Beyond My Years

Advancing together as educators, starring LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D.

• Amplify Education • Season 1 • Episode 9

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On this episode of Beyond My Years, Ana Torres picks up every nugget of wisdom she can learn from LaTonya M. Goffney, Ed.D., superintendent of schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Texas. LaTonya shares her journey through many different roles in education before she ended up in an educational leadership role. She stresses the importance of building a teaching community, including finding teacher mentorship, having people advocating for you, and valuing the work you do. LaTonya notes that if it weren't for those that believed in her and encouraged her to strive for more, she never would have ventured to apply for the opportunities she did. She goes on to share one of her most valuable lessons: As you grow in education, you need to make sure you're looking behind you and pulling other people up. She concludes with tips for connecting with other educators, learning from each other constantly, and continuing to grow. Taking all those opportunities back to the classroom, Eric and Ana discuss pursuing professional growth opportunities, embracing your power as an educator, and focusing on excellence where you're at.

Show notes:


Quotes:
"When you have passion for people and you have a purpose for making a difference, and if you're open to learning, anything is possible. And that's what my life has demonstrated in education." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D.

"The best way to get the next job is to do a good job where you are." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D.

"Public education is the profession that makes all other professions possible." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D.

"We can't be siloed. We can't just go to our classrooms, close the door, and not be helpers to one another." —LaTonya Goffney, Ed.D

LaTonya Goffney: (00:00)
You know, being one of the youngest principals in the state, and then, ultimately becoming the youngest superintendent at the state at the time, I recognized what deficiencies I had. And so I had to work hard. I had to surround myself with smart people. I could not run from what I didn't know.

Ana Torres: (00:17)
This is Ana Torres, and welcome to Beyond My Years from Amplify. On each episode, I speak with longtime educators who share chronicles from the classroom and some lessons they like to pass on to newer teachers. With all the turnover in education, we know not everyone has easy access to mentor teachers. That's why we're so excited to bring you the voices of seasoned educators. As I mentioned at the end of our last episode, we're doing something a little bit different this time. So far on Beyond My Years, we've featured some incredible teachers. I've chatted with longtime teachers from all over the world in all different subject areas, but we haven't yet featured an experienced superintendent. Well, that's about to change. Today, I am joined by Dr. LaTonya Goffney, superintendent of schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Texas. Dr. Goffney is going to share her unique perspective on how newer teachers and seasoned educators can work together effectively. She's also going to share some words of wisdom for any newer teachers thinking about someday moving beyond the classroom into administration. And beyond all of that, Dr. Goffney has just had an incredible journey to her current role. She was a first-generation college student. She worked in a prison as a correctional officer, and she moved into administration relatively early in her career. We're going to talk about all of that and more. So please enjoy this conversation with Dr. LaTonya Goffney.

Ana Torres: (02:21)
As we welcome today's guests, I'm going to peel back the curtain a bit. Back when we were developing Beyond My Years, we first spoke about creating a podcast to feature seasoned teachers. But from the beginning, I felt very strongly that we needed to be a little broader so that we could also make space for amazing seasoned educators. Remember, we were going to call it veterans, but now we've decided to do seasoned educators.  And you already hear my guest giggling. Today's guest, Dr. LaTonya Goffney. She is the superintendent of schools for Aldine Independent School District in Texas. And I just can't even tell you how I'm so excited. I wanted to have her on as a guest for season one, and I have her with us today. She's a former eighth grade language arts teacher, and in the past two plus decades, she's served as an assistant principal, principal, and superintendent. We're going to take advantage of her experience and get some wisdom from her, both in the classroom and in administration, to get lots of great advice for newer teachers out there. Dr. Goffney, welcome to Beyond My Years.

LaTonya Goffney: (03:41)
Thank you, Ana.

Ana Torres: (03:44)
How do you feel about that intro?

LaTonya Goffney: (03:45)
Oh my gosh. I have been called a lot of things, but...uh, to be called "seasoned" is definitely, definitely, a characteristic that I...welcome. "Seasoned."

Ana Torres: (03:56)
I want guests to know I am such a fan of Dr. Goffney's and her work.

LaTonya Goffney: (04:03)
Oh, thank you, Ana.

Ana Torres: (04:04)
So, we're going to start from the beginning here. And I typically ask guests how many years they've been in the classroom. And I know that you've been in education a while, but you started out in the classroom, did you not?

LaTonya Goffney: (04:16)
I did. I did. I started out teaching. I was an eighth grade language arts teacher in 1999.  Can you believe it?

Ana Torres: (04:24)
'99, y'all. She's aging herself.

LaTonya Goffney: (04:26)
I am aging myself. I'm aging myself. But 1999. Remember, we thought the world was going to end in 2000? Thank God it didn't. But I've completed 25 years in education. Started my 26th year. But you know, the foundation of who I am and where I stand on education started in the classroom in 1999, as an eighth grade language arts teacher. I was in a small town. You know, I tell everyone, I'm just a country girl from Cold Spring, Texas—my hometown of Cold Spring. It was Lincoln Junior High, and I was hired to be the eighth grade language arts teacher in 1999.

