Black History Month is a celebration of the contributions of African-Americans to our U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Recently, I attended a program honoring Black History Month at Brandon Elementary and was amazed at the talent, poise and wealth of information shared by our students during the program. One African-American student recited the famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I have a Dream,” written 50 years ago. A group of students of all nationalities performed a dance and another group performed a skit.
By the time a white student led the audience in the Black Negro Spiritual, “Lift E’vry Voice and Sing,” I was practically in tears.
Jordan, an African-American student who introduced me, leaned over and whispered, “Dr. Goffney, why are you about to cry?” I placed my arms around him and replied, “Baby, we are living the dream!”
I am thankful to the Brandon Elementary staff who worked as a team to bring this program and other celebrations of accomplishment to fruition. As I drove back to my office, I thought about the fact that it takes a team to live the dream or in the words of John Maxwell, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Teamwork doesn’t happen by accident. It requires effort and commitment, and a willingness to accept the challenges of working together.
At Lufkin ISD, we know we must work as a team to make the dreams of success a reality for our students. We come together with one goal and one mission: to educate and equip all students for success through exceptional learning experiences.
Whether the experiences are memorable programs such as the Black History Month celebration at Brandon Elementary, or day-to-day learning in the classroom with above and beyond curriculum planning and teaching, our teachers and staff members make a difference in the lives of our students.
In addition, through the partnerships with our community via strategic planning, community forums, parent liaisons and our newly formed education foundation, we connect across all boundaries to get the job done.
Dr. King’s words ring true today filled with a message of hope for a brighter future. I realize that many of our students are full of hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
At Team Lufkin ISD, it is our belief that all children can learn and perform up to their potential. We believe that all of our students deserve a 21st century education so that they will leave us with the ability to communicate, to collaborate, to think critically, and to be creative. Our vision is for all Lufkin ISD students to graduate and access the “great vaults of opportunities of this nation” that Dr. Martin Luther King alluded to in his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Let’s use teamwork to make dreams come true for the students of Lufkin ISD.
Dr. LaTonya Goffney 