Hell’s Kitchen has long been home to renowned entertainers and artists. Now, it can claim another notable figure – the 2026 New York State Teacher of the Year.
Local social studies teacher Prince Johnson has been named the New York State Teacher of the Year. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
Prince Johnson, who has taught social studies at Food and Finance High School on W50th Street for nearly two decades, will serve as ambassador for New York teachers and as the state’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year program.
This accolade adds to a long list of titles for Johnson, who teaches AP Human Geography, Government and African American Studies and leads the school’s sustainability and horror film clubs.
Johnson is now splitting his time between his classroom and conference rooms around the state, where he speaks to rooms of district leaders, parents and his peers. He will join the other 49 state teachers of the year at Google headquarters in February and at NASA’s Space Camp in July.
“There are phenomenal teachers everywhere in New York State – and even in my small school – so to win this award is really humbling,” Johnson said.
Johnson in the classroom at Food and Finance High School on W50th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Photo supplied.
His pathway to this accolade involved a four-round process that he called “really intense.”
“There were a lot of essays and a lot of paperwork – plus I haven’t gone on an interview in 27 years,” he said with a laugh.
Johnson impressed the advisory council, composed primarily of previous Teachers of the Year, with his creative approaches to connecting instruction to students’ interests and identities.
Most of Johnson’s students aim to join the culinary and food service industry after graduation. So, he ties food into his lesson plans. A unit on the French Revolution will be paired with an exploration of French cuisine, and Johnson will join his students in the school’s kitchen classroom to bake baguettes alongside culinary instructors. He also sends students home with recipes to try.
Johnson ties food into his lesson plans and sends kids home with recipes to try. Photo supplied.
“When I talk about food, the kids are interested,” he said. “It enriches the classroom.”
Johnson brings food into his classroom too – the back of his room is filled with shelves of lettuce being grown using hydroponics. A “tree captain” and master composter through NYC Parks, sustainability is another core theme of instruction for him.
But he goes beyond just connecting lesson plans to his students’ interests – he also tailors assignments to reflect their cultural identities and lived experiences. Understanding the diverse backgrounds of his students, who come from every NYC borough and a wide array of cultures, is key to engaging them, Johnson explained.
“I try to give students a lot of choices, but first I focus on getting to know them and developing good relationships,” he said. “From the beginning, they need to know that I love them. And even after they graduate and pass my class, kids know they can always come to me – it’s a safe space.”
He launched the horror movie club with a senior student last year as a space for kids who might not be eager to go home after school on Fridays, and has stepped back to let students lead the club’s direction.
Johnson was drawn to career and technical education (CTE) early in his career, when he split his time between a Bronx high school serving students returning to complete their diplomas, and Rikers Island, where he helped incarcerated men study for GED tests.
“I realized the men that I spoke to in prison – they should not have been there most of the time,” he said. “Like, if they were given opportunities, if they were given economic skills, a way to enter the workforce, I believe they would not have been there. I realized there was something wrong with our system.”
Johnson helped found a visual arts school in The Bronx before being drawn to Food and Finance, a CTE school whose student body predominantly comes from underserved communities.
Johnson received a City Council Citation from Councilmember Erik Bottcher in honor of his NY State Teacher of the Year award. Photo: Phil O’Brien
“I wanted to find an answer to the problem of inequities that we have – and I believe I found it in CTE,” he said.
While his school provides students with technical skills they can take into the workforce, Johnson works to ensure they are “as civically engaged as possible.”
“Our students need to know what’s going on and how to get involved, because at the end of the day, they will be impacted directly,” he said.
It wasn’t just Johnson’s dedication to teaching that impressed the voting council, but also his commitment to learning. Over three decades, he’s never stopped being a student himself – literally.
Johnson finds it important to connect with his students via their passions. Photo supplied.
The New York City native got his bachelor’s and master’s degree in history and education from Stony Brook University, then went back to school for a master’s in school leadership, a certificate in special education and even took a sabbatical to study African American studies. Currently, he’s studying sustainability at MIT. And this past summer, he jetted off to Germany, France and Japan on three separate fellowships to study sustainability, CTE education and second-language instruction.
The more he learns, Johnson said, the more can pass on to his students and fellow teachers. And now, he gets to share his insight with leaders across the state and beyond.
“Most of us teachers will go 30 years without getting the opportunity to talk about public policy – to have a seat at the table is very powerful and humbling,” he said.