RHMS ADMINISTRATION
About Mr. Johnson
My name is Darryl V. Johnson, and the “V” stands for Very Proud Principal of Rocky Hill Middle School! Home of the Wildcats and Some of the Best and Brightest Students in the World! I was born in Newark, New Jersey, where my love for learning and education was nurtured by my mom, a retired educator, my brother and five sisters. I have one amazing son, a wonderful daughter-in law, and two beautiful grandchildren. I also have twenty nieces and nephews and a mini bulldog, named Bella whom I love very much! My core values are based on faith, family, and the responsibility of leaving a thing better than when you found it. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, sports (Go NY Giants!), health & fitness, traveling, history and helping others. I am also a self-proclaimed “foodie”! I love to experience different cultures and people through food.
I earned a B.S. degree with ancillary credits in History Cum Laude, and M.Ed in School Counseling with ancillary credits in Special Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. I received my administrator certification from McDaniel College, and a certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business-School of Education Online. I started my career as a teacher in Newark Public Schools. This is my twenty-second year in Montgomery County Public Schools, the best school system in the country! I began my MCPS career in 2000 as a school counselor. I have enjoyed successful years of service at Kingsview Middle School, Redland Middle Schools, and John F. Kennedy High School. I proudly served as assistant school administrator and assistant principal at Robert Frost MS, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, where I spent fourteen years helping to create a school that thrives. Prior to my appointment as principal of Rocky Hill, I served as principal intern at Gaithersburg Middle School.
My vision for Rocky Hill Middle School is we will be the best middle school in MCPS, Maryland, the United States and Globally. We center and ground our work in diversity and equity. We intentionally create psychologically and emotionally safe spaces for adults and children. We want ALL students to be positioned to thrive in their future, so we are committed to giving them what they need to be successful. Each day, we strive to be EPICC (Excellence, Professionalism, Integrity, Children and Community), and give our very best because that is what our parents send us each day.
One of my favorite quotes is by Abraham Lincoln and it sums up my passion to continue to transform the lives of students and the communities I serve. “I do the best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
About Mr. Wagner - Assistant Principal
I am Dan Wagner, one of three assistant principals serving Rocky Hill Middle School and supporting Mr. Johnson's vision of a transformed educational environment. This is my first year at Rocky Hill. I firmly believe that an impactful learning environment creates and sustains a culture and community of learning to holistically serve our children. As leaders, we recognize that such work does not occur in static isolation, and thus, we must commit to active membership in the communities in which we serve as learners ourselves.
I defined my teaching career at two of Frederick County’s most diverse high schools, teaching all English subjects 9th through 12th grade, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses. I complemented my professional experience in Ulsan, South Korea, pursuing a Lead Teacher position for an English as a Foreign Language program. As such, I operated as a liaison between program directors, community, and teaching staff to improve the instructional program while teaching various kindergarten through middle school courses. As a teacher, I prided myself on creating educational environments where all students could thrive in a learning space that both sustained academic rigor and promoted a sense of belonging. Prior to becoming a Wildcat, I was a Ram, serving as an assistant principal at Rockville High School for six years.
I frequently share with my students that I was not a great student, and I relied on the support, belief, and second chances of others to find success. I encourage all students to fervently pursue their potential, strive to be their amazing future self, and find the intersection of their happiness and purpose. The path to success, for most, is not a straight line, but keep the goal of who you want to be in focus.
The 2024-2025 school year has had many notable moments; however, there is one of distinction: 6th Grade Team members dawned inflatable costumes - dinosaurs, aliens, ostriches, you name it - to simply put a smile on students' faces one Winter morning. This is We Before Me.
About Dr. Reaves - Assistant Principal
I am a proud graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park where I studied marketing and education. I have spent almost 25 years in education, working at middle schools, high schools and universities. I started my teaching career in Prince George's County Public Schools and since then, I have taught at middle schools in Delaware and at Bowie State University before coming to Montgomery County. Outside of school, I have three daughters who attend, or graduated from, MCPS schools and we love to travel together. My favorite subject has always been math and my favorite hobby is swimming.