Meet Montclair’s 1st Black School Superintendent In 144 Years

MONTCLAIR, NJ — In 144 years of existence, the Montclair Public School District hasn’t had a single African-American superintendent. That changed on April 11, when Kendra Johnson was appointed to her new job at the helm of the town’s public schools, according to officials.

Johnson – who previously served as the district’s assistant superintendent for equity, curriculum and instruction – said that she looks forward to leveraging Montclair’s greatest resource… its own community.

“I am truly excited to build upon the excellent work already underway in the district,” Johnson said. “In order to yield undeniable results from each student in the Montclair Public Schools, I will continue to work thoughtfully with the talented staff within the district as well as tap into the wealth of knowledge and expertise within the Montclair community at large.”

Johnson will begin her tenure as superintendent on May 1, replacing Interim Superintendent Barbara Pinsak, who began in March 2017.

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Johnson holds Doctor of Education and Juris Doctor degrees, and is a former teacher, principal, and Title 1 officer. She has served as the Chief Academic Officer in districts in Washington State and New Jersey.

Montclair Public School administrators released the following statement about Johnson’s qualifications:

“In the nearly two years that Dr. Johnson has been with the district, she has led the Equity, Curriculum and Instruction Department with responsibility for Title I, II, III and IV budgeting and planning as well as budgeting and planning for the entire department. She oversees the District’s Evaluation Advisory Committee, has been developing and supervising textbook review and purchases to replace outdated materials, and provides information on curriculum and teaching to the PTA as requested. In addition, Dr. Johnson, in collaboration with the district’s educators, has worked on the district’s revision of curriculum to meet new student learning standards, as well as on curriculum writing and professional development. She has formed a SAIL committee and is developing a plan for making the program more robust and transparent. Dr. Johnson regularly attends community meetings, school performances and events, and speaks to student groups at their invitation to discuss topics of concern to them.”

According to Montclair Board of Education President Laura Hertzog, Johnson is “highly professional and very collaborative,” and is dedicated to finding creative solutions to problems.

“She is a systems thinker and a strong educational leader who is passionate about education and giving kids the best,” Hertzog said.

• See related article: US Senate Committee Had 1 Black Member In 200 Years (Until Now)
• See related article: Essex County Latina Senator Makes History In NJ (Again)

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Photo: Montclair Public School District