Ana Torres: (04:57)
And how long were you that eighth grade language teacher, Dr. Goffney?

LaTonya Goffney: (05:00)
Ana, I know we're going to get into it. And so perhaps the most, again, the foundation of who I am and what I stand for, literally was cultivated in three years in the classroom. I was in the classroom for three years. I taught eighth grade language arts.

Ana Torres: (05:13)
Three years. But guess what? Those were some formidable years.

LaTonya Goffney: (05:17)
They were. They were.

Ana Torres: (05:19)
You've come...what's that saying? You've come a long way. Teacher. Assistant principal. Principal. And now, superintendent.

LaTonya Goffney: (05:28)
It's crazy how it all started. Because I'd never desired to be in any type of position. And I know we'll get into that. But I taught for three years, as I alluded to. I was an administrator for probably six years, and then I became a superintendent in 2008. And so I've been a superintendent, starting my 17th year. So superintendent is the job that I've done the longest. Yeah.

Ana Torres: (05:48)
I love what you just said. You've been a superintendent longer than any other position. What would you say, as we're talking seasoned education now, has been the most surprising part of becoming a more seasoned educator like yourself?

LaTonya Goffney: (06:02)
Mm-Hmm. You know, I think the most surprising thing is how fast the time has gone. Because in my mind, I'm still LaTonya 1999, new eighth grade language arts teacher with all the excitement and giddiness of it. I'm still, you know, [a] first time teacher. I still remember my first time as an AP, my first time as a principal. I remember my first superintendency in Cold Spring in 2008. I remember my first superintendency in Lufkin [ISD] in 2013. I remember being new here in 2018. And what I know is the time goes by so fast. And that's been the most surprising part.

Ana Torres: (06:37)
So you're sitting here going, "Wow, I've been doing this two decades!" Two decades plus six, Right?

LaTonya Goffney: (06:43)
Yes.

Ana Torres: (06:44)
I still hear so much excitement in your voice, though. Like, I know you've been doing it a while, but I hear excitement and passion. Now with that giddiness, I want to hear, too, how about the best part of becoming a more seasoned educator, Dr. Goffney?

LaTonya Goffney: (07:00)
You know, looking back, I think about the lives that were touched. You know, whether it was students, teachers, colleagues, other leaders, and to hear the stories. Because as you get older, you run into different people and they tell you how you inspired them or how you made a difference for them. Or I have students that I taught and they still remember, "Oh, I know how to spell 'a lot' because of you. The song, 'There is a word that we all know, and this is how you spell it: 'A-space-L-O-T. ...'" Or different things. Or whether it was a teacher who was encouraged to go back and get their master's and considered being a counselor or a principal. And just to hear how you touched lives is, you know, that's perhaps the best part. Think about our own favorite teacher. You and I—I'm much older than you—but my favorite teachers have all died. But I wish that I had gone back and told them how much they meant to me.

Ana Torres: (07:52)
Right. Right.

LaTonya Goffney: (07:53)
And how much they've meant to my journey. So, to hear it, to be able to hear it, that's perhaps the best part. 'Cause that's all you want. You want to have made a difference.

Ana Torres: (08:02)
And you know, not to gloss over this as you make assumptions, Dr. Goffney, you may not be older than me. I'm 52. I'm 52.

LaTonya Goffney: (08:10)
Ana, you look great...You look great.

Ana Torres: (08:13)
So I wanted to clarify that for people. And just so you know, because you can't see us—and you've seen that, you noticed that we're having a blast—Dr. Goffney looks like, when she did start teaching, she was 15 years old, y'all. She looks no older than 22.

LaTonya Goffney: (08:29)
You're so sweet. Thank you.

Ana Torres: (08:30)
But again, going back to every job that you've had...I've been kind of tracking your career. You have made such great impact. And not just student lives, but teacher lives and parent lives. And so, as you know, on this podcast, we like to go back—all the way back. So we're going to go back to your, kind of your story. I know you've got a big job now, you're a big superintendent at Aldine. And I want you to kind of take us back a little bit, Superintendent Goffney, tell us a little bit about your backstory and how you wound up not only becoming a teacher, [but] what kind of inspired you to go all the way to administration—at what I would say the highest level of administration in a district?

LaTonya Goffney: (09:19)
Mm-Hmm. Listen, I didn't set out initially to become a teacher. You know, one of the things that I am proud of is the fact that education truly changed the trajectory of my life. Like all that I am, everything—the difference that I've been able to make—was because of the education. You know, growing up in poverty, being raised by my grandparents. And my grandparents had a fifth- and a third-grade education. And grandpa couldn't read. And he used to tell me, "LaTonya, if you can read, you can go anywhere," which is really impactful. And having great teachers, you know, who pushed me and told me I could go to college. So being the first-generation college student, that was perhaps the highlight. But it was a weight. It was a weight. And I remember I was working at a prison, because I went to Sam Houston State University—Eat 'em up Cats—in Huntsville, Texas. And Huntsville is known for prisons. And so I didn't have anybody to send me money or to support me. So I had to work a full-time job. And so I worked at a prison as a correctional officer.

