Taking Hoboken Schools to New Heights: Dr. Christine Johnson’s First Year as Superintendent
This past summer marked the 1-year anniversary of Dr. Christine Johnson’s tenure as Superintendent in our Hoboken Public School District. To commemorate her first year, HECAC prepared this profile about Dr. Johnson’s background, her impressive accomplishments, and her aspirations and goals for the Hoboken Public Schools.
At one of her first Board of Education meetings, Dr. Johnson made a PowerPoint presentation in the Hoboken High School auditorium. To the captive audience, the new Superintendent described how the Hoboken Public School District was analogous to Legos and that each piece is unique and beautiful in its own way. What she hopes to do in her position is to bring the Lego pieces together and take the Hoboken Public Schools to greater heights. That evening, Dr. Johnson expressed her commitment to harness positive energy, provide encouragement and utilize partnership-building to achieve success in the schools.
Dr. Johnson first entered the field of education as a student of history and became certified to teach this subject at the high school level. Dr. Johnson also excelled in coaching sports. Her experience as a student athlete who played basketball taught her focus, stamina and confidence while taking on new challenges. She parlayed those experiences and skills and successfully led the girls’ varsity basketball team at Mount Saint Dominic Academy in Caldwell to a state championship title.
Dr. Johnson has worked in many communities throughout New Jersey. One of her favorite professional experiences was working in the Livingston school district, where she provided professional development for local teachers. She relays: “I discovered that Livingston was a dynamic school district that infused cutting-edge synergy between teachers and administrators. I was drawn to the available professional dialogue and growth opportunities and still carry this experience with me.”
Dr. Johnson is committed to making a lasting impact in school districts and she found just the right home when she joined Hoboken in the summer of 2015. When she first learned of the opening for the Superintendent position, she was immediately drawn to the complexity woven throughout the entire school district. “I view complexity as a positive, not a negative. I believe that working for the Hoboken schools will draw from every professional experience that I have ever had.” The population in Hoboken reflects the communities where she served in previous positions in Highland Park, Summit and Boonton. Dr. Johnson says, “My greatest hope is to take an existing community that has such pride and desire for improved opportunities and really work to change expected norms for children. At the same time, I understand that there is a new and growing population of the community. I am mindful about weaving these families into the fabric of the school district.” She considers it her greatest charge to lead our school district, set high expectations, and challenge all of the district’s children to achieve their full potential.
How does Dr. Johnson set out to accomplish these lofty goals? She believes that it is critical to value the contributions of all stakeholders in our system, whether they are the kids, teachers or families. Dr. Johnson admits that this does not always translate into performance. Dr. Johnson states: “Considering that society has come to a place where we are judged continuously based on results, the negative perceptions about the district have always bothered me. I feel like a mama bear who is protective of our schools. Just because standardized tests do not yet reflect the highest levels, this does not negate the value of all stakeholders. At the same time, I think there is a lesson: we cannot sit back as an educational institution and say complacently that is ok, when it is not ok.”
“I expect Hoboken to be a model for educational excellence for all diverse communities.”
She explains that the greatest task facing the district is preparing our young people to be college and career ready. Individuals can no longer enter the workforce with just a high school degree so what is required is to teach kids how to read and write critically and to analyze problems. If the district commits to that, then Dr. Johnson firmly believes that our test score issue will change. Dr. Johnson cautions us: “We have to remember that there are kids’ faces on the other side of the test scores and that they are more than a score.”
Dr. Johnson is extremely pleased with the advancements she has implemented over the last year and how they will contribute to the teaching and learning in our community for many years to come. She is very proud of launching Project Lead the Way, a nationally recognized STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) K-12 program. She is also grateful that the high school guidance department has worked diligently to double college scholarship totals. She is thrilled that the high school took and ran with a concept that she developed last year, a period called a “personal growth period.” This special 90-minute period allows students to decide between an array of activities, including college visits, instant decision days, and career days, to help support the college search for the students. There is also a fitness strand, so students can participate in yoga and meditation or students can choose to visit the science labs in order to practice their skills and get extra help. Visiting artists and historians give a lunchbox lecture series to students. Finally, SAT prep is embedded into the period to help prepare students for the exam. This is truly authentic learning at its best.
As for Dr. Johnson’s hopes for the district, she states without any hesitation: “I expect Hoboken to be a model for educational excellence for all diverse communities. I have no doubt that this will happen and I am working everyday to achieve this goal. I am raising the level of expectations for all kids and working to close the achievement gap across the board. I believe that we have the right families and staff and when we work together, the sky is the limit. And finally, I hope that no one will ever question the level of opportunities available in the Hoboken Public Schools.” Under Dr. Johnson’s leadership, the Lego pieces are coming together to build a school district that reflects the promise and beauty not just of Hoboken, but of America itself.
Thank you, Dr. Johnson!
Dr. Johnson was recently honored with the Thurgood Marshall Education Award by the Hoboken NAACP. In her previous position as the Boonton Superintendent, Dr. Johnson received the Allan Morehead Memorial Award from Montclair State University for her commitment to educational excellence. During Dr. Johnson’s tenure in Boonton, the New Jersey Department of Education designated the Boonton Public School District as “a high performing” district in 2012 and 2015, exceeding all performance indicators. Dr. Johnson is the first woman to serve as Superintendent of the Hoboken Public School district.
