Many students in Washoe County headed back to the classroom Monday. At the same time, the district’s new Superintendent, Dr. Heath Morrison scurried around the county attempting to make contact with as many students, parents and teachers as possible. In addition to an early morning television appearance, Morrison stopped at several schools throughout the day. At 6:00 PM he hosted a Town Hall Meeting at Reed High School, inviting feedback from the community.

Top issues of the night included “No Child Left Behind” requirements, programs for gifted and talented students, and better testing standards. Morrison encourages year-to-year improvement for individual students over grade level benchmarks. He admits that he is still getting acquainted with the schools and programs in the districts, but he says he’s eager to hear what the community wants from their school system. “I’ll knock door-to-door if that’s what it takes to make sure parents have a voice in how we’re educating their children,” he says.

Many who attended the meeting said the felt energized and encouraged by Morrison’s approach, but all agree there is still much work to be done. In an effort to encourage continued dialogue with parents, students, teachers and interested citizens, the district has created an online survey. In addition, Morrison will host a series of Brown Bag Lunches at locations throughout the district to answer questions and address concerns about the school district. Those meetings will also be webcast. For more information click the links below.