2020 A.O.Y. Finalist: LaTasha Goodall

Why are you proud to be a charter school educator?

We live true to what we say we are. Saying that we have small class sizes, innovative technology, a family atmosphere, etc. is not merely a talking point. We show up every day, ready to deliver on that. None of our kids get left behind - we know each and every one of them. We advocate for them, relentlessly. I couldn’t imagine being an educator in any other space.

How has your team adapted to distance learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?

Imagine being ripped from your family. That’s what it feels like for my team during this time. We had no idea when we dismissed our students for the first closure period that we wouldn’t see them the rest of the school year, that I wouldn’t be able to promote my eighth graders onto high school. So I told my educators - we have to be ready to fight, no matter how long this lasts. And I saw my staff leap into action, setting up virtual classrooms and making plans. As the days turned to weeks, one of our scholars lost his mother to COVID-19. Making that phone call, and knowing I couldn’t embrace him, was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. But no matter how, I know it’s our job to be there for them in any way we can.