Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has officially appointed Larry Johnson as the director of special education, a position he had been serving in an acting capacity. The announcement was made during the Board of Education’s work session on March 24 at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata.
Johnson, a product of the CCPS system and a graduate of Westlake High School, brings 18 years of teaching and leadership experience to the role. Prior to his appointment, he served as a countywide content specialist in special education, providing instructional and compliance support across elementary, middle, and high schools. In this capacity, Johnson also supported CCPS’s regionalized special education programs.
Addressing the Board during the session, Johnson expressed his enthusiasm for the role. “It is an honor to serve in the county in which I grew up,” he said. “I appreciate all of the guidance and leadership provided to me while I served in an acting capacity and transitioned into the role. It is a privilege to serve this community.”
Before his tenure as a content specialist, Johnson worked as a special education classroom teacher for several years. He also spent seven years as an adjunct professor in the Graduate and Professional Studies Program at McDaniel College and served as a national staff developer for four years, training educators in evidence-based instructional practices.
Johnson holds a dual bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in special education from Trinity College in Connecticut, and has completed coursework toward a doctorate in education at Walden University. Additionally, he holds the Administrative I endorsement from Towson University.
The March 24 work session, where Johnson’s appointment was announced, also included updates on summer programs, course approvals for the Phoenix International School of the Arts, and a discussion on the renaming of Smallwood Middle School. The meeting was streamed live on the CCPS website and remains accessible for public viewing.