms. Johnson started in the District as a Secretary I at Birney Elementary School in 1998. Ms. Johnson built a strong foundation in her position and developed such a positive relationship with the principal there that the principal encouraged Ms. Johnson to take the Secretary III test and stay at Birney for as long as possible.
Soon after passing her Secretary III test, Ms. Johnson was force-transferred by the District to serve as the Secretary III at AMY Northwest. “My principal was so upset, needless to say,” Ms. Johnson admitted, yet she continued on and made the best out of her situation.
During her time at AMY Northwest, Ms. Johnson received a call from the office of Paul Vallas, the CEO of Philadelphia schools at the time. She was offered a position as a confidential secretary. “I was scared to death,” Ms. Johnson said, “but I said ‘sure!’”
While advancing in her career, Ms. Johnson also took advantage of the District’s higher education program, in which District employees could pursue Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees at no expense. Ms. Johnson started by receiving her Associate’s degree in Elementary Education at the Community College of Philadelphia. She moved on to get earn her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Drexel.
After finishing school, Ms. Johnson moved on to serve as the Executive Assistant for Chief Academic Officer Dr. Greg Thornton and ended up advancing to Assistant Director in the Office of the Chief Academic Office.
The tides turned on Ms. Johnson when she was demoted to Executive Assistant in the Southwest Regional Office. “I thought it was the worst thing in the world, but such is life,” Ms. Johnson said as she reflected on her experience. “I extract the good out of everything that I can. And it all worked out well because the position that I had gave me more time to finish out my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Arcadia with less stress. And I did very well, so I’m not complaining about that at all. It turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me.”
After she finished her Master’s degree, Ms. Johnson applied for a position as a discipline and truancy liaison in the Northwest Region to support the regional superintendent Penny Nixon. Shortly thereafter, Penny Nixon was called to be the Chief Academic Officer, and she brought Ms. Johnson on to be her executive assistant. This is where Ms. Johnson remained before joining the FACE Office as the Director of Family Outreach and Education in February 2017.
Ms. Johnson has had the opportunity to serve in many different capacities under many different leaders. All of this brought her to where she is today.
“It’s about relationship building in the District,” Ms. Johnson explained. “If I did not have the resources that I had, I would not be where I am. I respect people’s positions, I respect the work that everyone does. I learn from other people, from the secretaries and the principals and the people in the central office; I’ve been able to apply all that I’ve learned to my position right now.”
Ms. Johnson says that since starting in the District almost 20 years ago, she’s seen a shift.
“We’ve shifted to more of a customer service approach, and that’s how I always support people: through a customer service mindset,” she said. “It helps you navigate the system, the process, the procedures. People love to help and feel needed, so you have to really be able to utilize your resources, ask for help, and support other folks.”
Over the past 20 years, Ms. Johnson said that she “was looking at the District through so many different lenses.”
Through her different hands-on experiences, first as a Secretary, then as a Discipline and Truancy Liaison, then as a secretary in the Regional office, Ms. Johnson gained a wide range of perspectives. “That’s where I got my respect for the education of children,” she said. “To be able to apply that now in the FACE office is really dynamic.”
Ms. Johnson has a wealth of knowledge and experiences that have shaped her into the customer service-oriented, passionate, and self-motivated leader that she is today. She has built a strong connection with families in the School District of Philadelphia, and she continues to feel inspired by the passion families bring to the education of their children.
“Understanding that these families have the same needs and wants for their children as I do for mine is what helped me work hard to provide the support,” Ms. Johnson explained.
Why has Ms. Johnson stayed in the District so long?
“The passion of Philadelphia’s families,” she concluded. “They’re passionate about our children.”
“And that’s a good thing,” Ms. Johnson added. “I’d like to see more family and community engagement in the schools to support the academic process.”
