Prior to joining Goalbook, Jon Valdez, PhD, served a total of ten years in administration, including six as a school principal. Jon also was an elementary school teacher and district instructional coach before moving into administration. He is now a District and School Customer Success Manager at Goalbook.
In this Q&A, Jon shares his experiences as a District and School Customer Success Manager and the benefits of working at Goalbook.
- What inspired you to go into teaching?
I wanted to be a positive change agent in our educational system. I am a son of an immigrant, and my mom didn’t have experience in the American educational system. As a first generation English learner, I received an education focused more on English language acquisition and less on critical thinking and deeper thinking. I didn’t realize this until I was in high school and had Pre-AP and AP classes. I wanted to break the cycle of there being different educations based on a student’s first language or socioeconomic background so that students like myself, and those who have been historically marginalized, don’t experience what I did.
In order to engage in challenging and dismantling oppression, I aspired to be an educator that was more aware and critical of my own realities and the realities of other populations. This journey allowed me to engage in more critical consciousness and social justice commitments to modify the experiences of the communities I live in and serve.
“In order to engage in challenging and dismantling oppression, I aspired to be an educator that was more aware and critical of my own realities and the realities of other populations.”
- What attracted you to EdTech and Goalbook?
Although I loved working alongside teachers, collaborating with fellow school leaders, and supporting student success, I had little to no time to take care of my personal needs, such as my physical and mental health. So I made the conscious choice of seeking new opportunities in the educational field, but outside the traditional Pre-K–12 spaces.
What drew me to Goalbook was that I would still have the ability to empower educators as they support students and their success. As I went through the hiring process, I was drawn to the fact that Goalbook prides itself in building and maintaining personal and professional relationships with the internal and external folks we interact with. Lastly, it was evident that Goalbook Toolkit resources, such as the robust, scaffolded, measurable goals and research-based instructional strategies, were true to Goalbook’s mission of empowering educators to transform instruction so ALL students succeed.
- As a District and School Customer Success Manager at Goalbook, outside of building relationships, what is an important task/activity you do?
An important task/activity I do is communicating how Goalbook Toolkit impacts educators’ level of effectiveness and efficiency when supporting students with an IEP.
As we know, crafting highly-quality IEPs can be an overwhelming and burdensome process. However, the design of Goalbook Toolkit has been created to reduce one’s workload by providing easy-to-access, research-based instructional resources, such as standard-aligned goals and Universal Design for Learning strategies. I communicate this impact of efficiency and effectiveness throughout the school year during our initial implementation conversation, training sessions (virtually and/or on-site), and mid-year check-ins.
“The 15 years I spent in Pre-K–12 educational spaces allowed me to acquire the essential skills, such as empathy, flexibility, and creativity, and to not only communicate impact, but also how to successfully implement a new program at the school and/or district level.”
- How did you learn how to do this task? Did you know this was an important part of the role?
I always carry both my teacher and educational leader hats with me. The 15 years I spent in Pre-K–12 educational spaces allowed me to acquire the essential skills, such as empathy, flexibility, and creativity, and to not only communicate impact, but also how to successfully implement a new program at the school and/or district level.
When I was a school leader, it was important to me to showcase to the teachers at my school site how any new resource and/or program being implemented would positively impact their core work. It is important that a tool, such as Goalbook Toolkit, was not seen as “just another thing” educators had to do, but more as a “must have” or “can’t live without” robust resource that would enhance their overall performance and boost them to their fullest potential.
I did realize early on as a Customer Success Manager that articulating impact was important, but it has now become the core of my conversations when interacting with our Goalbook school and district partners.
“Goalbook is constantly evaluating capacity and support to ensure that we maintain a work/life balance.”
- Tell us what a day looks like in the life of a District and School Customer Success Manager at Goalbook.
A day in the first quarter of the year (June, July, August) is having great conversations with partners, directors, and coordinators to gear up for the school year. We may meet either in person or virtually, and we focus on implementation and what training will look like for them. We also begin scheduling throughout the year because it will set the tone for the whole school year.
The second quarter of the year (September, October, November) is training, both in person and virtually. With in person training, you can connect, and people are more willing to explore and make connections. When not traveling, it’s ensuring I’m communicating with partners and being mindful of their needs. I provide refresher training sessions as needed. I’m also communicating with partners via email about usage and upcoming webinars, and I respond to their emails and needs.
As a Success team, we do check-ins with our managers and as a whole team. We discuss our team goals, company goals, and collaborate and brainstorm best practices centered around our core work, such as training.
In the late winter and early spring (January, February, March), we do our mid-year check-ins with our partners. This is a time to analyze the support and impact on instructional practice and on student success. And then we gear up for another year.
Although we have some peak work times, such as the beginning of the year training season, Goalbook is constantly evaluating capacity and support to ensure that we maintain a work/life balance.
- What are some benefits you have experienced working at Goalbook?
Goalbook is very intentional in providing on-going support for their team, especially in areas that they may not have full confidence in. The coaching and mentoring approach at Goalbook creates a safe space to not only ask countless questions, but to also learn alongside your colleagues.
Goalbook provides some amazing opportunities and benefits that I did not get to experience in the traditional educational setting. For one, I have much more autonomy over my schedule and overall workflow. This is rooted in Goalbook’s belief that we are all trusted professionals that know how to best manage our time and core work, thus dismantling micro-managing practices.
Another great benefit is our flexible time off policy, which allows us to break away from our workflow in order to take care of our personal needs as often as needed. In a typical educational setting, we usually get around 10 days off, which are a mix of personal and sick days. However, this is not the case at Goalbook, making our flexible time off policy essential to our work/life balance.
Aligned to this sentiment, when you are out of the office, you are truly out of the office. Internally, this time is respected by Goalbook, which allows you to focus on your personal needs and tasks.
“It is without a doubt that those who are passionate in supporting fellow educators, especially those supporting students in need of specialized instruction and with an IEP, have the ability and necessary skills to be successful as District and School Customer Success people.”
- In general why do you believe being an educator gives someone an advantage at being a great District and School Customer Success Manager?
Throughout my experiences at Goalbook, my skills as a prior educator were not only transferable, but highly valued. As educators, we develop so many crucial skills to make us successful and effective at what we do. We become attuned to those we collaborate with and the communities we serve. We adapt our approach for the countless individuals we support and care for.
It is without a doubt that those who are passionate in supporting fellow educators, especially those supporting students in need of specialized instruction and with an IEP, have the ability and necessary skills to be successful as District and School Customer Success people.
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