Brian Johnson has always found purpose supporting his students at Robert F. Kennedy Middle School I.S. 250, in Flushing, making tireless efforts to serve the community he loves. An educator for 15 years, he has spent much of his time fostering community connections and helping anyone in need.
While he was recently awarded a proclamation by Assemblymember Sam Berger for his extensive work supporting students and the community, Johnson said recognition has never motivated his efforts. “I love what I do, and this proclamation is just the icing on the cake,” he said.
Johnson was raised in Whitestone and grew up in the public school system, starting at P.S. 021 Edward Hart, in Flushing, and moving on to Junior High School 183 Edward Bleeker, also in Flushing. He graduated from Bayside High School, where he dreamed of becoming a professional athlete.
“I realized that wasn’t going to be a reality,” Johnson said, laughing. “But I knew I wanted to work with the youth.”
He considered becoming an officer at the New York Police Department, but ultimately decided to become a teacher.
“I wanted to try getting to the kids before they got to the police,” he explained.
At University of Mount St. Vincent in the Bronx, Johnson enrolled in the Teacher Education Program and worked on campus while he pursued his master’s degree in Special Education. He left the college in 2009 after completing his student teaching credits, seeking professional experience.
Amid an NYC Department of Education hiring freeze, Johnson began looking for any opportunities to get teaching experience. “It was hard to get a job,” he said. “I subbed all around Queens and even Nassau County.”
He finally caught a break in 2010 and began teaching in Brooklyn at District 75, which provides highly specialized instructional support for students with autism spectrum disorders, cognitive delays, emotional disabilities, sensory delays and other disabilities.
In 2011, Johnson transferred to I.S. 250, where he continues to teach special education today.
Johnson said his personal philosophy is that learning can be fun, and students don’t have to dread school. At times, he continued, even teachers don’t want to be teaching those lessons, but he and his students get through them together because they have to.
“In my opinion, it’s not that students with disabilities can’t learn — they just need to be taught differently,” Johnson said. “I like to goof around and joke — you know, slapstick, dad jokes, teacher jokes, being sarcastic and silly — and I try to incorporate that in everything I teach… It shows I do have some of the same interests which lets my kids know I’m willing to talk about the stuff they’re into.”
He said he wants his students to know that they can express themselves at school, and while teachers have to discipline them sometimes, teachers can be trusted adults.
This philosophy is what led him to extend himself far beyond the classroom.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Johnson realized many students’ families were struggling to afford groceries or get enough food on the table. His wife, Stephanie Goris-Johnson, who is also a teacher at P.S. 029 in College Point, spoke directly with a student who told her that their parents lost their jobs and there wasn’t a lot to eat at home.
“I was sitting on the couch, and I just knew as soon as I heard what was said, it wasn’t going to sit well with my wife, and it didn’t sit well with me either,” Johnson said. “I texted her to find out the kid’s address and said we’ll drop off groceries.”
One thing led to another, Johnson continued, and more students’ families began reaching out for help with groceries, which he said he sprung into action to provide.
At first, he explained, he and his wife bought the groceries themselves and delivered them directly to the students’ doorsteps. However, the couple quickly realized it wasn’t sustainable and reached out to a local civic association, We Love Whitestone, to ask for help collecting supplies.
Alfredo Centola, founder and president of the civic association, began collecting tons of donations, Johnson said, which Centola stored in his own fridge and freezer. Johnson would pick up the groceries and deliver them to addresses he attained from parents every week or two. Four families came from P.S. 029, and a few other families from I.S. 250.
The effort continued through November 2020, after which it died down as businesses began opening their doors again and families stopped asking for help.
After the pandemic ended, Johnson’s work continued, pivoting his attention to reviving the school’s student government. His aim was to drive community support through student-led projects, collaborating with leaders of several local organizations to conduct initiatives.
Johnson has collaborated with the NYPD, former Assemblymember Danial Rosenthal and current Assemblymember Berger, and Leona Chin, program coordinator at Kissena Synergy and board member of the Kissena Park Civic Association, just to name a few. “I have been very lucky in life to have some really amazing friends and family,” Johnson said.
