MVUSD to Host District-Wide Telephone Town Hall to Discuss College/Career Readiness

If you’re a parent in the Moreno Valley Unified School District, your phone will ring precisely at 6 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 13. Superintendent Dr. Judy D. White will be calling to talk with parents about making sure all students get the education they need to be ready for college or career. The Telephone Town Hall, which the district used with great success last spring, is a new way of engaging the public in discussion by coming to them instead of asking them to attend a meeting. “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to participate,” said Dr. White. “They can listen to the conversation or join in by submitting questions, in English or Spanish.” In a talk-radio-type format, parents will be able to ask questions related to the topic of college readiness. The call lasts for one hour and is free of charge. Parents can listen in as long as they like. Whereas a meeting might draw as few as 10 or 15 people, the Telephone Town Hall in June reached thousands of parents, with more than 500 staying on the line for the entire hour. Dr. White was able to answer 19 questions during the call. The topic in June was the district’s new Strategic Plan. The call next week will follow up with a discussion about how the district is preparing all students to be able to attend college or go to work. “Our mission as stated in the new Strategic Plan is to ensure all students graduate high school prepared to successfully enter into higher education and/or pursue a viable career path,” she said. “We want to talk with parents about how we’re doing that and get their thoughts and ideas. Our new Strategic Plan also calls on us to communicate with all our stakeholders, so that’s what we’re doing.” In preparation for the Telephone Town Hall, parents are asked to make sure their phone numbers on file with their children’s schools are accurate and up to date prior to Nov. 11.