MOLINE, Illinois – The first day of school is right around the corner (for some, the school year is already underway!) and for four educators, it means the first day of their new jobs.
On Thursday, August 8th, Good Morning Quad Cities went “Back to School” and interviewed the four new Superintendents in the immediate Quad Cities – Mr. Brian Strusz (Pleasant Valley Community School District), Dr. Rachel Savage (Moline-Coal Valley School District), Dr. Reginald Lawrence (Rock Island-Milan School District), and Dr. Robert Kobylski (Davenport Community School District).
During each half hour of GMQC, we covered a different topic at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center at Moline High School:
State Budget Impacts
The state budgets in both Iowa and Illinois play a major factor into how school districts manage their money. Do these Superintendents believe they’re getting enough money from the state? What challenges do they face as they create their own budgets?
First Year Goals
Three of these new Superintendents are new to the Quad Cities and have a lot to learn themselves when it comes to our schools and students. What are their goals for their first year? What issues do they hope to tackle? What is the biggest change they've noticed in their careers?
Mental Health Programs
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 children - between 13 and 18 years old - have experienced a serious mental disorder in their lives. How are these Superintendents addressing that issue? What are some of the warning signs they're looking for on a daily basis? How can the community and parents help?
School Safety
A strong education cannot happen if our students do not feel safe. What are these school districts doing to provide that safe space? What's the biggest challenge when it comes to enacting more security measures?
We wrapped up our conversation with a Facebook Live on the WQAD Facebook Page, where we learned more about were these Superintendents grew up, where they worked before, and what they love about the Quad Cities .They also answered questions from News 8 Viewers, on topics ranging from bullying to stereotypes:
