Mid-Pacific Institute educator Linda Johnson has been named 2023 Teacher of the Year by the Arts School Network, the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized arts schools, Mid-Pacific officials announced Monday.

Johnson, affectionately nicknamed “Mama J” by her students, has been the theater program lead and theater teacher at the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts for the past 35 years. She is also the founding director of the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts.

“Spanning her teaching career, Linda has taught 1,500-plus students, mentored 20 teachers, directed over 75 productions, and guided 25-plus students into theatre arts professions,” a news release from the school said.

Johnson said in the release that “year in and year out I’m inspired by the artistic expression and determination of our theatre students. By learning the full spectrum of theatre arts over the course of their study, including acting, singing, dancing and film production, these students hone their craft and develop a deeper self-confidence and greater understanding of what they can accomplish in any endeavor.”

The Arts Schools Network is a nonprofit association founded in 1981, dedicated to excellence and leadership in arts education.

The network’s managing director, R. Scott Allen, said in a letter notifying the school of Johnson’s award that “our organization offers guidance, inspiration, and incentives to arts schools and their faculty who strive for excellence on campuses across the country. When they demonstrate outstanding efforts toward this goal, we recognize and reward their achievements with awards such as this.”

Nationwide there are approximately 97,830 post- secondary teachers in art, drama and music, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.