Dr. Janet Parker joined Cumberland University in fall of 2018 as Director of the Master of Arts in Education Program and Assistant Professor.  Prior to arriving at Cumberland, Dr. Parker was an assistant professor with Delta State University in Mississippi where she instructed undergraduate and graduate courses, chaired and supported doctorate students on dissertations, and served the campus community in multiple service projects including developing a partnership with local schools. In addition, she has taught courses at University of Phoenix and Columbia State Community College. She dedicated 30 years of service to students and teachers in K-12 education in elementary, middle school, and high school programs with diverse populations, serving in special needs classrooms, gifted programs, and general population instructional services. Dr. Parker was a Principal in private school settings in Louisiana and Tennessee, literacy coach, mathematics and literacy interventionist, and middle school and high school classroom teacher.

Dr. Parker holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Reading from Tennessee State University (2014), an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee Technological University (2001), a Master of Arts degree in English from Austin Peay State University (1985), and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary and Special Education with a Fine Arts minor from Michigan State University (1978). With a focus in literacy, she holds multiple Tennessee state license endorsements and is National Board Certified with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards and LETRS trainer certification for Literacy. Her primary focus in recent years has been literacy; she has conducted research in early literacy of kindergartners in highest poverty areas and English Language Learners, and has presented this research at research conferences. Her presentations of creating interactive and engaging classrooms have been presented at international, state, regional, and local conferences.

She recently transitioned from full-time to adjunct faculty to spend more time with her family.