Ana Torres: (10:19)
Wow.

LaTonya Goffney: (10:20)
And initially, I was majoring in criminal justice. And I just realized that that wasn't how I wanted to spend my time or spend my life, just being reactive. Because you know, prison is so consequential. Just witnessing hopelessness all the time and despair.

Ana Torres: (10:36)
Was it too much for you?

LaTonya Goffney: (10:38)
It was too much. And I was 18 working on as a correctional officer.

Ana Torres: (10:42)
Oh, wow. Wow.

LaTonya Goffney: (10:42)
And so I wanted to be a part of being hope-full, you know, and providing opportunity and keeping people from the prison. Providing, you know, choices and access, and all of those different things. And so I ended up changing my major to education. It was probably, perhaps the best decision in my life. And then being in the country, not having a lot of access, I'm so grateful for the mentors in my life. And so you say, "How did I even think about or consider anything else?" But to be a successful teacher, that was my primary goal. I wanted to be a successful teacher.

Ana Torres: (11:16)
And you were...I mean, again, in three years you were propelled to administration. And I am sure you had mentors along the way to get you there. And something that we share in common. If you don't mind, I interject 'cause we've got a lot of commonalities here. I mean, but I mean, you've made it all the way to the top, of course. But I was actually in the classroom five years and, you know, then I became a coach. And I was an AP and a principal as well. But like you, I had people along the way that actually said, "You can do this." I never actually intended to be an AP or even a principal, but someone said, "You've got what it takes to do it and I want to mentor you to do it." Was that, how did it happen for you, Dr. Goffney?

LaTonya Goffney: (12:03)
Absolutely the case. Because it's not like my mother or my father or anyone in my family had been an educator. So I was the beneficiary of extremely gifted teachers who served as my mentors. And Ms. Deauvall perhaps was my favorite. And we spent the whole summer going through and looking, at the time, at the "essential elements" is what they were called. ... And we would go through and think about, look at the last year's data, 'cause it was a low performing school and it was so important that we got it right. And so I went, spent the entire summer getting PD ready. And I remember I wanted to paint my classroom and, you know, I was having all kinds of things made and curtains and all the things. And I wanted to ask. I said, "Hey, I want to paint our classroom." And I'll never forget this. Ms. Deauvall, who was a stickler—she's your typical eighth grade language arts teacher—but she was our department chair, and she said, "It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission."

Ana Torres: (12:59)
Right. So listen, that's a bumper sticker that should be on every educator's car, right?

LaTonya Goffney: (13:04)
She said, "You do what's good for kids. And we can't sit around and wait for someone to come and paint this classroom. We're going to paint it ourselves." And so we painted and you know, I just love preparing the classroom for our kids to come and walk in and have an incredible, inviting classroom for them. And so, as you alluded to earlier, mentors, people who invested in me, that is why I get to sit in the seat and [have] been in the rooms and been able to hopefully have made the difference that I made. It's because the mentors and sponsors that I've had.

Ana Torres: (13:32)
So let's stay with that. Is there a particular mentor that you remember, or that you recall, that really helped you transcend "teacher?" Then you went into campus admin, assistant principal, principal, and then superintendency. Any pivotal person that helped you get there?

LaTonya Goffney: (13:50)
Listen, at every area it was a pivot. Like seriously. It was somebody pushing me. I wanted to be a good teacher. I was a cheer sponsor, eighth grade team leader, doing all those different things. I just wanted to be a good teacher. And so at one point I got to work for this incredible principal. Her name was Ms. Hargrove. And Ms. Hargrove was very dramatic, very visionary. And, you know, she would, I always wanted to do extra to help and I would volunteer and so on and so forth. And we found out that our counselor was leaving and she came to me and said, "Hey, do you have your counseling certificate?" And I said, "No ma'am, I'm just a new teacher." And she said, "Can you go back to get it?" And so I, at that point, I've been teaching for three years. And, counseling didn't work out because they had a little bit more, a lot more criteria before you could go and become a counselor. So the lady who was the AP had a counseling certificate. So she moved the AP to counselor and I was able to get into the program to become a principal. And, you know, they had temporary certificates that you could qualify for after you've taken six hours. And so she believed in me. And growing up in a rural area as an educator was an amazing gift as well. Because you have an opportunity to do so much because there are not a lot of people, an influx of people. And so she was absolutely critical. And I got to serve as her assistant principal. Then I had a superintendent, Mr. Redden, who promoted me...to a principalship at an intermediate school. Then I was promoted again to a principalship at the middle school, Lincoln Junior High, the school, I started off as a teacher. And perhaps the only reason I got my superintendent certification was so that, you know, in case I needed it down the line before I retired. Well, at that point, the district had gone through a couple different superintendents and Dr. Bob Smith was one of my mentors. And he had come by and he said, "Hey, Dr...I wasn't Dr. at that time, "LaTonya, the position's open; you need to apply." And I said "Oh, Dr. Bob, let's pray about it." He goes, "Okay, while you're praying about it, send me your cover letter and your resume."

