Texas Tribune public education reporter Aliyya Swaby sat down with Aldine ISD superintendent LaTonya Goffney on Thursday for a discussion on the impacts of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the Texas education system.

Here’s a look at some of Goffney’s responses to questions during the interview.

When can students and families expect to return to school?

What are some of the short-term impacts that students and families need to be aware of?

What accommodations are being provided to students with structural barriers to learning and/or learning disabilities?

What is being done for students dealing with food insecurity?

What has been the impact on school faculty and staff?

What are the potential long-term impacts to schools?

Goffney has been superintendent of Aldine ISD since 2018 and has overseen many new initiatives in the district, including pilot pre-kindergarten, dual-language immersion and college-readiness programs. Previously, she served as superintendent of Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated ISD and Lufkin ISD. The Texas Association of School Boards named Goffney its superintendent of the year in 2017.

Aldine ISD serves parts of Houston and unincorporated Harris County and spans across urban centers, suburban hubs and rural areas. The district serves nearly 67,000 students, and more than 87% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch or other public assistance. On March 16, the district announced it would suspend operations through April 10, ahead of an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott closing schools across the state.

The interview was streamed on the Tribune’s website, Facebook page and Twitter, as well as by our media partners at KPRC and KXAN, to a live audience of more than 8,000 viewers.

This virtual event is presented by the Texas Association of School Business Officials, Raise Your Hand Texas, Lone Star College, Educate Texas, Comcast and Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium. Media support is provided by KXAN, KPRC2 and Univision62.

Disclosure: The Texas Association of School Boards has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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