In early May, NAHS social sciences teacher, Ms. Goodman was selected as one of 24 Teachers of the Year by LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. Goodman is also a National Certified Board Teacher and the lead 12th grade advisor for Senior Council, who plan class events and raise funds for prom. She has taught 24 years of teaching contributing a great deal to the many lives of students here, seniors in particular, at Northridge Academy High School.
Selected amongst 24 other teachers in the District, Goodman won the nomination, but how did she win this nomination? Gabriella “Gabby” Lopez, Commissioner of Spirit in Senior Council nominated Goodman. According to Lopez, “you have to go through some website, it’s a really long process but basically it’s just through the online site. After you’re nominated, you’re told and you have a series of things you need to do. One of them you needed to get a letter of recommendation from a student, which I wrote. Principal Castro also contributed a similar letter. Once you win, you then go to a meeting that they hold in your honor and you have a speech that you say amongst other teachers who won the nomination.” It’s clear that the nomination process is very important, and is not just from the perspective of other fellow teachers or faculty, but from students as well, which is a highly important aspect as students also have their opinions on teachers.
But why was Goodman chosen over other teachers here at Northridge by Lopez? “Miss Goodman is the best teacher I’ve ever had. It was an easy choice for me. She works really hard and I just honestly thought she deserved it. My whole family are teachers, so they mentioned the nomination, and I thought, ‘hey, why not put her name in the hat?’ I was really happy that she got nominated and everything went through. She works really hard and I see that a lot in her classes, and I really think she did deserve it.” After knowing that she received the award, Goodman felt very happy and accomplished, yelling out to Gabby, “Oh my God, I won it!” She is very grateful for her accomplishment of getting the award.
Sadly, Mrs. Goodman will not attend the Class of 2024’s graduation ceremony on June 10, as she has been also selected for a free trip to China to study. Many Senior Council members are highly stricken from this unexpected scenario, especially Lopez. Although, they realize that she deserves it for her hard work and dedication to the Northridge Academy senior class.
