Rashid’s Abbreviated Bio

As a way of life, I have served and educated children for 20 years in a collection of roles, including, but not limited to: elementary lead teacher, assistant principal, education director, principal, and adjunct professor. I taught first, fourth, fifth and sixth grades at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School, a District of Columbia Public School (DCPS), and graduate courses at American University in the areas of Effective Pedagogy for Diverse Learners and Language Arts in Elementary Classrooms.  I taught and led schools in Washington, DC, Brooklyn, New York and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I was previously the Director of Race, Gender, Education and Equity Programming at the Mid-Atlantic Equity Center (MAEC), Principal at Children's Studio School Public Charter School, Assistant Principal of Instruction at HYDE Leadership Public Charter School, the Founding Principal/Chief Academic Officer of Imagine Me Leadership Charter School for Boys, the Director of Education at the Trilok School, the Principal of New Branches Charter Academy, and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Invictus Preparatory Charter School.  I currently serve schools as the Director of School Support – Mid-Atlantic Region for Achievement Network (ANet).

I have an unrelenting desire to continue coaching and developing teachers and school leaders, create curriculum, data, and instructional frameworks, and build efficient school-wide systems to improve the most persistently dangerous and/or most impacted schools.

Results | Fifth Through Eighth Grade ELA Results

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed on this website are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect views of my employer. The posts and opinions expressed on this blog and this website are solely my own. They do not represent (nor are they intended to represent) the positions, opinions or policies of my employer or any other company or person. The comments on this site are moderated, but even so the opinions expressed in those comments are not necessarily shared by me.

Partner. Lead. Teach. Inspire. Close Gaps.

I met face-to-face with then Chancellor Michelle Rhee to discuss a district-partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Equity Center.  The meeting was successful and I was able to develop and support four DCPS schools.

A lot of principals get out of practice.  Not me.  I continue what I love doing: teaching and closing achievement gaps.

Teaching first grade ELA at Imagine Me Leadership Charter School

Proficient, Advanced...Oh My!

Kindergarten graduation at IMLCS.

The entire Imagine Me Leadership Charter School Team wished me a farewell.

This was the official opening day of my charter school in East New York, Brooklyn: Imagine Me Leadership Charter School.  A lot of people talk about partnering with parents, but very few leaders actualize what parent engagement looks like.  

This was Test P.  Above, you'll see how we miraculously closed those achievement gaps.

Check My Former School Out, Here, On YouTube

While leading at Imagine Me Leadership Charter School for Boys, we recorded this groundbreaking documentary of our success.  Please click on the link to watch the short movie, here: Link to the movie 

Visit Me On LinkedIn, Here

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rashid-johnson/54/ab9/b96

What's Missing From ALL Schools? Relevance...That's What's Missing

Hello Everyone,

So, for the past 14 years, I've been thinking long and hard about one of the enigmas that has plagued all schools, I'm sure—and when I say all schools, I'm talking about preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges.  No matter what kind of schools they are or how great their so-called reputations are, one thing's for sure: a lot of kids are sitting in classrooms bored to death, or worse, not learning anything at all.  Why?  Because the adults have stupidly created cultures for adults, in and outside of children's classrooms (e.g., print-rich environments); adults haven't taken the time to ask the children in their schools what they want to be when they grow up and how they plan to get there; adults have not sat down with every child in their schools and told kids face-to-face, “I love you, want the best for you, and will see to it that you are successful...no matter what it takes.”  How many teachers during your time in schools told you that they loved you and would be there for you until the end?  For that matter, how many of us (assuming adults are reading this posting) vividly remembers 10 great teachers from preschool through graduate school?  I know...you can't name 10 great teachers.  You want to know why?  Because most of the teachers in your lifetime—no matter how many A's you got, no matter how many degrees you achieved, no matter how much money you are making now—are a complete blur...you can't recall what they looked like, what their names were, or, for that matter, what they taught you.  You persevered and did your personal best; you, for a very long time, were taking charge and teaching yourself.  What's my point? You don't remember any of these teachers because what they taught and who they were as teachers wasn't relevant; they didn't make the human connection and take any real interest in you, and so your brain erased them completely from your psyche.  Surprised?  You shouldn't be at all. 

You know what the real tear-jerker is, here: most of us remember our kindergarten teachers like it was yesterday—you know, the quirky woman who wore different hats, played all types of instruments, sang songs with us, and actually HELPED us grow as human beings.  I'm sure we can also remember a couple of great high school teachers and one college professor, right?  What was so great about these people?  Why did we like them so much; and what made their teaching so special and unique?  It was relevant, we knew these people loved us and would sacrifice it all to make sure we were happy, safe and smart.  

In that same vein, who remembers Mr. Rogers Neighborhood?  Who watched Julia Child's cook and couldn't change the channel?  Somehow, these television shows were not only entertaining, they were relevant.

This is what's missing in America's schools and classrooms, and a lot of extraordinary kids are dropping out of school because schools are no longer lab-sites of relevance.