Listening to and Learning from the Community

During his first 100 days as superintendent, Dr. Alex Marrero is connecting with families, students, alumni, staff, and community members across the district on a Listening and Learning Tour.

From Dr. Marrero:
One of the best parts of my first couple of months with DPS has been getting to know so many members of the DPS community through my Listening and Learning Tour.

The goal of this tour is to connect with students, families, and communities -- especially those who have been unheard in the past -- and to build strong relationships in every region.

So far, the tour has taken me all across the city to hear the answers to three key questions:
What’s been going well in DPS;
What needs improvement; and
What advice folks have for me as the new superintendent.

Getting to engage with over 1000 people -- mostly in small-group meetings -- has been such an important introduction for me to the current state of our DPS community.

I’ve heard about our strengths, like our committed and engaged teachers and staff, our current focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the leadership and engagement of our incredible students.

I’ve heard about where we can grow, such as making sure our workforce reflects the identities and experiences of our students, and helping our kids accelerate their learning after the turbulence of the past 18 months.

And I know I’ll continue to learn more as I get the chance to visit more schools and connect with more of our students and alumni, more of our rich and diverse cultural groups, more of our amazing teachers and leaders and staff.

This Listening and Learning Tour is an essential part of my first 100 days as superintendent, and I truly appreciate the time you’re taking to share your insights with me. I look forward to connecting with many more of you as we start the 2021-22 school year!