When Erin moved from the state of Washington to Ohio, she was planning on substitute teaching after she got settled in to give herself time to figure out what her next career move would be. She learned there was an open position at Goalbook on the Customer Success team based out of Columbus, Ohio, so she applied and interviewed (even doing her last interview the week of her wedding). On the day she returned from her honeymoon, Erin received the job offer for the position. Despite the nerves and fear about the challenges of starting a completely new and different role, she was excited for the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop the skills she had proudly gained in her prior roles.
Erin’s first role in special education was during college. She interned with a family relief nursery and worked with children from birth to three years old and Pre-K students. Although it was not an official role, it gave Erin her start in the field. She then completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees and started working in special education as an elementary teacher.
One of Erin’s character traits is the willingness to grow, whether that is personally, professionally, or both. After teaching at the elementary level, she obtained her leadership credentials and shifted into leadership as a Dean of Students (while also teaching middle school part-time). Eventually, Erin became an Assistant Director of Special Education, where she supported secondary and post-secondary students who were transitioning out of the educational world and into the adult world.
“What I love about the roles I’ve had,” said Erin, “is that I’ve worked with the full range of students and experiences from our littlest of students to our eldest students.”
In this Q&A, Erin shares about her role at Goalbook and how it helps continue her life’s passion and desire to make a difference in the world.
1. What inspired you to go into education?
I feel so lucky to have been surrounded my whole life by people who want to make a difference and an impact in the world, however that aligns with their strengths and passions. Through their diverse range of professions — artists, writers, firefighters, political activists, farmers, and educators — I learned the importance of working to improve the quality of life, not just in the present, but for generations to come. I wanted to figure out what my strengths were and where my passion would be, and then align that with my career as well. I wanted to be a part of a community working towards building a better world.
My first experience working in education was as a high school student. I had an open block in my schedule, so I had the opportunity to support a special education classroom. My role was to tutor peers and support them in practicing learning goals in a variety of areas, including speech, fine motor, social, and study skills. This became my favorite part of the day, not only because I saw the impact I was making for others, but also because of the community I was becoming a part of.
In college, I volunteered for the Special Olympics, where I saw firsthand the power and beauty of individuality, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of making the world a more inclusive place. I found my passion and my place. My strengths aligned there, so towards the end of my freshman year, I switched my major from Political Science to Education and started pursuing special education.
2. How did you learn about Goalbook, and what attracted you to Goalbook’s mission?
I first got connected with Goalbook through my previous district. I was an Assistant Director of Special Education, and my district was looking for a tool that would align some of our district priorities and support our special educators. I helped to support the implementation of Goalbook Toolkit and saw firsthand how Goalbook’s resources, professional development, and different supports come together to align with Goalbook’s mission, which is so similar to so many districts’ missions and goals.
After my move across the country, I wanted to continue my passion, which is in creating effective, equitable, and inclusive learning environments for all kids, and Goalbook’s mission aligns with that in terms of how we leverage instructional practice and teacher effectiveness to ensure that we’re helping to improve student outcomes. This was a lot of what my work looked like as an educator and as an Assistant Director supporting educators. So it felt like a natural transition and a way for me to challenge myself in a different role while still keeping true to my passion and dedication to the field.
“I have an amazing opportunity to connect with district leadership and hear about what their goals are for the year, where they are investing their resources, and what growth and outcomes they want to see.”
3. In your eyes, how does your work support Goalbook’s mission?
I see my role as a Customer Success Manager in a couple different ways.
The first way is I have an amazing opportunity to connect with district leadership and hear about what their goals are for the year, where they are investing their resources, and what growth and outcomes they want to see. They are an integral part of the team and that conversation. This really relates to Goalbook’s mission in that we’re here to empower educators and build their capacity, and that’s often aligned with what districts are also focusing on. Being a part of those initial conversations for goal-setting and getting to know our partners in terms of what their aspirations and goals are is really helpful.
The second way is I get to be a part of the support for the special educators. I deliver professional development around research-based instructional practices that make a difference and are aligned with the goals we’ve set. I also get to know the special educators, so I am a part of that piece as well.
I also dive into the data around things like: Are we achieving our goals? Where are we seeing strengths? What areas could we dig into a little bit deeper? Then I use this data to guide districts in setting their goals for the upcoming year and to discuss how we at Goalbook can partner with them.
As a thought partner with the districts that I have the opportunity to work with, I do have a lot of those touch points within this role.
4. Was there a specific moment when you first considered transitioning to the private sector?
I know that people come into the private sector from education for a variety of reasons. This was an exciting opportunity that opened, and something I was definitely looking into.
I think we’re always seeking to continue to develop in our careers, especially in careers in which we have aligned a lot of our lives, passions, and interests with the work we do. We’re always looking for that growth opportunity and where we can continue to make an impact.
What I liked about the idea of the private sector was being able to expand my impact. I feel like impact can happen at a lot of different levels, and I’d had that at the classroom level, building level, district-wide level. But in this role, I partner with districts across the nation, and that was really appealing to me.
I also have learned so much from having exposure to different leadership, expertise, and the work that’s happening across the nation. This has helped me to continue to grow and to learn in the field. So I also love that aspect of it.
5. When do you feel like your work is contributing to improve the education system?
This is one of the pieces that drew me to Goalbook. We are very focused on impact, and it’s fluid throughout the year in terms of where we have the ability to feel and see the impact.
I receive fantastic feedback from educators after I have spent time with them and have dived into the research-based practices in Goalbook Toolkit. That shows me that Goalbook Toolkit impacts them and their work.
Throughout the school year, we meet and review data with our partners, and I provide information on how often and how much educators are utilizing Goalbook Toolkit resources. I’m intentional about asking my partners questions about what they are seeing in their districts around building teacher capacity and student outcomes. It’s really exciting what they share. So I not only see the data around usage and utilization of Goalbook Toolkit, but I also hear from the field what that looks like. So even though I’m not in that district, I’m hearing about it and feeling a part of it.
We also have things like our annual survey, where we get both district-specific and nationwide information around educator impact. That’s very powerful.
There’s always those organic moments to hear about impact, too. When we’re at conferences people will come up and share about the difference in having Goalbook supports for their educators, themselves as leaders, and for student outcomes.
“Goalbook as an organization is dedicated to inclusivity and bringing people together which has fostered and led to so many new professional relationships and friendships.”
6. What are one or two things you love here?
The community at Goalbook is incredible. Goalbook as an organization is dedicated to inclusivity and bringing people together which has fostered and led to so many new professional relationships and friendships. Embedded in our work are times to connect outside of the world of education both virtually and in person!
One of my favorite things outside of the role is when our organization comes together twice a year for in person Team Weeks. Team activities I have loved include: going to museums, hiking, picnics in the park, bowling, touring fun areas like Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, trying great restaurants, and going to sporting events.
In addition to the relationships I have built within the Goalbook team, I have also built friendships and relationships with many exceptional educational leaders throughout the nation. Through attending trainings, meetings, and conferences, I have gotten to know others for the work they are contributing to our field, and I’m getting to know more about their families, personal accomplishments, and the amazing lives they lead.
I also enjoy the opportunity to travel to so many different places in the United States! I have seen Vermont hillsides blanketed in fall colors, the historic streets of Savannah, Georgia draped in Spanish Moss, sunsets over the Lake of the Ozark, sunny weather in San Francisco, vistas from Rocky Mountain National Park, and the Ohio countryside with its fields of cornstalks.
7. Which team activity has been your favorite?
Some of us went to see a Golden State Warriors game in January 2024. I don’t know a lot (really anything!) about basketball. It was a very sport-centered event, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to really enjoy it. But I had such a fun time.
My teammates were coaching me and explaining all the stats that were coming up, their favorite players, and all these kinds of things. Also, it was Educator Night and the arena was filled with educators. So it was loud, exciting, and so fun to be a part of that experience.
8. What’s something that made you laugh while at Goalbook?
I have become very close friends with another one of the Customer Success Managers since we onboarded together. She lives in South Carolina, and I live in Ohio. We were both traveling to Savannah, Georgia for a conference, and we knew our flights arrived around the same time. We decided we could Uber together if our flights were on time.
I had a layover in Atlanta, and when I got to my gate, she was there. It turns out we both had layovers in Atlanta, and we had the same next flight. Our seats ended up being almost right next to each other. The poor person who was near us had to hear us catch up the whole time. It was so random and super funny.
9. What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?
Reading: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It’s about the Chicago fair and a serial killer. I also have his other book, The Splendid and the Vile. I’m obsessing about him right now.
Watching: We don’t watch a whole lot. We were on a kick of holiday cooking shows during the holidays, like cooking competitions because we find that everyone is okay with watching those. Our family spans all ages, so you can have little ones and seniors watching cooking shows. They’re not going to offend or scare anybody, hopefully.
Listening: When I’m traveling, I don’t like to listen to things that are too intense or too thought-provoking because I have to navigate airports and rental cars and all these other things. I sort of unplug for a little bit. But my daughter recommended The Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros, which I listened to a little while back.
10. Early bird or night owl?
I used to be a night owl until I married my husband, who is an early bird. Now I’ve shifted my pattern because it’s really hard to be a night owl and be up late and then have his alarm go off really early and get up, too. So now I’m an early bird.
