[4] Johnson, in 1967, began working for New York Public Schools as a science teacher, in order to financially support her daughter as a single mother.
[4] She held this position for seven years, and school officials stated that test scores rose by as much as 20% during her tenure (although they still fell below the national averages).
[4] Upon entering the job, she faced controversy as deputy chancellor when she was quickly tasked by chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez with "toning down" the "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum, which sought to teach children to be accepting towards homosexuality and other "alternative lifestyles".
[2][4] In part, due to her involvement with this controversy, her tenure as deputy chancellor was set to end before 1994, after only two years on the job, with the school board opting not to renew her contract.
[2] She was replaced in July 1995 by Paul Vallas, who was named to the new position of "CEO" of Chicago Public Schools.