New Anchorage School District superintendent Dr. Jim Browder spoke with the media Monday about his plans as he takes the district's reins from former superintendent Carol Comeau.
Browder, whose selection was announced after a candidate search earlier this year, says one of his priorities will be to restore summer school, a move he'll try to implement within the next year.
“That means we'll have to take money from here to get there,” Browder said. “But I'm willing to do that because I believe in summer school, and I believe in allowing opportunities for youngsters to extend their learning time but to get ahead academically.”
He also spoke about plans to decrease the dropout rate, which Browder says needs to start well before high school.
“Dropping out is about a lot of things,” he said. “It starts in probably the second or third grade. So we have to look at everything we're doing K-12 to provide support for youngsters and families to get them to school and allow them to be successful.”
Browder says filling Comeau's shoes after she retired last month is an impossible task, and for right now there won't be many noticeable changes as he settles into his new position.
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