Ron Goodman has served as a principal in the Libby School District for the past twelve years. In 2011, Goodman led the consolidation of the elementary and middle schools, leading 615 students through a challenging transition while turning two staffs into one. Five years later, the students are successful and the staff is functioning as a team due to Goodman’s hard work, perseverance, and belief in doing what is best for students. In the process of immersing himself in elementary instructional programs, he led the school in pursuing the Striving Readers Grant, an avenue for improving professional development, instruction, and student reading skills. Goodman has been instrumental in technology integration with a one-to-one program and excellent classroom implementation. At a school with a highly transient population including over 100 students moving during the first half of this school year, Goodman has led Libby to improve its reading proficiency from 53% to 80% since 2012. He says that as principal, his position is “not better than the custodian, just a different position,” saying that he “must lead by being what [he] want others to become.” He received the Distinguished Principal Award from MAEMSP in 2016 and holds an Associate’s Degree from Flathead Valley Community College, a B.A. in Elementary Education from Western Montana College, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Idaho State University.