He advertises events and asks for donations on his social media, connecting with many friends, family, community leaders and politicians to support community initiatives. “I do whatever I can and find any way to do it,” he said.
Tabatha Ferrer, a school-based clinical supervisor at I.S. 250, said she works closely with Johnson at the school. As a social worker with eight years of experience, Ferrer said she has coordinated youth programs and development, often working alongside Johnson to facilitate the school’s student council.
The two collaborate with the NYPD, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and many other community-based organizations that visit the school and work with students to host projects in the community. Ferrer and Johnson have helped coordinate park cleanups, anti-bullying presentations, wellness workshops and much more.
“We work together creating these little spaces with the students in our school,” said Ferrer, who also founded the 4AIR Project that Johnson often assists with. “Brian has been supportive whenever I need resources, helping me connect to people who can provide some and showing up with his own children to support any community events that I’ve hosted.”
She said her favorite project she and Johnson collaborated on was when they brought students to the park to paint the benches in 2023. It wasn’t just for the students or the school, Ferrer explained — rather, it was for the entire community, which students took pride in.
“It was nice for them to see their hard work being paid off,” Ferrer said. “To walk by the park everyday and see that they did this — I think that might have been my favorite project.”
Ferrer said Johnson goes above and beyond for his students and cares deeply about their wellbeing, consistently bringing opportunities and experiences to them that they otherwise might not have access to at another school. She said his students like Johnson, who often jokes around and builds rapport with them.
“He’s so relatable,” Ferrer said. “And he would give somebody the shirt off his back if they needed it. That’s the kind of person he is.”
According to Tanya Duhaney, a detective at the NYPD’s 107th Precinct, who has been working with Johnson for years on various community service projects such as the prom dress giveaway, the teacher is a community man through-and-through.
Duhaney has worked in community policing at the NYPD division of Community Affairs for the past 19 years. Her work often involves community engagement events for residents of all ages. She met Johnson four years ago when he brought his students to the precinct for a tour.
“We just hit it off from there,” Duhaney said. “He started finding out that I do a lot of community events, and he wanted to help.”
When Duhaney mentioned NYPD Prom Impact, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year, she said Johnson immediately offered to get in contact with donors to coordinate a prom dress collection. She said he collects between 50-60 dresses each year. “Brian has been a blessing with helping me get extra clothes for the kids,” she said.
Not only does Johnson help Duhaney out, but she also returns the favor and visits his class to speak with kids about the work she does at the precinct. She said she often sees Johnson interacting with his students and consistently checking in with them to make sure they’re doing alright, just as he does with Duhaney and others in his life.
“He’s a funny guy,” Duhaney said. “He’s very down to earth and very easy to talk to. If any of his students are having a hard time, he can talk to them on their level. He’s just an awesome man.”
After Assemblyman Sam Berger presented the proclamation to Johnson, he noted Johnson’s tremendous contributions to his students and the community’s overall wellbeing.
“Brian Johnson’s dedication to his students, his school, and his community is truly inspiring,” Berger said. “I’m proud to present him with a proclamation recognizing his service and leadership. His work makes a meaningful difference in the lives of countless people in our community.”
Ferrer said community leaders like Johnson are important for students to look up to. Students don’t always have someone they can connect with, she explained, but through their work together students have guidance to keep them on track for success.
As kids continue to balance academics, friends and their own identities, Ferrer said she and Johnson aim to be the kind of people they can rely on for anything.
“They’re learning how to use their voice, and how do you do that without a supportive person next to you?” Ferrer said. “So I think that our roles are very important, and we build important relationships with kids.”
Johnson said he does whatever he can to support his students and anyone in need of help, even when it gets hard. He has two children aged 12 and 10, works as an educational coordinator for the after-school program at Child Center of NY, plus many responsibilities at the school that make it difficult for him to juggle everything.
However, at the end of the day, Johnson makes it work.
“I’m always trying to get people to realize that wherever you come from, you can do great things and be proud of where you are,” Johnson said. “You’re from Queens — the world’s borough. A lot of amazing people come from here, and you can be the next one.”
