RI Superintendent of the Year
Joseph B. Goho, Superintendent of the North Providence Rhode Island Public Schools, has been selected as the 2025 Rhode Island Superintendent of the Year. His selection by the Rhode Island School Superintendents' Association (RISSA) was announced at its General Membership Meeting on August 13, 2024. The selection and recognition of Mr. Goho by his colleagues is an indication of the high regard in which he is held.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement in school district leadership, dedication to the education of all children, commitment to the community, and service to RISSA. The award was presented to Mr. Goho by James Erinakes, Superintendent of the Exeter-West Greenwich Public Schools and the president of RISSA. In addition to his fellow educational leaders, Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica M. Infante-Green, Joe’s wife Melissa, and his children Benjamin and Nicole, were in attendance.
Mr. Goho has been an administrator in the North Providence Public Schools for 27 years. Mr. Goho has been the Superintendent in North Providence since 2019. He previously served as High School Principal in North Providence from 1999-2019. Prior to that he was Assistant Principal at NPHS. Mr. Goho began his career in Providence as an English teacher at Roger Williams MS and at both Mt. Pleasant and Classical high schools. He also has served as an adjunct faculty member at Providence College.
Mr. Goho has been an active member of the RI Interscholastic League (RIIL) Principals Committee on Athletics (PCOA) for many years, including serving as the Co-Director of boys’ basketball for the past 15 years.
During his tenure as Superintendent of North Providence Schools, Mr. Goho has demonstrated a focus on improving student achievement by upgrading school facilities to enhance student success. Through collaborative efforts with town elected officials towards the successful voter passage of two school construction bonds totaling $200 million, North Providence Public Schools soon will have built four new elementary schools, a new central office administration building on the high school campus, a remodeled high school auditorium and library media center, upgraded middle school gymnasiums and cafeterias, and renovated athletic fields. Upon completion of these ambitious construction projects, every North Providence elementary student will have the opportunity to attend a brand new, state of the art school, while students at both the middle school and high school level will learn in modernized facilities as well.
North Providence Public Schools also has implemented new high quality curricula in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, including new research-based “walk-through“ protocols to monitor curriculum implementation and to enhance teaching and learning. Additional resources and increased staffing have been provided specifically to support the needs of K-12 multilingual learners (MLL). The District has utilized grants to create new elementary programs for differently-abled students, allowing more students to learn in their neighborhood schools. Numerous new career and technical education (CTE) pathways have been developed at the high school, including CTE feeder system programs at both middle schools. In 2024 North Providence also saw record-breaking participation and double digit passing score increases on Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Mr. Goho’s work as an education leader is testimony to the engagement of all members of the school community in North Providence and across RI.
Mr. Goho has been an active member of the RI School Superintendents Association for 6 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at Providence College, earned a MAT in English at Rhode Island College, and a Master of Education Administration degree at Providence College.
Joe and his wife Melissa, and his children, reside in Lincoln RI, where he has served as a member of the Lincoln Public Schools School Committee since 2016.
Mr. Goho will be recognized by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) at its National Conference on Education to be held in New Orleans March 6-8, 2025.