RVC Superintendent Johnson to step down

Dr. William Johnson, a towering educational figure not only locally but throughout the state, will step down as the Rockville Centre Public Schools superintendent after the 2017-18 school year, Board of Education President Mark Masin has confirmed.

Johnson was named superintendent in the late 1980s. In recent years, he has been a staunch advocate of challenging state curricula, which he has called unfair to students. In particular, he has been an outspoken critic of Common Core State Standards and the “high-stakes” tests that have caused high levels of anxiety among students, particularly elementary school students, and their parents.

Under Johnson’s watch, South Side High School became among the very first South Shore high schools to adopt the International Baccalaureate Program, a project-based educational curriculum whose primary objective is to develop “inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who are motivated to succeed,” according to the IBP’s website.

Johnson said he submitted his letter of resignation in October, and the Board of Education accepted it.

“I truly enjoyed working in the school district, and I will continue to do so until the day I leave. What I see here is one of the best school districts on Long Island, [in] in the state and the nation.

“I loved working in Rockville Centre, and I loved working in the school district,” he continued. “And that’s not changing.”

According to Masin, Johnson’s contract was set to expire after the 2016-17 school year, but was recently given a one-year extension so that the board could have ample time to create a search committee and find Johnson’s successor. Masin said that process would begin sometime during the first half of 2017.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Masin said. Johnson “gave us a tremendous foundation to build on.”

Viri Pettersen, president of the Rockville Centre Teachers’ Association, said, “Dr. Johnson represents the voice of all of our children. He possesses a wealth of knowledge and is well regarded by all educators.”

No official announcement has been made, and Masin declined to comment on why Johnson was stepping down.

Johnson is among the top-paid superintendents on Long Island, earning nearly $330,000 a year, according to See Through NY.

Toward the end of the Dec. 7 Board of Education meeting, Rockville Centre resident Jeff Greenfield, who said he has attended board meetings for decades, addressed trustees and requested to see a letter sent to them by the Rockville Centre Teachers’ Association, the district’s teachers union, concerning Johnson’s “continued employment as superintendent.” He also asked why the letter was being “suppressed” from the public.

Masin replied that the letter dealt with a “personal matter,” and so it was “not for public viewing.” He added that the board would not discuss “contractual negotiations that have or have not taken place regarding this matter.”

Greenfield then inquired whether there would be a public announcement about a board decision regarding Johnson, which Greenfield said had been made during an executive session. Greenfield did not say what decision he was referring to.

Masin said no decision had been made in executive session, noting that the board had acted during a public session, though he did not specify a date when. He said the board’s actions could be found in its minutes, but not in detail.

Greenfield, who appeared to grow frustrated, asked again whether he could see the letter, and Masin denied the request a second time. Greenfield finished by asking anyone in the audience who had the letter to e-mail it to him.

Johnson sat silently during the exchange. Nearly a dozen members of the Rockville Centre Teachers’ Association, dressed in their red-and-white teachers’ union T-shirts, attended the meeting, but also sat quietly.

According to a knowledgeable source close to this story, two letters were sent to the Board of Education –– one from the teachers’ union and one from the administrators’ union. The letters’ contents have not been made public.

Rockville Centre has been an epicenter of the “opt-out” movement dating back to 2012. Nearly two-thirds of Rockville Centre parents of students in grades three through eight have kept their children out of the Common Core exams in recent years.

Johnson has said the state tests do not adequately measure students’ achievement or progress, and that the district has several other measures by which to gauge learning.

The district uses tests developed by Northwest Evaluation Association, which Johnson has said are superior measures of student progress. NWEA tests take 45 minutes, instead of three days, to complete, and teachers and parents receive the results within a week, not months later. Teachers can immediately see which students are struggling in what areas, and then tailor lessons to help them.

In addition, South Side High School and Watson Elementary underwent major face-lifts over past three-plus years, improving their facilities as well as student safety, thanks to a $45 million bond proposal that passed a public vote. Johnson spearheaded that effort. Upgraded facilities include the library, science and art wings, a virtual reality lab and athletic fields. New wings replace the portable classrooms that used to be on the south side of the high school.

“This is a testament to what he has built,” Masin said of Johnson. “We’re not looking to break it down or change it.”

Scott Brinton contributed to this story.