Dr. Rollo Talks Summer School Plans, the LISD Curriculum, & More

Tuesday on KFYO Mornings with Dave King and Matt Martin, Dr. Kathy Rollo Superintendent of the Lubbock Independent School District joined Dave King and guest host Paul R. Beane to talk about summer school and what they are expecting, various curriculum topics, getting students and staff properly vaccinated, the new Anita Carmona-Harrison elementary school, vocational training, and more.

Dr. Rollo started by saying that, after last week's graduations, that this very challenging year is over, and that they are ready to put a bow on everything and start summer school. When asked about summer school programming, Rollo explained that they currently have about 6,500 students expected for summer school, which is about 3 times the amount the normally have. The Superintendent said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they know that many students have fallen behind, so this will be an opportunity for them to catch up, and have some fun activities and experiments on top of it. She went on to explain that all summer school activities will be face-to-face, and that all campuses will be used.

The Superintendent was also asked several questions about the curriculum of the Lubbock ISD schools. When asked about the purpose of the STAAR tests, Rollo said that the tests are in place to help the schools figure out if kids are learning the things they need to know as dictated by the curriculum and the state, and if they need to go back and try to learn it again, whether that be through summer school, through interventions where teachers work with small groups of students who are missing specific skills, or through tutoring. Another question was about "critical race theory", which Rollo said they are not teaching. And finally, she was asked about sex education, to which she explained that they have been using the "Choosing the Best" curriculum since 2005, taught by middle school science teachers, and that it is aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Middle School Health.

Dr. Rollo also talked about the upcoming Anita Carmona-Harrison school, which is opening its doors in August. The school will be comprised of the combined Guadalupe, Jackson, and Wright elementary schools. Rollo said that it will be more efficient to have them all in one building, and will allow them to have advance programming, with an agriculture stem focus, where students will learn how to solve real world problems with regard to agriculture, and be exposed to career opportunities in the agriculture field. Rollo said that the new school is very beautiful, and that they are very excited to open this great addition to the Lubbock Independent School District.

Listen to the full interview with Dr. Kathy Rollo in the audio above.

KFYO Mornings with Dave King & Matt Martin airs weekday mornings live, from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM on News/Talk 95.1 FM and 790 AM KFYO, online at KFYO.com, & on the free KFYO app.