萝卜AV视频

President's Corner

For those privileged to serve as educators in public schools, the start of a new school year brings the same sense of renewal many feel on Jan. 1: a chance to begin again, recommit and imagine new possibilities for our students and communities. It means new goals, fresh supplies and a renewed sense of anticipation.

Whether you lead in a small rural community, a suburban system or a large urban district like Aldine ISD in Texas, the first day of school is filled with excitement. There is nothing like walking down freshly waxed halls, seeing students with bows in their hair and breakfast on their faces, and watching teachers greet them with smiles filled with possibility. It is one of my favorite times of the year.

My 鈥渨hy鈥� for this work is deeply personal. I often share my story of growing up in poverty. My mother was only 15 when I was born, and my grandparents, Bigmama and Papa, who raised me, had limited formal education. My grandfather, who couldn鈥檛 read and signed his name with an 鈥淴,鈥� told me, 鈥淚f you can read, you can go anywhere.鈥� Reading opened the world to me. It became a doorway to possibility and the bridge that allowed me to become the first in my family to graduate from college and eventually earn my doctorate.

As I begin my service as 萝卜AV视频president, my vision is clear: We must be Champions for Public Education. Public education fuels hope for students across this nation. It is the cornerstone of our democracy and one of the most powerful ways we shape opportunity for every child, regardless of ZIP code.

That is why AASA鈥檚 Public Education Promise matters. Across the country and across the political aisle, we largely want the same things for America鈥檚 children: an education that prepares them to contribute, succeed and pursue a path of their choosing. Parents want a good life for their children. Employers want trained, competent, and confident workers. Communities want engaged, active and informed citizens. And we can do all of this while creating space for joy, belonging, curiosity and a love of learning.

I invite each of you to ask: What are my goals for the new school year? Unlike New Year鈥檚 resolutions, these goals are promises. A promise to keep students at the center of every decision. A promise to be present. A promise to build systems that sustain excellence, not just moments of success. A promise to give every child hope.

There is no silver bullet for our challenges, from funding pressures to unfinished learning and growing demands on educators and public school systems. But we have seen students thrive despite adversity, especially when leaders address what is not working and persist in pursuing what can be.

When I started my superintendency journey in 2008, I heard a quote from educator Larry Bell that still resonates with me today: 鈥淥n your very worst day on the job, you are still some child鈥檚 best hope.鈥� Every student is counting on us. On our best days and our hardest days, we must remember that we may still be some child鈥檚 best hope.

Let us move forward this year with a collective commitment to champion our students. Let us provide them with more than just a high school diploma 鈥� with choices, opportunities and, above all, hope. It is hope, which resonated with me as a child, that with a solid education, I could go anywhere.

Welcome back! Let鈥檚 make this year our best one yet. Take meaningful action every day to champion a brighter future for public education.

LaTonya Goffney is 萝卜AV视频president for 2026-27.