Danny Goodwin will be Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School’s interim principal. 

Formerly the assistant principal for five years, Goodwin steps into the role as former principal Robin Kelly takes the position of the Danville Independent School District’s director of data and administrative services. 

Goodwin said he is excited that Toliver has systems and structures in place that will allow staff to focus on the art of teaching more, for serious gains in the classroom. One main point of focus will be on improving performance in reading.

“We want to ensure every kid can reach their goal in reading before they leave here,” he said. “We’re also excited to create learning opportunities that are engaging to the students, that are relevant to them.” 

Goodwin is a DISD graduate himself. He and his wife, Amanda Goodwin, both graduated from Danville High School in 1997. They have three children enrolled in the DISD. He played soccer and was on the swim team during his time in high school and is part of the Danville High School Hall of Fame. 

“Obviously, we’re big Danville fans in our house, so it’s exciting to work at our alma mater,” Goodwin said. “It’s also comforting to know that I’m going to be able to work with such a great staff. We have a pretty solid group here at Toliver that does a great job every day, working tirelessly for the students.” 

Prior to being Toliver’s assistant principal, he was a physics and engineering teacher at Danville High School. He has also been a teacher at Madison Central High School and Lafayette High School. 

Much of what he has done in his time as Toliver’s assistant principal has been focused on student life and behavior. One of his biggest accomplishments alongside the team of staff at Toliver has been developing a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system through Toliver’s BLUE Pillars, which outline expectations for behavior in different areas of the school building. 

“I’m proud that we are keeping kids in class as much as we possibly can,” Goodwin said. “We’re teaching them how to be good citizens and how to work with their classmates instead of just punishing them for doing wrong.” 

As he takes on the role of interim principal, he wants to focus on efficiency. 

“Now that we have our structures and procedures in place at Toliver, the physics teacher in me gets excited to shift our focus towards increasing our efficiency, maximizing the outcomes for all of our students,” he said. 

Former principal Kelly said, “Danny has been my assistant principal for five years, so of course I think he’s been trained very well. But it’s time for him to spread and exercise his administrative wings.” 

Interim Superintendent Elmer Thomas said, “Danny has been a great assistant principal. I am excited for him as he makes this transition, and I’m thankful he is willing to step up.”