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KEY TOPICS Include: High Stakes Testing | Bilingual Education | Retention and Graduation | Leadership | ARCHIVE | Making the Tough Decisions | Improving Student Performance | Trends in Education | Urban Education
In this episode, Mr. Kirk Lewis, the Superintendent for Pasadena Independent School District is interviewed by Jason Marshall. Mr. Lewis also discusses Pasadena’s Bilingual/ELL program. Pasadena currently has over 11,000 students in Bilingual programs, and the numbers are growing.
Interesting features of the interview also include hearing about the non-traditional road to the Superintendent position which Mr. Lewis has traveled.In addition,listeners gain firsthand insight into the Pasadena Initiative called Expectation Graduation, which focuses resources and attention on the 9th grade. This program certainly addresses one of the most critical years for a high school student is entry into the ninth grade. The success of that year sets the tone for the entire high school experience and focuses on connecting instruction with students’ interests, learning styles, and aptitudes. These small learning community approaches continue further through a college bound culture which implements greater rigor and relevance, and increases AP enrollment.
Join us for an exciting interview with Mr. Kirk Lewis and Jason as they discuss the person and impact of the Superintendency. This series always provides more opportunities to hear from your colleagues around the USA, and gain strength and insight from their experiences.
Episode 17 provides a new dimension of these personal, yet professional windows into the life and work of the superintendent.
Biographical Background
Kirk Lewis was named by the Board of Trustees as Superintendent of the Pasadena Independent School District on April 25, 2006. Lewis assumed his new duties in December following the retirement of longtime superintendent Rick Schneider. As 28-year resident of Pasadena, Lewis graduated in 1972 from Ropes High School, a small farming community near Lubbock. He attended Texas Tech University, graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising/Public Relations.
He received his Master of Science degree in Education Futures from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1983. Lewis is currently working on a doctorate in educational leadership from Lamar University in Beaumont. Lewis came to Pasadena ISD in 1986 as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent responsible for communications and policy development and has since worked closely with three different superintendents. He was promoted to Executive Director for Communications and Community Relations in 1995 and to his current position as Deputy Superintendent for Administration, Public Relations and Governmental Affairs in 2001. He is a deacon at South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena.
- District Website: http://www.pasadenaisd.org
- Educational Foundation Website: http://www.pasadenaisd.org/foundation
District Leader’s Podcast is produced and copyrighted by The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. All rights reserved.
For more information email us at podcast@districtleaderspodcast.org or phone us at 1-866-435-5337 (toll free) and leave a voice message for our co-hosts.
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