I would like to take a moment to reflect on the hard work and dedication of our teachers as we cross the midpoint of our Fall semester. Their commitment to our students’ academic growth and individual success is truly remarkable. Each day as they do the work to educate, they also inspire and nurture the potential of our children, often going above and beyond to create engaging and supportive learning environments. I don’t mind saying it, they work to create an environment where students feel loved. It is essential to recognize that in the midst of the pressures associated with the ever-changing assessments created by state-mandated testing, that their efforts truly lay the foundation for a brighter future for our community and our world.

In addition to our teachers, I would like to celebrate the achievements of several departments within Goose Creek CISD that contribute to making our district great. Our Technology Department has successfully renewed the state’s Trusted Learning Environment Seal, which reflects our ongoing commitment to creating safe and effective digital learning spaces. This recognition is not just a badge of honor; it signifies our dedication to equipping our students with the tools they need to thrive in a technology-driven world. Furthermore, our Operational Services team has received another commendation from the Harris County Department of Education for Safe & Secure Schools validating the secure environment that our 2019 community school bond has enabled us to improve our vestibule entryways, perimeter fencing, camera technology and comprehensive building designs that serve to highlight our commitment to providing a safe and secure environment. Ensuring the safety of our schools is paramount, and I am proud of the hard work and strategic planning that goes into maintaining these high standards. I would also like to acknowledge the significant work of our Board of Trustees as they provide direction to our administration on these matters. More specifically, the Community Engagement Department has been directed to form a committee of citizens called the GC2035 Long Range Facilities Team. While the title of the committee may be obvious, the purpose is to consider what assets and resources we currently have and then, as a community, define what we would like for our schools to look like 10 years down the road and beyond, considering all of the various demographics and such things as growth patterns in our region, building designs, and standards, and at what point we must consider building capacity and deterioration concerns. The district has also continued Goose Talks, another vessel to ensure invaluable opportunities for our community members to actively learn about our processes and provide feedback. These committees are created by design to allow us to hear from you, our community, ensuring that our schools meet the needs of our Baytown, Highlands and growing West Chambers region of Goose Creek CISD. Your input is crucial, and I encourage all to engage in these conversations as we shape the future of our district together. This election time, we enter a critical period for public education in our community. This is a time not only to celebrate our achievements but also to prepare for the upcoming November elections. I urge each of you to step up and be proud partners in supporting Goose Creek CISD. The decisions made in these elections may have a profound impact on our schools and, by extension, our children’s futures. Now is the time to unite and advocate for the positive changes we’ve implemented and the progress we continue to strive for. We must stand strong against public scrutiny, knowing that those keyboard warriors, looking for every opportunity to criticize and tear down our schools and our city, have yet to become engaged with the work of solutions, in favor of the comfort of their own couch.

In the abreviated words of Teddy Roosevelt, I ask you to remember that the credit for the hard work belongs to the man (and woman) who are actually in the arena, whose face is marred by sweat, who strives valiantly, who errs and may fall short; but who actually do the good deeds; who knows great enthusiasm and devotion and expends himself in a worthy cause and shall not fall among those souls who never knew victory, nor defeat, because they have never stepped into the arena. While I know speaking of our founding fathers may be a touchy subject for some, I can’t help but believe that the vision they had for this great nation - a vision centered around public education as the pillar of democracy and opportunity for all should not be dismissed, as a byproduct of their faults as humans. Without a strong education system for all in place, our strength as a nation may be jeopardized through class segregation, the very thing the explorers were seeking to leave behind, a society of peasants versus aristocracy. Washington, Jefferson, Adams all advocated to have one national education system for all Americans, to be shouldered by its citizens. To fully understand how important that was then, as a deterrent to class segregation, should be easy to support why we do what we do now, through the public education system in America. Whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, I believe that together, we can join a common mission to continue to grow Giants right here in Goose Creek America!

Dr. Randal O’Brien

Superintendent of Schools