For Immediate Release: June 24, 2025
TETL Announces Dr. Latonya Goffney, Dr. Kari Murphy, and Aldine ISD are 2024-2025 Award Winners
The Woodlands, TX— Texas Education Technology Leaders (TETL) has announced that Dr. Latonya Goffney, Superintendent of Aldine ISD; Kari Murphy, Chief Technology Officer at Deer Park ISD; and Aldine ISD, led by Adam Galvan, Chief Information Officer, are the winners of their annual awards.
Dr. Latonya Goffney, Superintendent of Aldine ISD, is the recipient of the Empowered Superintendent Award. Each year, TETL selects a superintendent who has promoted and supported innovative uses of technology in their district. The award considers categories of leadership, innovative projects, collaboration, and district awards and recognitions. Under Dr. Goffney’s leadership, Aldine ISD—a district where over 91% of students are economically disadvantaged and nearly half are emergent bilingual learners—has bridged the digital divide, ensuring that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to devices and internet connectivity.
Dr. Goffney has fostered transformative change by building meaningful partnerships with all educational stakeholders. Her leadership in transitioning from Clever to ClassLink—integrated with Digital Insight—created a unified platform that not only streamlines student access to resources, but provides sophisticated analytics on software utilization patterns. Through this initiative, Goffney developed campus-tailored dashboards that track individual student engagement with high-quality instructional materials. This powerful data ecosystem now drives targeted interventions, informs resource allocation decisions, and shapes strategic planning across the district.
Dr. Goffney transformed district pedagogy through strategic technology implementation. She introduced cutting-edge AI tools including MagicSchool AI and Gemini for Workspace, delivering personalized learning experiences while reducing administrative burdens on teachers. Her proactive planning for online state testing ensured all components of the testing ecosystem function seamlessly, eliminating technical interruptions during assessment administration.
Goffney’s strategic technology initiatives have measurably improved student achievement and district operations. Academic performance shows consistent upward trends directly correlating with increased engagement through interactive, personalized learning experiences. Dr. Goffney embodies transformative leadership and her administration has been instrumental in providing pathways, programs, and partnerships which enable all students to succeed.
Dr. Kari Murphy, Chief Technology Officer, Deer Park ISD, is the recipient of the Grace Hopper Award. Named for Grace Hopper, a pioneer of computer programming and leader as a US Navy Rear Admiral, the award serves as TETL’s “Outstanding CTO of the Year” award. Dr. Murphy exemplifies the spirit of the Grace Hopper CTO Award through her visionary leadership, innovative use of educational technology, and unwavering commitment to student access and equity. As Chief Technology Officer for Deer Park Independent School District, Murphy has led initiatives that have redefined learning opportunities for thousands of students over her 26-year career in the district, 45+ years in education.
Under Murphy’s leadership, Deer Park ISD implemented a robust 1:1 Apple iPad student device program, ensuring that every learner has access to a digital learning device. This initiative allowed all students to learn anytime, anywhere—enhancing learning through innovation and creativity—and its success is a direct reflection of Murphy’s foresight and dedication to digital equity.
Murphy will forever be a teacher at heart and her mission is to empower those around her so that they can perform at their very best. She has designed and led comprehensive professional development programs which resulted in increased user confidence, enriched instructional practices, and improved student engagement across grade levels.
Beyond DPISD, Murphy represents Texas in the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) Early CTO Academy. She has served as a two-time past president of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and as chair of TETL.
Dr. Murphy is a leader locally and nationwide in using information technologies to increase opportunities and accessibility for student learning. She has significantly enhanced the educational experience for all students in Deer Park Independent School District and her visionary approach and dedication to leveraging technology for educational success makes her a deserving recipient of this award.
Aldine ISD, led by Adam Galvan, Chief Information Officer, is the recipient of TETL’s TEAM Award. The Aldine Technology Support Services Team has demonstrated exceptional leadership through targeted technology initiatives that directly enhance learning experiences across the district’s 80 campuses. This dedicated team collaboratively approaches technology integration with a fundamental understanding that their primary mission is to “help students learn,” “support teachers so they can teach,” and “ensure student and staff data remains safe.”
The team orchestrated a district-wide deployment of over 30,000 touchscreen devices specifically selected to increase engagement for young learners. This intentional selection accommodates diverse learning styles, particularly benefiting kinesthetic learners through tactile interaction with educational content. The team’s thoughtful implementation process included robust device management systems, strategic distribution logistics, and comprehensive training to ensure successful integration into classroom instruction.
The team’s most transformative initiative involved pioneering Generative AI in education through the district-wide implementation of MagicSchool AI. This innovative platform delivers personalized, immediate feedback on student writing and provides customized learning pathways based on individual performance data. The team navigated complex technical implementation challenges while developing thoughtful user training to ensure this cutting-edge tool genuinely enhances the learning experience through personalization.
Throughout these initiatives, the Aldine Technology Support Services Team has demonstrated that effective leadership in educational technology requires both technical expertise and educational vision. Their collaborative approach brings together specialists in network infrastructure, device management, instructional technology, and data systems—creating complementary strengths that drive comprehensive solutions. By maintaining focus on their core mission of supporting student learning, the team has created both accessible and enhanced learning environments across the district. From interactive touchscreen devices to AI-powered feedback systems, each implementation directly expands educational opportunities for every student while positioning technology as a powerful catalyst for academic achievement.
About Texas Education Technology Leaders
TETL is a chapter of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and is the premier organization for technology leaders in Texas K-12 school districts. Being a leader in the field of education technology depends on having the right support and guidance to stay ahead of quickly changing technology trends. Your network is key to helping the school districts you serve implement the best systems and solutions possible. We understand the challenges you face today—and we help you look ahead to what’s on the horizon. We tailor our services to support you and to help you stay one step ahead of an ever-changing technology environment. We empower education technology leaders . . . for today and tomorrow.