A Message From Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney, Superintendent

Disponible en: Español

Dear Aldine Community,

We have had a great start to the 2024-2025 school year! I have visited campuses at least once a week, if not twice. These visits bring me joy and remind me why I love serving as your superintendent. They remind me why the work we do in our schools is so important. My why lies in seeing students’ excitement about learning, underscored by hearing their dreams and aspirations. 

Accelerate

Since serving as superintendent, we have been striving to meet our goals and creating new choices and opportunities. We will continue our journey forward grounded in Accelerate , our new five-year strategic plan , by building on the strong foundations we created. The district’s four strategic priorities for Accelerate are Students First, Instructional Excellence, Thriving Teams, and Aligned Systems. Our Portrait of a Graduate is at the heart of the strategic plan, which underlines each priority. The guiding model sets forth the qualities that every Aldine ISD student should embody before walking across the stage to accept their diploma. I am excited about our new set of priorities to guide our work. They will ensure we always keep sight of what we have promised in our mission: Aldine ISD will provide a rigorous and enriching educational experience that prepares every student for college, career, and life. Our students will continue to graduate with choices and opportunities. 

#AldineImpact

Staff kicked off the new school year at our convocation , where astronaut José Hernández inspired us all and showed us how one teacher can impact a child’s life. We have incredible teachers, like Ana Cuevas Nicasio and Bailey Steffek , who have been named TABE’s 2024 Elementary Bilingual Teacher of the Year and Secondary ESL Teacher of the Year. Congratulations!

Our students and staff have already set the bar high for the new school year with remarkable achievements. Thanks to the talent and dedication of our teachers, we have 88 students who have earned the College Board National Recognition , a 76% increase from last year. Over 75 students have earned nearly 100 AP Scholar Awards , a 46% increase from the previous year. The Class of 2024 has also shown outstanding performance, with 86% earning a CCMR (College, Career, and Military Ready) designation, 92% submitting college applications, 63% completing FAFSA/TASFA applications, and the class earning over $50 million in scholarships. These achievements are a testament to our students and staff members’ hard work and commitment, and we will continue to focus on CCMR initiatives to further enhance college and career readiness.

New Initiatives/Bond 2023 Projects

As we continue to innovate, I am proud of our ongoing initiatives, like the HEAL program at Nimitz High School (the CTE initiative is in partnership with Memorial Hermann) and the upgraded W.W. Thorne Stadium , which exemplifies our commitment to providing state-of-the-art resources and opportunities for our students. I look forward to seeing you at the season’s first game on August 29 .

There is much to be excited about in Aldine ISD, from the new partnership between United Flight System and the Aviation Program at Davis High School , a midpoint salary increase of 1.5% for all employees as well as an increase in the starting teacher salary (a big shout-out to our Board of Trustees for their support of staff), and the start of the first three projects from our $1.8 billion-dollar Bond 2023 (the construction of the Education and Performing Arts Center, and the rebuilding of two of six of our oldest campuses: Aldine Middle School and Carver High School), to name a few.

Class of 2024 Summer Graduation

Before I close, I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our Class of 2024 summer graduates once again. We celebrated their achievements last week at commencement, and I am excited to see all the great things they will accomplish. I also want to thank all the families who came out to  support our students. Your unwavering support is crucial to our students’ success, and we are excited about your child’s future.

Celebrate With Us — Stay Engaged

I encourage you to dive into this issue to learn more about Aldine and to join us in celebrating the great things happening in our school district. You can stay updated by visiting our website, AldineISD.org , or following us on social media. Read about our students’ achievements at the National Thespian Festival and The Jimmy Awards , learn which campus had a student earn a top award at the 2024 National History Day Contest, and discover why AISD was named a TAEA District of Distinction for a sixth consecutive year for Outstanding Visual Arts Program! Your engagement and support are vital to our community, and we look forward to sharing more success stories with you. 

Thank You

Again, to all our families, thank you for entrusting us and letting us serve you and your students. It is truly an honor to work for you. I encourage all families and staff to stay involved by attending our upcoming events, participating in community meetings, and sharing your feedback as we strive to make Aldine ISD an even better place for our students to learn and grow.

To our staff, know I couldn’t be prouder — thank you for your contributions and for making it happen for all our students each and every day. Together,  we are making an #AldineImpact in our students’ lives now and in their future.

Have a great school year!

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent