The Goodwill Excel Center

Inspiring Adult Learners - High School Teaching Positions Available

Are you an exceptional high school teacher seeking a new opportunity? The Goodwill Excel Center is growing, and we want you on our team!

We offer:
• Competitive Compensation & Teacher Incentive Allotment
• Affordable Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Tuition & Certification Support
• And much more!

Join us in empowering adult students to achieve their academic and personal goals. Submit your application today!

Careers | The Excel Center Careers At Excel, you’re part of a community of passionate educators who believe in the transformative power of learning and highly motivated, dedicated adult learners seeking to change their lives through education. Finally, a job that can ignite your inspiration and offer excellent benefits, too...

Due to anticipated extreme temperatures and unsafe road conditions, Excel Community School campuses, The Exploration Center, and Central Office will be closed tomorrow, January 26th. We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates. Please take care and take necessary precautions to stay warm.

Wrapping up the month with our last Principal Spotlight!

For Simon Solis, a single step into a classroom as a substitute teacher sparked a lifelong passion for education. That initial experience led him to pursue certification while working as a teacher assistant; a move that set the stage for a meaningful and impactful career. Two years later, he earned his first teaching position as an 8th-grade math teacher and football coach, a role he held for eight years.

Despite his success in the classroom, Simon decided to step away from education to start a cell tower communications business, seeking a new challenge. After two years, he realized something was missing. “At the end of the day, I wasn’t happy,” he reflects. “The stars aligned in 2014 when I was presented with an opportunity to work at the Excel Center for Adults. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Now, after 14 years with the organization, he continues to pour his heart into serving staff and students, a mission he describes as life changing.

What Simon enjoys most about his role is witnessing the transformative power of education firsthand. Each day, he sees how the program reshapes lives, not just by opening doors to opportunities, but by reigniting a belief in what’s possible. One of his most cherished memories is the day the Norwood Campus first opened its doors. “We were only allowed to enroll 100 students,” he recalls, a moment that marked the beginning of a powerful journey for countless learners.

With more than a decade of leadership, dedication, and a heart for helping others grow, Simon continues to shape lives and futures every single day. His journey exemplifies the power of perseverance, passion, and purpose, and a reminder that education doesn’t just change what people know, it transforms who they believe they can become.

With an incredible 33 years in education, including 16 as an administrator, seven years working in corrections at the Billy Moore as a campus and regional director, and now with the ETJE Regional team, Tricia Kelley brings a depth of experience, resilience, and passion that few can match. Over the course of her career, she has dedicated herself to helping students break barriers, rewrite their stories, and pursue brighter futures, no matter where their starting point may be.

When asked what she enjoys most about her work, her answer is immediate: “Without a doubt, our students.” They are at the center of everything she does, the reason behind every decision, every challenge faced, and every victory celebrated. Watching them grow, persevere, and succeed is the most rewarding part of her role.

Outside of work, she’s an avid hunter and fisherwoman. Growing up she was the only girl of six siblings. These passions reflect the same determination and grit she brings to her work each day.

Throughout Tricia's decades-long career, one skill has proven especially valuable: the ability to see the big picture and not get lost in the petty details. Staying focused on the end goal and students’ success is a guiding principle that has served her and her teams well. It’s also the foundation of her advice for those entering adult education: “If you don’t have the heart, you won’t make it. That kind of thing isn’t learned, it just is.”

Tricia’s loves witnessing the transformation of her students’ lives. Graduation days are especially emotional. “I’m always moved to tears,” she admits. “I know the stories behind our students and what they’ve overcome to walk that stage. It takes commitment, courage, and dedication to face something that was once an uncomfortable place. To watch grown men make that transformation is, for me, breathtaking.”

From the classroom to the correctional system and beyond, Tricia has built a career defined by heart, perseverance, and hope. Her leadership is proof the power of education transforms lives.