Kristen Johnson

Kristen Johnson joined the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as the Senior Director, NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation in June of 2015. Recognized as the gold standard for excellence in early childhood education, the NAEYC Academy works to improve the quality of child care, preschool and kindergarten programs by establishing high-level, research-based standards and accrediting programs that meet these standards.

Prior to joining NAEYC, Ms. Johnson served as the Vice President of Customer Solutions at Teaching Strategies. She had been at the company for ten years; and during that time she held increasingly responsible positions in the areas of implementation support, marketing and customer support services. As Vice President, she was responsible for the oversight of state wide assessment implementations, professional development solutions and customer service.

Ms. Johnson began her career in early childhood in a preschool classroom in upstate New York, where she worked as an assistant teacher while studying psychology at SUNY Oswego. While Kristen enjoyed teaching, she discovered her true passion was found in working to improve the supports and systems available to early childhood teachers. This led to her relocation to Philadelphia to obtain her Masters in Early Childhood Education with a concentration on Public Policy and Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. Following completion, she worked as an Early Childhood Specialist at Please Touch Museum, where she was responsible for the integration of age appropriate content for toddlers and early preschoolers, leading a parent and toddler group and overseeing a Child Care training program. She then spent five years in the membership department at the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC), concluding as the Director of Membership Services. While at DVAEYC, Ms. Johnson increased membership by 20%, provided regular opportunities for membership networking, collaborated with colleges and universities to start student chapters, and increased the benefits that a membership held.

Ms. Johnson’s volunteer activities include having served as VP of Membership for MDAEYC and PAEYC, teaching Sunday school and serving as a Youth Group leader. She has held various leadership roles in her church, including chair of the Spiritual Formation/Education committee, and committee on Lay Leadership.

Kristen’s hobbies include hiking with her daughter and dogs, and doing anything that will get her out in the sunshine.