Goynes, Naomi

Naomi Goynes was born as Naomi Jackson on October 30, 1933 in Memphis, Tennessee to a minister father. Her first job was as a maid, but she had dreams of attending college. When Goynes attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, she received her teaching degree in home economics. Goynes met her future husband, Theron Goynes, in Nashville, Arkansas where they both were young teachers in 1956.

By 1958, they were married, living in Los Angeles, California and soon accepted positions with the Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs to teach the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The Goynes both signed teaching contracts in 1964 with Clark County School District (CCSD) and moved to Las Vegas with their young children. They have resided in North Las Vegas ever since on Veronica Street, aka "Teachers Row." Goynes is also an inspirational educator who successfully influenced the CCSD to implement Direct Instruction System for Teaching Arithmetic and Reading (DISTAR).