Ana Torres: (15:55)
So he could do something about while you're praying? He was going to do something about it on your behalf.

LaTonya Goffney: (16:00)
Exactly. And I thank God for him, Dr. Bob Smith, Dr. Billy Bowman, who was the interim at that time. At that point, I thought I was going to go to high school. You could think about all the skills that I didn't have. No high school experience, no central office experience. But I had a love for people. And I knew how to ask people, to call on mentors, and sponsors, and others, and ask the questions. And I knew what I didn't know. You know, being one of the youngest principals in the state, and then ultimately becoming the youngest superintendent at the state at the time. I was 31 years old. I went from middle school principal to the superintendency. I know that's not normal. And I recognized what deficiencies I had. And so I had to work hard. I had to surround myself with smart people. I could not run from what I didn't know. You know, I had to be a learner at all times.

Ana Torres: (16:50)
So you learned a lot of things like, on the job?

LaTonya Goffney: (16:53)
For sure. For sure. For sure.

Ana Torres: (16:55)
Right? And I recall too, because then, you know, people think, 'cause you know, you're in your fifties or whatever, like you're old. We're not old. Like, we're seasoned over here. Right? And I do recall, you know, another similarity we have. I was in higher ed for about 15 years and I was like the youngest administrator. People were always kind of befuddled with, you know, "How did you get here? How did you end up here?" And I think what we share is a passion for the work and a passion for people. And although I moved from higher ed, I always knew in my spirit I was supposed to be in, you know, K–12 space. And I moved to that space in 2007, actually in Austin, Texas. Woo-hoo, Austin, Texas, Dessau Elementary—and I something that you and I talked a little bit about in our pre-call—yes, I have pre-calls with my guests just to make sure, make 'em comfortable—is how you were able to kind of break barriers and have really good mentors around you, Dr. Goffney. Because I, too, unlike you though, thought, "You know, you're a teacher, you're an AP, you're, you know, a principal, then you move to superintendency because that is the job that comes next." But unlike you, I didn't have anyone to push me and say, "Ana, I feel that you could do this." And I honestly feel I kind of missed out on that. Because I think I could have done, you know, I could have done a superintendency.

LaTonya Goffney: (18:17)
It's not too late. It's not too late. But I certainly understand what you're saying. Because if I hadn't been, I know ...there's no doubt in my mind. Because I, you know, typically women don't believe they can do the job, number one. So you gotta have a mentor, a sponsor who tells you that you can. But I—there's no doubt in my mind—if I had not had mentors and people who believed in me that I wouldn't—I would not have attempted. I wouldn't have applied. I wouldn't have done it. I wouldn't have had the courage. And I certainly wouldn't have done it as early as I did it in my career.

Ana Torres: (18:47)
So mentorship plays—and it seems like continues to play—a very important part of not just your professional life, but also you as a superintendent even. What would you share with, you know, younger educators that want to kind of move in the trajectory that we kind of moved in. Again, you, you know, you hit the big spot over here, doctor, superintendent. But what would you say to a younger educator who wants to move from the classroom into a role like an assistant principal or a principal, Dr. Goffney?

LaTonya Goffney: (19:24)
You know, I would certainly say the best way to get the next job is to do a good job where you are. When I was a young educator, I greatly admired our principal, Ms. Hargrove. And I wanted to know her vision for the school. And I wanted to make myself useful on the campus. And so I was always volunteering. I was always asking how I could help, how I can support. And literally, to be a good leader, you have to be a good follower. And that's not just a cliche term. You've got to follow. And there were times—and she and I are totally different. She is totally creative and...just amazing. But I learned so much being a student of the person in the position that I aspired to at some point. And so I would say, as a new educator, is really focusing on being a great teacher, focusing on providing support where you can to make sure that your campus is a great place. Because ultimately, as you are making sure that students' needs are being met, supporting colleagues, the positions will follow you before you can even apply. You'll be tapped for it. People will see you as a leader because you carry yourself as a leader. And so I would just encourage new educators or those who are new to the profession or new teachers or however—you could be new, but just to fall in love with the work and just be inspired by the leader. And then you can pretty much experience the joy of education every day. 'Cause there are going to be some hard days. There's going to be a lot of hard days. Things are—and I know times have changed and things are different, but the opportunity to make a difference is still there. And the opportunity to love what you do is still there. And that's a mindset. I love when I go in a classroom and I witness a teacher, or I'm on a campus, I see an instructional coach, or I see an assistant principal, and I get to ask them about what's their future plan? What do they see themselves in five years or three years? And so many times I have to kind of, you know, fight with some of my teachers who are amazing, but they love the classroom. And God knows, God knows, I think teachers should be paid six figures for sure. But the opportunity to impact more than just your classroom and impact the whole campus. What an incredible opportunity for those who, you know, if that's the end goal.

