Based on feedback from the community, including from parents and local business leaders, Morrison said the consensus is that the district has great teachers and students. However, there are also challenges facing MISD, including a lack of transparency and budget problems—which were highlighted during a hazing incident in 2019 and a budget misallocation last year—as well as outdated technology and lower pay as compared to surrounding districts.
“One of the things I heard is [we have] these great employers, especially our teachers, but we’re really worried about losing them because we think the pay is not as competitive as it needs to be,” he said.
To address these challenges, the district is continuing to work on its strategic plan, which is focused on five goals: improving academic achievement; safety; finance and operations; human capital; and communications and customer service.
Each goal has a dedicated task force comprising at least 50 members, including district staffers and business and community leaders.
“The thing about the strategic plan is I’m not coming in, dusting off what I’ve done before,” Morrison said. “We are trying to build the strategic plan with unprecedented community support and unprecedented community involvement.”
Some improvements are already underway. For instance, the MISD board of trustees pledged to make the district the highest-paying in the area, and the three new trustees elected in November have vowed to promote greater transparency and accountability.
In addition, Morrison said he is asking for more innovative partnerships with MISD and the community, perhaps through internships, events that allow community members to be a principal for a day, or other such opportunities.
Morrison said these steps are critical to launch MISD to a premier school district.
“We are good. We want to be great,” he said.
