WACO, TX — Waco's NAACP chapter hosted a Q&A session with the city's superintendent, Dr. Susan Kincannon. The focus of the evening was to ask direct questions about the future of the district under its new leader.
“Dr. Kincannon got to express her vision for the community, and the community had an opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns,” said Dr. Peaches Henry of Waco NAACP.
Among the top concerns posed to Kincannon was a low four year graduation rate, at just 76%. She said it is "unacceptable."
“We want to get our kids graduated, and so that is an issue that we need to spend some time focusing on here,” said Dr. Kincannon.
Another common question surrounded teacher retention.
“Having a stable workforce is critical to our student’s success,” said Dr. Kincannon.
“We want to identify all the issues and concerns with teacher retention, and we want to come up with a plan,” she continued.
Dr. Kincannon said a backlog of special education referrals is in need of attention.
“I am surprised by the number of referrals that we are behind,” she said.
But there is a challenge.
“There is a shortage of diagnosticians in order to meet those referral timelines, so we have been creative in recruiting people qualified to perform those assessments to catch up,” said Dr. Kincannon.
While Dr. Kincannon has a full plate, she says she’s strengthened by all the parents and teachers in her corner.
“Waco ISD has a lot of support from the community and it’s just really encouraging,” she said.
Parents with questions can reach out to the district here.
