State School Superintendent Richard Woods today announced three new staff appointments at the Georgia Department of Education: of Dr. Stephanie Johnson as Special Advisor to Dublin City Schools, Russell Paine as AI Ethics and Impact Officer, and Dr. Selena Blankenship as Teacher Recruitment and Retention Coordinator.

Dr. Stephanie Johnson: Special Advisor to Dublin City Schools

Superintendent Woods has appointed Dr. Stephanie Johnson to serve as a Special Advisor to Dublin City Schools to support the district in implementing the Financial Improvement Plan it has entered with GaDOE.

Dr. Johnson will spend two to three days per week on the ground in Dublin City Schools supporting the district’s leadership team as they work to create a viable budget and deficit reduction plan. She’ll work to bridge communication between the district and GaDOE and provide direct support to school leaders to ensure instruction and operations continue uninterrupted.

Following Superintendent Woods’ appointment of Dr. Johnson to the role late last week, she spent Monday in Dublin, toured every school in the district, and met with district leadership along with each school’s principal.

Dr. Johnson currently serves as GaDOE’s Deputy Superintendent for School and District Improvement and Chief Turnaround Officer. She will remain in these roles but some day-to-day responsibilities will shift to Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease, GaDOE’s Director of School Turnaround, to allow Dr. Johnson to provide full support to Dublin City Schools.

“The Georgia Department of Education’s goal is to ensure stability for students, teachers, and staff in Dublin City Schools while keeping learning at the center,” Superintendent Woods said. “Dr. Johnson will work directly with district leaders to strengthen operations and make sure teaching and learning continue smoothly in every classroom.”

Russell Paine: AI Ethics and Impact Officer

Superintendent Woods has appointed Russell Paine, who serves as a Technology Specialist in GaDOE’s Office of Rural Education and Innovation, as the agency’s AI Ethics and Impact Officer.

In this role, Paine will champion initiatives that support ethical, innovative use of AI in instruction and school district operations; assess AI guidance across school districts and identify best practices; assist districts in establishing clear AI guidelines aligned with state and local goals; expand AI professional development for educators; and build a centralized repository for vetted AI tools, success stories, and guidance for educators and district leaders.

Paine will continue to serve in this role as Technology Specialist for REI. While serving in that role, he has already taken on significant AI leadership within the agency – contributing to the development of GaDOE’s AI guidance and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s “Ethical Considerations in the Appropriate Use of AI for Educators” guidance, and leading partnerships to deliver AI best-practices training to educators statewide.

“It’s essential that we approach the use of artificial intelligence in K-12 education responsibly,” Superintendent Woods said. “Russell’s experience and forward-thinking leadership will guide our efforts to help school districts use these tools wisely, safely, and effectively, while always keeping the focus on the human element that matters most in education – our students, teachers, and staff.”

Dr. Selena Blankenship – Teacher Recruitment and Retention Coordinator

Dr. Selena Blankenship, who most recently served as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in the Clarke County School District, will serve as GaDOE’s new Teacher Recruitment and Retention Coordinator.

In this role, Dr. Blankenship will oversee Teach in the Peach, Georgia’s statewide teacher recruitment and retention initiative. Teach in the Peach is a statewide campaign dedicated to “Making Georgia the #1 State for Teachers to Teach” by attracting, recognizing, and retaining top talent in education.

Dr. Blankenship began her career in the classroom, teaching in Clarke, Wayne, and Liberty counties before moving into school and district leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in adult education (human resource and organizational development), a master of education degree in human resources and organizational development, and a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising, all from the University of Georgia.

In her roles with the Clarke and Jackson County school districts, Dr. Blankenship led HR strategy and teacher pipeline development, worked with partners to increase university field placements, built induction programs for new teachers, and launched recognition and wellness initiatives that improved retention. In Clarke County, she created and launched the district’s Aspiring Leaders Academy and THRIVE Leader Induction to develop and retain teacher leaders, and in Jackson County, she spearheaded teacher-centered marketing campaigns to promote openings and retention. Dr. Blankenship’s addition expertise in fashion merchandising will help expand the new Teach in the Peach merch store which, through a partnership with the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, reinvests all proceeds back into teacher recruitment and retention efforts statewide.

“Dr. Blankenship has supported teacher recruitment and retention from every angle – as a teacher, principal, and human resources leader,” Superintendent Woods said. “Her skills and experience in building strong pipelines and supporting educators’ growth will be instrumental as we continue to make Georgia the #1 State for Teachers to Teach.”