REMARKS
Khalek Kirkland, Superintendent, District 23 on School Infrastructure and Attendance Improvements in Brownsville and Beyond
2:11:15
·
114 sec
Khalek Kirkland discusses the transformative school infrastructure improvements in Brownsville and their extension to other districts, alongside strategies to boost attendance.
- Discusses wide-ranging infrastructure improvements, including water fountains, bathrooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and hallway paint, that have notably enhanced the school environment.
- Highlights the impact of these improvements on community perception, noting a parent's positive reaction to the revitalized school hallway.
- Explains the chancellor's commitment to ensuring all children can read, emphasizing the importance of both curriculum quality and student attendance.
- Details initiatives to involve parents in their children's education, including sending pictures and videos of school activities to demonstrate learning through play.
Khalek Kirkland
2:11:15
So I do feel like I'm the the chancellor's hype man, but I think that you would be super proud.
2:11:21
No, you would be proud.
2:11:23
Of the the project that Dan talked about of the millions
Rita C. Joseph
2:11:26
of subscribers.
2:11:27
Tell me what they are.
Khalek Kirkland
2:11:28
I'm talking about everything from water fountains bathrooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias, hallway paint.
2:11:39
You know when you know that it's worked, when a parent who sees me coming in the building and say, Doctor Kirkland, wow, this whole way is phenomenally different.
2:11:48
And you're right.
2:11:49
Brownsville has deserved that for years,
Gale Brewer
2:11:51
and
Khalek Kirkland
2:11:51
now we have a chancellor who understands that.
2:11:55
And not only do we have it Brownsville, but we've expanded that now to 4 other high deserving districts.
2:12:03
In addition to what you said around attendance, you're right.
2:12:07
The chancellor has been headstrong about making sure that all of our children can read.
2:12:12
We all learned how to read when we were in school.
2:12:15
And he's making sure that our classrooms and our teachers are equipped to make sure that our children are reading and you're right.
2:12:21
They have to 1st be in school.
2:12:23
I can have this amazing curriculum.
2:12:25
But if the children are not in school, then that's an issue.
2:12:27
And you're right.
2:12:28
For our lower grade scholars, it really does involve parents.
2:12:32
Because a kindergarten or 1st or the 2nd grade child cannot bring themselves to school.
2:12:36
So we've been doing things like the apparent coordinators are taking pictures and videos of what it is that the children are doing in school and then sending that out to the parents to say, see what your child did in school today because he average kindergarten child, you know, when a parent picks them up and say, how was school today?
2:12:53
They can only tell them 2 things what I ate for lunch and what I played at recess.
2:12:58
So now we have a window into the classroom so that parents can see this is what your child is doing.
2:13:05
Your child is not just playing but they are learning through play.