Rosalind “Roz” Goodman, beloved math teacher and softball coach at Allderdice, was known throughout the Allderdice halls for her big smile, warm hugs, and endless humor. “She always carried this energy with her that radiated off into the class, and her passion for seeing each of her students succeed was so evident,” says junior Abby Blank. 

“She was a great teacher and I had a wonderful learning experience with her…” adds junior Ellie Kannel.

On December 20, 2019, Goodman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of liver cancer. Immediately, the Allderdice community rallied around her. On January 10, 2020, Leslie Britton, a math teacher at Allderdice and close friend of Goodman, created a gofundme page to “put Roz in a position to focus her energy on her recovery and help alleviate her financial burdens.” The fundraiser raised over $25,000. 

Carl Baumgart, a Visual Communications teacher at Allderdice, worked with some staff members to design a t-shirt to raise additional funds. The first batch of t-shirts sold out on the first day of sales and more were printed. The hashtag #TeamGoodman was used to unite her supportive base of students, staff, Allderdice parents, community members, and Allderdice alumni. 

Sadly, on February 10, 2020, after a fiercely fought battle, Goodman passed away, surrounded by her children and mother. All fundraiser donations began to go directly to her children.

Only a month later, Pittsburgh Public Schools, along with the rest of the world, went into an at-home-lockdown and transitioned to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was very disappointing that COVID hit exactly a month after she passed, and the school wasn’t able to do anything to honor her right when it happened, “ says Blank.

Both Blank and Kannel were students in her Geometry CAS class their freshman year. Two years later, now back to in-person schooling again, they decided to honor her memory. On February 10, 2022, Allderdice held a “Green out for Goodman” day, thanks to Blank and Kannel’s efforts. They add that they could not have done it without the help of Allderdice Assistant Principal Amy Davies and Allderdice math teacher Jay Slosky.

But they felt compelled to do more: they set up a gofundme page to raise money for a plaque that will be displayed in Allderdice to honor Goodman. 

“I think the main reason we choose to honor her through a plaque is so people can see her memory, whenever they need to. A big part of grieving or remembering someone is actually seeing who we lost as a person, looking back on what they did for us and memories that come from that. Aside from a picture, the plaque will have a description of her life as a teacher, mother, etc. This way, along with those who knew and loved her, people who were never fortunate enough to ever meet her can also see what kind of legacy she holds, and that way she’ll never be forgotten,” says Kannel. “Although she is memorable enough without the plaque,” she adds.

Their original goal was $500. By now, they have raised $2,800. “The fact that our original goal has been met so many times over is truly a beautiful thing. Money was donated from numerous teachers, students and even community members not affiliated with the school, which shows just how many lives Ms. Goodman touched,” exclaims Blank.

Any leftover funds after purchasing the plaque will go to creating a scholarship fund to support seniors “who meet Ms. Goodman’s values and beliefs” as they seek higher education. 

Blank and Kannel hope to have the plaque hung up in the halls of Allderdice by the end of the school year. 

Kannel knows that the loss of the last two years–both pandemic related and otherwise–touch so many. “Coming out of two years full of loss and grief, I hope this shows people that those who passed aren’t forgotten and they lead amazing lives no matter the circumstances of how they left us.”

They both hope the plaque and scholarship will keep Goodman’s memory alive. Blank says, “I hope that the plaque and scholarship fund allow Ms. Goodman’s legacy to be given a place to shine both in the school building, and in the lives of the chosen seniors. Now that two years have passed since she passed away, two classes of seniors have graduated, meaning that there are now two classes of students at Allderdice who do not know who Ms. Goodman was. I hope that this plaque can serve as a long-lasting memento in the school building of the amazing person she was, and inspire the class of ’24, ’25, and all those in the future.”

If you would like to support Blank and Kannel’s efforts, please click here to donate.