Huntley Middle School teacher visits White House

DeKALB – If there’s anything Justin Johnson has a strong theory about, he says he believes it made for no accident he was among a group of educators from across the nation selected to participate in a recent tour of the White House.

“I got great connections with students, and I try my best to uplift my entire building,” Johnson said. “I think honestly it was my relationships with everyone and how people respond when they hear my name. I think that’s one of the reasons why I was actually thought of and to be nominated.”

Johnson, who is entering his fourth year of teaching math at Huntley Middle School in DeKalb, was among a group of educators from across the nation invited to an educational mixer held May 10-12 at the White House.

During the program, Johnson was able to meet educators from around the country.

“It was nice to meet a lot of people that identify with my culture, been through some similar struggle, but we’re all so different because everyone grows up in different circumstances, different challenges to overcome,” Johnson said.

Coming from Chicago, Johnson said opportunities like this didn’t always seem plausible growing up.

Johnson said he never had the opportunity to visit the White House prior to this trip.

“The White House looks like a prop,” he said. “The White House looks like they don’t do anything in there.”

Johnson said he is uncertain about why he was selected to participate in the educational mixer.

“That’s the craziest part about it,” Johnson said. “I don’t know. I didn’t do any campaigning. My old principal who now works for the district, her name is Amonaquenette Parker, called me a couple days before the trip and told me that her and Superintendent Minerva [Garcia-Sanchez] had nominated me.”

In a statement, Amonaquenette Parker, the district’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion and former principal at Huntley Elementary School, vouched on behalf of Johnson.

“I first met Justin while he was working as a cashier at Lowe’s here in DeKalb while also working to complete his degree,” Parker said in a statement. “He told me then that his goal was to be the person for his future students that he didn’t always have, and I believed him. I was thrilled that he was able to student teach at Huntley and, after teaching in another district for a year, return to HMS. Having a Black male role model teaching middle school math is a tremendous asset for all of our students, but especially our students of color. It’s been my pleasure to get to know Justin and serve as a mentor for him as he progresses in his career. He will do great things!”

Johnson said he’s gained a lot from taking part in the trip to D.C. He intends to take what he learns this summer and put it to use to help himself make that next leap.

“The trip itself made me want to step into more of a leadership role,” he said. “When I did come back, I immediately asked Principal [Amonaquenette] Parker and my principal Dr. [Treveda] Shah any committees that they would like to see me on going into my fourth year teaching. I’m really trying to step up for my building and become more of a leader, more of a vocal leader and try to give as much as they’ve been given to me because we got our amazing staff. They really show me how they care about me. I want to give back and really embrace the leadership role that I think I was meant to be in and that’s the message that I took away from the trip.”

Johnson said he will be busy this summer with professional development, work, travel and preparing for the school year ahead.

Also during his trip, Johnson squeezed in some sightseeing. He took in the sights of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the World World I and II memorials and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Johnson said he really enjoyed his time in D.C., and he’s glad he went.

“It was an amazing place,” he said. “It’s a cultural city. I don’t think it gets the credit it deserves. It’s powerful out there.”

Johnson said he had a lot of words he wanted to share with the commander in chief, but they didn’t cross paths during his trip to the White House.

“I wasn’t able to meet Sleepy Joe,” Johnson said. “I think he was sleeping.”

Still, Johnson said having the opportunity to tour the White House was a surreal experience.

“I never got the chance [to go to D.C.]. They did send some students when I was in seventh or eighth grade,” Johnson said. “That opportunity passed me by. But it was actually like an honor. … If I was an athlete, I would equate it to like winning the championship, especially coming back and seeing how proud the entire district, staff, students and everyone in my school was so proud that I got that opportunity. It was amazing to bring that back to the school. It’s like we all won in a sense.”

In a statement, Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez said she is ecstatic about what this opportunity has meant to the district.

“I was thrilled to receive an invitation to nominate two of our outstanding educators to attend the US Department of Education/White House Initiative for Black Americans teacher appreciation event,” Garcia-Sanchez said in a statement. “Our Black educators are truly exceptional, and it was my pleasure to nominate Justin Johnson of Huntley Middle School and Cherish Jackson from Tyler Elementary to represent DeKalb. I’m so happy that Justin could make the event and have this experience. Justin and Cherish embody the spirit of heroism in their dedication to education and supporting their school and district communities. I look forward to nominating more of our educators in the future.”

Johnson gave thanks to Ronique Hicks, the senior director of strategic partnerships for the Discovery Foundation and the program itself that made his trip to D.C. possible.

“It was nice to meet the people who invited me down there,” he said. “They’re the reason why we were in the White House in the first place, and I definitely thank them and let them know that it does my heart good to know that my classroom in DeKalb, Illinois can mean something to somebody out there that I really appreciate that.”