05/29/2024 -
Dr. Rani Goyal has been named SCOE’s new assistant superintendent of Human Resource Services.
Dr. Goyal, who earned her Ph.D. in industrial organizational psychology, said she looks forward to furthering efforts around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, informed by her experience during the year she has served as co-director at the North Coast School of Education. She said she is eager to lead an experienced, talented HR team in this work.
“When I think about my first interactions at SCOE, it was with the Human Resources team,” she said. “I felt very welcomed. I remember how friendly and helpful and coordinated the team was."
“The HR team are often the first people at SCOE who anyone interacts with," she said. "I want everyone to have the same experience I had, whether they are becoming a member of the team or obtaining a credential to work as a substitute teacher.”
Prior to joining SCOE this school year, Rani served as a principal at Cloverdale High School and as Director of Teaching and Learning for Santa Rosa City Schools. Outside of Sonoma County, she has worked as a principal at Fullerton Union High School and as executive director of a charter high school in La Mesa, California.
“Rani is a trusted educational leader who’s known and respected countywide,” said Dr. Amie Carter, Sonoma County superintendent of schools. “Her broad experience as a teacher and leader at both school sites and in a central office, as well as her leadership within ACSA (the Association of California School Administrators), makes her well-suited for this important work.”
As assistant superintendent, Rani will be tasked with guiding improvements in areas identified by the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), as well as feedback and recommendations from the equity audit, staff, and community members.
Along with the hiring of Rani for 2024-25, SCOE will reinstate the position of Director of Human Resources. This classified manager will work with Rani and the Personnel Commission and focus on classified staff. Dr. Carter and the leadership team will coordinate with the Personnel Commission on hiring for this leadership role.
“One of the things I’ve so enjoyed about working at SCOE this past year is not just the friendliness of the staff – the willingness to help, to step in, to be a part of a team that sees that we are part of the greater good,” Rani said. “What I really want is that everyone knows that equity and diversity and inclusion and belonging are not just something we say, but that they are something we embody and live every day.”
