Former Rockville Centre superintendent to be recognized at gala

In 1987, longtime Rockville Centre School District Superintendent Dr. William Johnson began discussions about bringing the RVC Education Foundation to life, which he accomplished in the early 1990s. Decades later, it has come full circle for the man affectionately known as Dr. J, with the foundation set to honor him at its gala on Sunday.

“The dream of every administrator is that you can put into place things that will outlive you, and this happens to be one of them,” Johnson, who left the district in 2020, said of the foundation. “It has taken on a life of its own, and it has never lost sight of its original focus, which was to provide for the children of Rockville Centre.”

Johnson came to Rockville Centre in 1978, and served as superintendent from 1986 until he took a position in Hempstead schools two years ago. Over more than four decades in the district, he became a beloved figure for the many innovations he brought to the village’s schools, including creating the first education foundation of its kind in New York state.

For his efforts, Johnson will be recognized at the RVCEF’s 2022 Gala, scheduled for 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Allegria Hotel in Long Beach. Tickets for the foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser are $195. The event will feature food, raffles, a DJ, live performances from student musicians, silent auctions and more activities. But foundation President Mayda Kramer said the highlight of the afternoon would be honoring Johnson for all of his accomplishments.

“After 34 years, the contribution that he has made is immeasurable and incomparable,” Kramer said. “[In] his 34 years as superintendent in the district, he really just dedicated his time to students and student achievement, and transformed the district and led it to a terrific place.”

During his time in RVC, Johnson became a leader in education by closing the achievement gap for poor, minority and special-education students by giving them access to the same rigorous programming as all other students. He took an “all means all” attitude in fostering inclusion, and launched many efforts with that theme, earning him numerous accolades over the years.

In 1999, Johnson hired Darren Raymar as principal at William S. Covert Elementary School, and now, more than two decades later, Raymar is the district’s longest-serving principal, and will serve as master of ceremonies at the gala.

Raymar said he was ”just a kid,” at 30, when Johnson hired him, and he was grateful to be given what he described as the opportunity of a lifetime. He added that as a boss, Johnson was supportive, questioned him when he needed to but also knew when to take a hands-off approach.

“When I got the job, I didn’t really know that much about Bill Johnson and who he was,” Raymar recalled. “But as time went on, I soon realized wherever I went, when I said Rockville Centre and Bill Johnson, people were absolutely enamored by that. It was like, oh my god, the god of education hired me. I was very proud of that, and still am.”

Raymar called Johnson his mentor, and said that while Johnson took his superintendent’s role seriously, he also had a humorous side. Raymar added that he was humbled to have the chance to speak about Johnson at the gala.

Johnson lauded Raymar’s work, and said that they were not only colleagues, but became close friends. He said that when he left the district in June 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, he didn’t have many meaningful goodbyes. Now he will get that chance at the gala, which, he said, would mean a great deal to him.

Johnson added that he was thankful to have the chance to share one more moment with the foundation he helped create. “It was one of the very first things that I had an opportunity to work on and introduce to the school district,” he said, “and now, as I’m walking out the door, they’re the last people to acknowledge and recognize me. They’re a wonderful organization, they really are.”