Ericka Mellon:

New Superintendent Terry Grier wasn’t shy about sharing his opinions at his first workshop with the school board last week.
On technology in HISD: “I think we are very, very far behind in technology for a district our size.” I’d expect Grier to push for major technology upgrades in the district, but could he fund them without another bond referendum? In San Diego, Grier oversaw the passage of a bond that included funding for a one-to-one technology package, where every classroom will get
a laptop for every student, an interactive white board, digital cameras and an audio system. Research hasn’t always supported the give-every-kid-a-laptop approach, but perhaps HISD can learn from the San Diego experiment.
On principals: Grier said the district has to change how it selects and interviews principals. He said his staff recently brought him a few candidates to interview and he wasn’t pleased with the quality. After that, he said he basically told his staff, “If you can’t bring me better principals to interview, don’t bring them.” Just because a candidate is popular with a school board member or the community doesn’t mean that person can lead, Grier said. Ouch! Read here about the so-called Haberman interview process Grier implemented in Guilford County (and perhaps in San Diego too).