Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney is the Superintendent of Schools for the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Since taking the helm in July 2018, she has dedicated herself to the district’s over 60,000 students and nearly 9,000 employees, as well as the entire Aldine community. She began her career as a teacher at Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD in 1999 before eventually leading COCISD as superintendent from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, she was named Superintendent of Lufkin ISD. Dr. Goffney was the first African American to serve as superintendent in all three districts. She has increased student achievement in every district she has served, including Aldine ISD, by focusing on early childhood education, literacy, targeted professional development for teachers, and collaboration across the community, including developing business and school partnerships, parent engagement, and increased communication.
In April 2025, Dr. Goffney was voted as the 2025-2026 president-elect of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the nation’s premier organization representing more than 13,000 school system leaders nationwide. In recognition of her efforts, Dr. Goffney was named Texas Superintendent of the Year and the nominee for the AASA National Superintendent of the Year Award in 2018. In 2019, AASA named Dr. Goffney a finalist for the 2020 Women in Education Award. In the fall of 2019, Sam Houston State University presented her with the Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2021, the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) honored Dr. Goffney with the organization’s inaugural National Champions of Equity Award. In 2024, District Administration magazine listed her as one of the 100 Most Influential Educators in the nation.
A native of Coldspring, Texas, Dr. Goffney graduated from Sam Houston State University with a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s in educational administration, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Dr. Goffney is active in professional organizations, including the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents, the Texas Association of Black School Educators, and the Texas Council of Women School Executives, and in 2023, she became the first African American female to serve as president of the Texas Association of School Administrators. She is currently the president of the National Alliance of Black School Educators and serves on the executive committee for the American Association of School Administrators. She is also a member of the selective bipartisan organization Chiefs for Change, a network of school leaders nationwide.