Ana Torres: (21:37)
You are, you inspire and you motivate and you encourage, Dr. Goffney. And there are times that we don't always have that. I feel like you're always looking for that, you know, and inspiring and motivating those around you. If you've not checked out her LinkedIn page, I'm always following. An extremely celebratory type of educator. Always celebrating others and is very bashful about celebrating the great things that she's not only doing for Aldine, but actually doing nationally as a superintendent. Because I know you've been recognized for a couple of awards, and we're going to talk about that in a minute too. She's very, very humble. I feel like you have not forgotten what it is to be in a classroom or to be a principal or an assistant principal, you know, in your 17—and I'm going to put dot, dot, dot—years of being a superintendent. So Dr. Goffney, recently I had, I was joined by a guest, she was the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. Her name is Missy Testerman.

LaTonya Goffney: (22:38)
Awesome.

Ana Torres: (22:40)
And something she said as it, you know, as it relates to serving students, to have access to teachers in just different stages of their careers. I think a theme of this whole podcast is that younger educators and veteran educators like ourselves, I'm sorry it should say seasoned educators, we're stronger together. You know? Because there are times that, you know, sometimes there's a little tension there. So from your vantage point and your 26 years of experience—especially as you, you know, look at it from the superintendent's office—I'm really curious what you make of that.

LaTonya Goffney: (23:17)
No, I absolutely agree. I love how you said, "stronger together." Because you know, there's something special about the brand new teacher who is full of hope, and wonder, and just, ambition. And then by years three, then five, they have the experience to go with it. And then by 10, 15, and more, they're seasoned and they're mentoring others on this journey. And I truly believe that. I think that that's the key. I think that iron definitely sharpens iron. And as you said, "stronger together." And that's where the magic happens, where everybody's helping each other.

Ana Torres: (23:56)
We'll be right back with much more from my conversation with Dr. LaTonya Goffney. I'm just going to take a short pause to share one of the fantastic submissions we've gotten from listeners about a piece of advice or mentor teacher who made an impact on them. This one comes from Jessica Krueger in Michigan. And she wrote, "Mr. Devin, my teacher academy teacher, made a profound impact on my life by teaching me the delicate balance between being a teacher and a friend. He showed me how to build genuine connections with students while also maintaining professional boundaries, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe, respectful, and structured classroom environment." Thanks so much, Jessica, for sharing that. Don't forget to stick around until the end of this episode to hear from my Classroom Insider, Eric Cross. Now let's get back to my conversation with Dr. LaTonya Goffney. So we're going to get to now the wisdom piece. And you know, sometimes when I say the word "wisdom," people go, "There go the old folk talking about stuff they know." No! We're going to talk about wisdom nuggets that you could kind of drop and share with our younger educators and seasoned educators, how they can work together more effectively.

LaTonya Goffney: (25:27)
You know, as I stated earlier, you said, "stronger together." I said, "Iron sharpens iron." So you may have new teachers who may have a new technology or a different approach. And then you have the veteran teachers who have the wisdom and knowledge. And if they work together, they definitely can sharpen each other. And so I think that's so incredibly important. And I think that all of us in education, we are responsible for lifting as we rise. So as you rise in a number of years, or you rise and are able to do different positions, you have to reach back and make sure that you're pulling people behind you. Because you know, public education is the only thing that's going to stabilize this world or stabilize the country. Or we can talk Texas, stabilize Texas. Public education is the profession that makes all other professions possible. And so we are going to continue not to believe what we hear in the media, but to know what happens in our community schools and what happens in the classrooms for students who come to us from some very difficult circumstances, they get to graduate with choices and opportunities. If we're going to continue to do that, we can't just be siloed. We can't just go in our classrooms, close the door and not be helpers one to another. And so I think the younger educators, [and] our seasoned, our veteran educators, they have to work together.

Ana Torres: (26:44)
Absolutely. Can you give us any examples, Dr. Goffney, of where you feel, you know, you or your school administration have collaborated and done that effectively?

LaTonya Goffney: (26:55)
Listen, it happens all the time. We have a SHINE program for our new teachers. And literally our veteran teachers, they put on workshops for our new teachers to attend. In addition, we have our mentor teachers who are assigned to our new teachers and they're able to go and share best practices...or provide feedback. And we say feedback is a gift. And so making sure that they're able to grow with the support of someone who's been there and done that and gotten through it. And to assure them being new doesn't last, but one year. The next year you have the experience of that year. And so we try to create opportunities to support our new teachers. In addition, as we think about new leaders who have to do the exact same thing. Because it's hard when you're doing things for the first time, it's hard. And so you have to have someone who's been there and done it and who can support you as you go through it. And then of course, we have to own our own learning too. We have to be responsible for growing professionally. And so in addition to the support that I hope my teachers, educators, and leaders are getting in Aldine, I love the fact that there are different organizations that they can be a part of so that they can continue to grow and expand their network and think about best practices. Whether it's, you know, you think about leading a school and finding other schools that are similar to it across the state of the country and going to visit, that's an option. But making sure and reaching out. I used to love social media. I'm trying to learn LinkedIn and I also love reading. And so reading and connecting and figuring out how we can get better so that we can help others to get better. Because ultimately, it's about the experience that our kids have in our schools and in our classrooms. It's going to make the difference.

Ana Torres: (28:35)
Wow. You mentioned your SHINE program. That's for teachers. A program to grow your leaders as well. And so it sounds like a very multifaceted approach to grow your own within Aldine. And if you haven't checked out Aldine Independent School, y'all should. Dr. Goffney has done along with literally, I think you've done just such an amazing job creating just a powerful community, from your teachers to your administrators. And the community loves you too. So done amazing work there. So I wanted to also ask you if I could, what advice would you give to your younger self, Dr. Goffney, when you like, started out as that eighth grade language arts teacher. What advice would you give to your younger self if you could look at her and say, "Here's advice I could give you."

LaTonya Goffney: (29:28)
You know, I would say, you know, enjoy the moments because they go fast. I also would remind her to keep the journal. You know, in my mind, I thought I would never forget. And because I do at times, but it's so important to remember and stay connected to the why. And if you keep the journal, you'll have that to always reflect on. But more than anything, just enjoy the moments. Again, because life goes fast and you and I know that.

Ana Torres: (29:58)
And are you enjoying the moments, Dr. Goffney? Because what I want to also know is, I love your backstory and there's just, I wish I had more than an hour. Because there's some amazing things that you're continuing to do in Aldine and actually nationally as well. What is in store for Dr. Goffney? You know, how they're like...what are you excited about in the next five years, Dr. Goffney? Where do you see yourself? You know, you've been doing the superintendency almost 17 years. Where, what do you see for Dr. Goffney in the future?

LaTonya Goffney: (30:29)
Listen, you know, that's a great question. That's a great question. I think the, you know, there are books to write, there are blogs to write. There are all kinds of ways to share. There are more superintendents to support. There are more ways to continue to demonstrate what's possible for Black, Brown, and students of poverty through the work that we're doing here in Aldine ISD, and I'm very proud of that as well. You know, COVID really slowed us down.  And so I'm really excited to have had a normal year as we're bouncing back and to get hyper-focused on the work and focused on, you know, that Aldine impact, that's the hashtag for this year, and accelerating the growth that we want to show. And I think that, you know, if you can do it in Aldine, you can do it anywhere. Because the concentration of opportunity is here with the level of poverty. And I'm really proud of the work that our team is doing and just making sure our students graduate with choices and opportunities.

Ana Torres: (31:26)
Well, and I think it's more than just you being proud of what's happening in your district. But it's also, I feel, everyone around you is proud of the work that you've been doing, because we know being a superintendent is not an easy job. And it does carry, in a way, some burdens, right? I mean, you're not only carrying the burden of families, and children, and your staff, but I applaud you that you get up every day and you do it with a smile. Again, there's so many amazing things happening in Aldine, and I've actually had the privilege and the honor of working with Aldine schools within my role with Amplify, and have been impressed with everything that I see and with the people that I come in contact with. So, you know, what is it, hashtag Aldine impact?

LaTonya Goffney: (32:12)
That's right. #AldineImpact.

Ana Torres: (32:15)
Impact. And you have, you, Dr. Goffney, have made an impact on me, and I know that you've made an impact on many that are listening to this podcast today. Any final words that you want to speak? Any final thoughts before we close out with you?

LaTonya Goffney: (32:32)
No, just thank you, Ana. It was nice to just have a conversation and have an opportunity to take a moment to look back. You know, I'm proud of all of the work. I'm proud of the opportunities that I've had. But when it's all said and done, I recognize that I'm just a country girl from Cold Spring, Texas, population 697. I strive every day to make my Big Mama and Paw Paw proud. You know, they didn't get a chance to live the dream. And I'm so grateful that through it, with an education, I get to live the dream, which is why working so hard to make sure that students who are in our care graduate and get to live their dreams as well. So thank you for the opportunity to share and shine a light on the positive things happening in public education and how it's still great. This is still a great career option, even though there are so many different challenges. Being an educator is the most rewarding experience that you could have. There's a lot of yuck and there's some opportunities where it's, you know, as my colleague Dr. Silas says, "You have to thrive through the five." But there's so many great things, so many great things.

Ana Torres: (33:38)
And you know, that's such a great note to leave this on. I mean, as you hear, both of us, you know, Dr. Goffney, at 26 years in, 30 years in, we're passionate about this work. And we're, you know, our lives are still education, dot, dot, dot. We're going to be [doing this] until they put me in the grave.

LaTonya Goffney: (33:56)
That's right.

Ana Torres: (33:57)
Thank you, Dr. Goffney. Thank you. And so, every episode at the end, and you have mentioned your district often in this interview, but you want to, you know, crazily shout out your district one more time before we go?

LaTonya Goffney: (34:08)
Listen. Listen, listen, listen. Come on, come on, come on. You guys can do it. It is A-L-D-I-N-E. Aldine ISD.

