Broward County Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn. {David Volz}
Broward County Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn shared his vision for the upcoming school year during a presentation hosted by the Coral Springs Coconut Regional Chamber of Commerce at Coral Springs City Hall on Friday.
One of Hepburn’s goals is to involve the community in public education and establish strong partnerships with parents, businesses, faith groups, and civic organizations. He mentioned how proud he was that the district earned an A and no schools received a D or F.
“We need to believe in our students and empower them. If we believe in our students, they will become successful,” Hepburn said. “I want to establish strong relationships in the community, and I want people to know about all the wonderful programs Broward Schools offers.”
When asked about the declining enrollment in Broward Schools, Hepburn said he would work to educate parents about the successful programs offered by the schools. He wants families with students in private and charter schools to reconsider Broward public schools,
“Many of our parents don’t know about all the good things that are taking place in our schools. We have high-quality magnet programs and talented and hard-working teachers,” said Hepburn.
A question was raised about the possibility of closing low-enrolled schools. Hepburn said he would work with community leaders and look for ways to repurpose schools that have too few students to be viable.
“There are areas in Broward where there are few children. Some people don’t sell their homes when their children become adults,” he said.
When asked about teacher retention, Hepburn said finding ways to pay teachers higher salaries and offer them more support was critical. “I have seen teachers leave because they didn’t feel they had proper support in difficult situations,” he said.
Coral Springs commissioner Shawn Cerra, a former principal of J.P. Taravella High School, believes the superintendent will be an effective leader, and school Board member Debbi Hixon thinks the district is heading in a positive direction and believes in Hepburn.
Coral Springs, Margate, and Coconut Creek commission members attended the presentation.
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