Special Education

Dr. Brian Herndon has been in education for over 20 years. He has served as a classroom teacher in Kindergarten, 1^st grade, 3^rd grade, and 4^th grade. He has also served as an elementary principal, elementary assistant principal, and the director of an early childhood special education preschool, where he served as a Local Education Authority (LEA) for hundreds of special education IEP meetings. As a classroom teacher, he developed a special interest in the teaching of reading and language arts and has studied extensively in these areas. Dr. Herndon’s experience in education is complimented by the fact that he is the father of four children, one of whom has Down syndrome. So, education is not just a professional calling for him, it is a personal calling as well.

Mrs. Melissa Michael has a passion for making mathematics understandable and enjoyable. Outside of the classroom, she loves to serve the community and participate in short-term missions.

Dr. Judy Winslett is licensed in both Arkansas and Oklahoma as a teacher, school counselor, building administrator, and district administrator. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State University, master’s degree from John Brown University, and specialist and doctorate degrees from Harding University.  Dr. Winslett began teaching for JBU as an adjunct in 2013 and joined the university as a full-time faculty member in 2017.

Dr. Winslett has worked in both Oklahoma and Arkansas public school systems for 23 years teaching vocational business classes, serving as high school counselor, assistant high school principal, and high school principal.  At the district level, Dr. Winslett served as federal programs coordinator and assistant superintendent.  She has also served on regional and state level committees working to provide enhanced opportunities for secondary students as they prepare for life after high school.

Dr. Curtis Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with emphasis in Early Childhood from Southwest Baptist University, a Masters in Education with emphasis in Gifted Education from Drury University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Gifted Education from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville. At JBU, he is responsible for teaching classes related to classroom management, curriculum design, differentiated instruction and human development for students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Prior to coming to JBU, Dr. Cunningham worked for fourteen years in private and public schools. He has experience teaching Kindergarten, third and fourth grade in the regular classroom and teaching second and fifth grades in a program for gifted and talented students. He supported early-career teachers for six years as an instructional specialist before coming to JBU. He is excited to bring his expertise in curriculum design and differentiated instruction to JBU as we prepare the next generation of educators.

Dr. Kimberly Murie joined the Department of Teacher Education at John Brown in 2015. Dr. Murie earned a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas. After teaching science in two large public high schools for over ten years and serving as a department chair for eight years, God opened the door for Dr. Murie to resume the role of student herself.  She returned to school to fulfill a lifelong dream of being an educator of teachers. Dr. Murie graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015, earning a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education. 

Working in a public school setting for many years has given Dr. Murie a passion into the importance of having Christian educators engaged in public education. It is a great honor and privilege to be able to instruct and encourage future educators on how they can be the hands and feet of Christ to a student, a classroom, and a community.