Superintendent to start listening tour, seek ideas to make Lawrence school district ‘best in the country’

photo by: Nick Krug

Lawrence Superintendent Anthony Lewis is pictured on Friday, June 29, 2018, outside Liberty Memorial Central Middle School.

Lawrence school district Superintendent Anthony Lewis is inviting community members to share their thoughts and ideas with him at a listening tour that will run through early November.

Lewis, a former assistant principal of Kansas City, Mo., public schools, started as district superintendent July 1. A listening and learning tour was part of his plan for his first months on the job.

The tour reflects his belief that the “answers are in the room,” Lewis said. The community has accomplished admirable results in K-12 education, he said, and his goal is to hear what the district is doing right and also how it can improve.

“I’ve been spending too much time talking since I’ve been here,” he said. “I intend to spend the bulk of the time on the tour listening to ideas of how to make Lawrence schools the best in the country.”

Lewis will kick off a six-date tour at 5 p.m. Thursday at West Middle School, 2700 Harvard Road. The other dates are:

• 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at Billy Mills Middle School, 2734 Louisiana St.

• 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.

• 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.

• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School, 1400 Massachusetts St.

• 5 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at Southwest Middle School, 2511 Inverness Drive.

Jessica Beeson, Lawrence school board president, said board members would also be attending the listening and learning tour. The tour will give students, parents and community members a chance to help shape the revision of the district’s strategic plan, which the board will undertake in the months ahead.

“The superintendent, board and administration will be there to hear what issues the community thinks are important and should be part of our strategic planning process,” she said.

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