Superintendent Richard Carranza wrapped up his Listen & Learn Tour on Monday night with two virtual sessions in both English and Spanish, which were streamed live on HISD-TV, the district’s website, and Facebook.
Topics included the issue of recapture and how the state’s current school funding structure is affecting the district, equity, dual language programs, fine arts access, serving the whole child, standardized testing, special education, and what the superintendent is looking for in future district leaders.
Participants could submit a question via email or social media beforehand or live during the broadcasts, and more than 100 questions were submitted in English and Spanish by parents, students, staff, and the community. Call-in questions were also taken during both sessions. The English broadcast ran from 6 to 7 p.m., and the Spanish version ran from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Carranza said his tour has been extremely valuable in getting to know the communities that make up HISD, and he would like to engage with the community in future Listen & Learn sessions – especially in the live format.
“It’s been an exhilarating experience having gone to every corner of the greater Houston area and the different communities that make up our city,” Carranza said. “I’ve learned so much because I’ve heard from family members, community members, and staff members about what they like that’s going well in the district and some of the things I should put on my radar.”
Carranza has held more than two dozen town hall meetings in person over the past few weeks as a way to introduce himself to the community, solicit input from stakeholders about the district’s future, and learn about key issues across HISD.
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