Champions for Public Education: A New Beginning

When my term as president of AASA officially began on July 1, I did not spend the day behind a desk or even in the United States.

I spent it traveling.

My first official journey as president took me through Toronto and on to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA) Annual Conference. I was traveling alone, navigating airports and connections, and I remember thinking, this is pretty cool.

Maybe that was an appropriate beginning, because these first few months have reminded me that leadership is a journey. Sometimes you know exactly where you are headed. Sometimes you encounter a five-hour flight delay. And sometimes you find yourself somewhere you never expected, surrounded by people who remind you why you said yes to the assignment in the first place.

One Community, Many Voices

I arrived in Saskatoon just in time for the CASSA reception and was warmly welcomed by Executive Director Reg Klassen and my favorite Canadian #BroSupt, Kevin Garinger, along with so many wonderful Canadian colleagues.

Because July 1 was Canada Day, after the reception we walked toward the bridge to watch the fireworks. Standing there on my first night as AASA president, in another country, celebrating with fellow public education leaders was an experience I will not soon forget.

The next day, I brought greetings from AASA at a conference appropriately themed, “Leadership for Belonging: One Community, Many Voices.”

What stayed with me most was not how different our school systems are, but how much we have in common.

As I talked with leaders from across Canada, I heard familiar conversations about belonging, student needs, supporting educators, navigating change, strengthening communities and ensuring that every child has access to an excellent public education. The context may be different, but so much of the work—and the weight of the work—is the same.

That was an important reminder for me so early in my presidency. Public education may look different from Saskatoon to Houston and in communities across North America, but the leaders I met share a common commitment: we believe in the promise of public education and in its power to create opportunity for every child.

I met some amazing people in Canada, including Rebecca Bittner, who would make the trip to Washington, D.C., just days later for my installation. 

A Moment I Will Never Forget

I flew home July 3, experienced a five-hour delay in Toronto, landed at 1:38 a.m. on July 4 and was back on an airplane July 5 headed to Washington, D.C., for AASA's Legislative Advocacy Conference.

Welcome to the presidency!

On July 7, I was officially installed as president of AASA.

My husband, daughter and grandson were there, surrounded by board members, friends, colleagues, #SisterSupts, #BroSupts, and AASA leaders. Even more meaningful was recognizing Aldine students advocating on Capitol Hill and two people close to me who had recently become Texas superintendents.

Then came a moment I will never forget.

My friend Heidi Baker's daughter, Sarah Kennedy, sang one of my favorite songs, Rise Up. I almost went into what I affectionately call the “ugly cry.” Because in that moment, I wasn't simply thinking about becoming president. I was thinking about the moment in which all of us are being called to lead.

Public education needs us to rise.

Our students need us to rise.

Our communities need us to rise.

And we must do it with hope.

Hope Requires Action

Leading with hope does not mean ignoring the challenges before us. Hope is not pretending everything is fine.

Hope requires us to see the challenge clearly and still believe we can do something about it.

That is why advocacy has already been an important part of my presidential journey.On July 29, I represented AASA during an E-Rate briefing on Capitol Hill. The room was packed, and I left inspired by the panel and even more convinced that school leaders must lean into this issue.

For nearly three decades, E-Rate has helped schools and libraries secure affordable broadband and network infrastructure. Today, more than 100,000 schools and 11,000 libraries rely on the program, and the FCC is considering significant questions about its future.

This is not simply a technology issue. Connectivity supports teaching and learning, but it also supports the modern infrastructure districts depend upon every day.

On September 9, I was a panelist on Keep Schools Connected: Protect E-Rate Virtual Town Hall. Superintendents, library leaders and policy experts came together to help leaders understand what is happening, what it could mean for students and district budgets, and how our voices can be part of the process.

Advocacy is part of leadership. Hope has to have hands.

Continuing the Conversation

That same idea will guide another part of my presidential journey that I am excited to share: my first podcast as AASA president.

Throughout this year, I want to introduce you to Champions for Public Education who are Leading with HOPE—people doing the work, confronting difficult issues and reminding us what is possible when courageous leaders remain focused on students.

It is fitting that our first conversation will focus on E-Rate.

I will be joined by Patrick Mayer, superintendent of Alaska Gateway School District in Tok, Alaska; David Thurston, assistant superintendent of Technology and Information Services for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in California; and Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, board chair of CoSN, executive director of EdTech Leaders Alliance and chief academic officer of Learn21.

Different communities. Different roles. Different perspectives.

And perhaps that is what these first months of my presidency have already taught me. From fireworks in Saskatoon to an installation in Washington, from conversations on Capitol Hill to conversations with leaders across this country, I keep coming back to the same truth: This may be my year to serve as AASA president, but this is our moment to be Champions for Public Education.

So let's keep showing up. Let's keep speaking up. Let's keep believing in our students, our educators and the promise of public education.

And most of all, let's keep leading with hope.

The journey is just beginning.

This post is part of Champions for Public Education, a series from 2026-27 AASA President LaTonya M. Goffney featuring people leading with hope — doing the work, confronting hard issues, and showing what's possible when courageous leaders stay focused on students.