Ana Torres: (34:19)
Aldine, y'all. Aldine. I've never had it, you know, spelled out before. But Dr. Goffney is a trendsetter. And so now we have a first. Thank you so much for being with us, Dr. Goffney. We really appreciate you sharing your time and your story with us.

LaTonya Goffney: (34:35)
Thank you.

Ana Torres: (34:36)
Thank you. That was Dr. LaTonya Goffney, superintendent of schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Texas. We have links in the show notes to learn more about Dr. Goffney and her amazing district. All right, listeners, you know what's coming up. We're bringing on my Classroom Insider, Eric Cross. All right. Well, coming to us straight from an actual classroom is my Classroom Insider, Eric Cross. How are you today, Eric?

Eric Cross: (35:17)
I'm doing great.

Ana Torres (35:18)
Now, Eric, I had—and of course, as you know, I get excited about every single guest that I have on the show—but I'm going to tell you what, this last episode was such a powerful, powerful episode. What did you think of having a seasoned superintendent on this show? It's a little different than what we normally do. So what'd you think of it?

Eric Cross: (35:42)
I liked it a lot because it was a change and we were able to hear the story of a person who's kind of at the tip of the spear of education. And oftentimes you don't get to hear their stories. You only get to see like them through emails, the videos they send out.

Ana Torres: (35:58)
Yeah. I was really impressed with her love, her passion. Just great episode. You know, this kind of segment is really to hear from our Classroom Insider. So tell us about your first takeaway, Eric.

Eric Cross: (36:11)
The first one she said is, "Focus on excellence in your current role." And that reminds me of a quote that we talk about mentors a lot. One of my mentors said, "Bloom where you're planted." And yeah. And that idea of excellence, like committing yourself to high standards, not just getting by, but striving to be great in what you do. And, and it's easy to just kind of do what you like, what works, but really pushing, seeking feedback, trying to be better, being intentional, being mindful, and recognizing that like everything that you do has an impact. And you want that impact to be positive and constructive, not just for your students, but also for your colleagues too. So that, that word "excellence" really resonated with me when she said that. And it made me question like, am I pursuing excellence in everything I'm doing? Because the school year gets long and hard, you know?

Eric Cross: (36:57)
Right.

Eric Cross: (36:58)
And you start trying to coast to those breaks. And I don't want to drop my pack. That's like a hiking term. You know, when you take your pack off when you're hiking, you don't want to put it back on. And if you haven't finished, you know, because you're tired, and so you don't take off your pack until you hit that finish line. And she said, "People will seek you out." Which is true. People will seek you out when you are pursuing excellence. And I think that I want to, I want to just put a word of caution there too. Not every opportunity is going to be an opportunity that you should say yes to, and people seek you out, like feel good about it, right? But also recognize that your number one priority is going to be your students. And so when you're getting after it, you're going to be asked to do committees and clubs and all these kinds of things. And those are great things. But I think as, as Pat said a while back, and a few other educators that you've spoken to, you want to have that balance and that mindfulness that you can stay in this race, 'cause this is a marathon.

Ana Torres: (37:48)
And I love the quote that you said, "Blooming where you're planted." And she was sought out because she was excellent in every role she had. If you recall, she mentioned, which was surprising to me, that she was only a middle school teacher for three years. And then she progressed to assistant principal, principal. Her trajectory was pretty quick. She's been a superintendent longer than she actually was a teacher. She's been a superintendent 17 years. And because she was excellent in every role she had, others saw that in her and saw her talent and saw her passion as well. And as you know, listeners, with Eric Cross there's not not just one takeaway. I am going to make the assumption you have another one.

Eric Cross: (38:30)
Yeah. As you know, I listen closely. Maybe it's my auditory learner aspect, but I'm always looking for things that I can glean. And the other thing that she said was, "We have to be responsible for our own learning." And, you know, professional growth is an ongoing process. And I've found in my career that I got to a point where certain PDs, I knew what was being already, kind of, I was being trained on. Because I've done it so many times. I think as a young educator, when you're getting trained, you're learning the basics. Classroom management structure, scope and sequence, pacing. But you get to a point in your career where you have to go seek it out. You have to go to where you're going to get fed. You have to find those opportunities. You have to find those conferences, find those people. So she mentioned social media. You know, networking, all of those different things. And, I go to science conferences all the time, and that's where I get new ideas. That's where I get, I think she said, "Iron sharpens iron." That's where I get sharpened—by being around folks. And even if you can't go to the big science conferences, there's a lot—or, sorry, I know not everyone's a science teacher—but English, elementary, every content area has, you know, focus groups or groups that support that. There's regional ones that you can go to. There's online groups, there's Zooms.

Ana Torres: (39:43)
I think that goes back to the excellence piece, right? As you know, if you are responsible for your own learning, I think by way of that, you do become excellent in whatever role you have in this profession. So I think that is kind of the segue to that. Seek your professional learning. Seek—it's okay to seek out folks. I actually did that. If I could be real transparent, I did that this week. Who can I have in my circle that can help me grow and continue to grow? And I sought this person out, and this person was literally like, "Ana, I'm honored that you actually want me to be part of your circle." And I'm thinking, "I'm honored that you said yes to being part of this circle because I want to continue learning and growing." And I literally said, "You have been kind of my unappointed mentor for actually a year now. You just didn't know that you were. Because I have been watching everything that you're doing..and really, you know, have watched how you've navigated challenging experiences." And I'm like, "Wow, I really need to converse with this individual." And so I actually did that this week. So I was seeking my own professional learning. Now, Eric, is there a third one this time?

Eric Cross: (40:55)
The third one is one that is not so much an application, but it was inspiring to me. It was a reminder. And Dr. Gaffney said, "Public education is the profession that makes all of the other professions possible." And I've never thought about it that way. I know that what we do is important. I know that what educators do is important. I know that they sacrifice, and most of the great work they do, no one sees. But I never really thought about it as the foundation for all of the things that we have in society. And what we do has a ripple effect. And I think it's super important, especially at this time when kind of morale can be low, kind of at this time of the year, people are waiting for breaks, is to recognize that your role is transformative. Like, you are a change maker. When I fall asleep at night, I am proud of why I'm tired, for the reasons as to why I'm tired. I'm proud of that. I wish I wasn't exhausted. I wish I wasn't frustrated or stressed. But the things that are stressing me out are important. This week I was talking with a couple of students and one family is in transitional housing and they're going to lose their place. And so the mother is considering just living in their car. And then later on that day, I found out a student was taking the bus, multiple transfers because the parent couldn't pick them up because the student's younger brother was getting chemo treatments. And he's six. That's just a Tuesday for me. And for many people who are listening to this, they hear these stories and they live alongside of these students who are going through these things and recognizing that the words that we speak and the things that we do have that immense power. And when you're going through it or you're going through something difficult, recognizing that what you're doing is transformative and it makes all these other jobs possible. You're opening opportunities, you're removing barriers, you're inspiring people. And often times you don't find out; you don't get a chance to ever find out. You're just kind of planting seeds and then they just go off. And so I found that really inspiring, kind of centering myself back on being a change maker, recognizing the work that I do is transformative, and that it is the foundation that is going to allow our students to be able to go into these different professions that help improve society. So it totally resonated. So I listened to that as if, you know, she was my superintendent. I was, I received it the same way, even though she's way out in Texas and I'm in California.

Ana Torres: (43:17)
Yeah. And the word "transformative" and the story that you just told, very heartfelt, and you did make a comment of you don't really realize how you can transform somebody's life until later. And I think back to Joyce Abbott and look at Quinta Brunson, you know, and so Joyce was just being Joyce—the passionate, inspiring person she was. And look at how a whole show was literally created based on what she did for this child in this classroom, and how she allowed Quinta to feel that she could be anything.

Eric Cross: (43:53)
A hundred percent.

Ana Torres: (43:54)
You know, that she could be anything. And I think that's the transformative kind of superpower that teachers have.

Eric Cross: (44:01)
Yeah. And I think it goes back to when you're pursuing excellence, you're not trying to be transformative, you just are.

Ana Torres: (44:09)
You just are.

Eric Cross: (44:09)
It's a by-product. And then you end up inspiring a student to create this massive show or to come up with an invention or—just be able to provide for their family. Like Dr. Goffney, she talked about her family and she was the first one to be able to have a high level of education. You know, her story, her lifestyle, is contrasted from just one generation ago. And I would attribute that, and I think she would too, to the mentors and teachers that she had in her life that allowed her to get there along the way.

Ana Torres: (44:40)
And she continues to mentor people along the way. That is a passion that she continues to have. So let's recap a little bit. Focus on excellence. Be responsible for your own learning. And recognize your transformative power. Those are all powerful takeaways. So thanks, Eric. It was great to chat with you. Let's do it again sometime.

Eric Cross: (45:05)
Let's do it.

Ana Torres: (45:08)
Thanks for listening to Beyond My Years from Amplify. I'm your host, Ana Torres. Our Classroom Insider is Eric Cross. Our music is from Andrew Smolin. Listeners, we truly hope you'll have a great end of the year. We'll be back in your feed at the beginning of the new year with a wonderful conversation with a longtime Chicago public schools educator, Serena Klosa.

Serena Klosa: (45:38)
When you do listen and you observe and you take in that feedback, you'll have the support that you need. Because you can't do it alone as a new teacher. You can't. You've got to have that squad that's going to have your back.

Ana Torres: (45:52)
That's coming up at the beginning of the new year. In the meantime, Eric Cross and I will be sharing some special end-of-the-year content and Amplify social media feeds. Don't miss it. By following Amplify on Facebook and Instagram, we'll have links in the show notes. Make sure to subscribe to Beyond My Years on the podcast app of your choice. You'll get new episodes as soon as they drop. You can help more people find the show by leaving us a rating or a review. Or even better, let a couple of educator friends know about the show. We'd really appreciate it. Our website is amplify.com/beyondmyyears. Until next time, remember to reach out and say thank you to a seasoned educator who has shaped your life. I'm Ana Torres. Thanks so much for listening.