Mark Your Calendar for 'Coffee with the Superintendent' Events

Hatboro-Horsham School District Superintendent Dr. Curtis Griffin invites parents to join him for a cup of coffee and conversation about the district.

Each month, the discussion moves to a different school. (See schedule below.)

“My focus for ‘Coffee with the Superintendent’ is really an informal discussion, in which I tell you things about the district, and what’s happening at the state level, and then I open up the floor for questions and we talk about anything you want,” Dr. Curtis Griffin told the dozen parents gathered at the first session at Blair Mill Elementary in October.

Dr. Griffin gave about a dozen parents updates on everything from district students’ excellent performance on state assessments to the new Keystone Exams graduation requirement; the District’s low tax rate to school construction projects; and plans to assign each student a laptop or tablet to the “geographic fence” that keeps students from anonymously cyberbullying each other on Yik Yak.

He then addressed parents’ concerns about the weight of their children’s back packs (digital books are coming someday, but the publishers haven’t figured out how to make money from them yet), concerns about monitoring students’ use of the devices that the district may provide each of them in the future (he’ll determine a way for parents to have access to the devices for monitoring purposes), and a desire for students to learn life skills as well as academics (teachers are already building in some practical skills, but perhaps more of this is needed).

Dr. Griffin started the hour-plus event by sharing why he relates so well to the parents of school-age kids: He’s got three of those himself. Parents around the table laughed and nodded in commiseration as the superintendent spoke of nightly homework and bedtime struggles, the chaos of getting everyone fed and out the door, and the invariable fact that at least two kids always need to be in two different places simultaneously.

Parent John Connor – a chiropractor who has a first-grader and a fifth-grader at Blair Mill – said attending the coffee was a valuable experience. “I felt (Dr. Griffin) was very open and honest, and nothing was hidden or a canned answer,” he said.

Here is the schedule of the remaining “Coffee with the Superintendent” events. Each runs from 9 to 10 am, and no reservations are required.

Crooked Billet Elementary, 101 Meadowbrook Ave., Hatboro. Nov. 14.

Hallowell Elementary, 200 Maple Ave, Horsham. Nov. 21

Simmons Elementary, 411 Babylon Road, Horsham. Dec. 9

Hatboro-Horsham High, 899 Horsham Road, Horsham. Jan. 8

Keith Valley Middle, 227 Meeting House Road, Horsham. March 20.

Pennypack Elementary, 130 Spring Ave., Hatboro. May 15.