Acting OKC superintendent seeks stability
Rob Neu’s likely successor as superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools said Tuesday she will tour district schools in hopes of providing stability and boosting morale.
Aurora Lora kicked off her “listening tour” at Capitol Hill Elementary School, where she met with staff for 30 minutes.
“Saying it is one thing, but them actually seeing me do it will be another and that will be really important for them, “she said.
Lora, the district’s associate superintendent of student achievement and accountability, has assumed Neu’s job duties while the school board sorts out his employment status.
“Right now, definitely, the most important thing is to provide stability during really tough financial times in the district,” she said. “And also to build bridges and be out there listening to the voices of teachers and families and students and figuring out, how do we build relationships and just strengthen the support for the people in the field?”
Lora also acknowledged Go Code QZSM Go to Oklahoman. com and type in the Go Code to see a related video. during a news conference at district headquarters that teachers and principals need more help with student discipline.
“We all want to make improvements, but we’ve got to give teachers the tools to know what to do when students are misbehaving,” she said. “We can’t just ask them to be different without actually giving them supports.”
Lora said providing teachers with the support they need to be successful will be challenging since district officials are in the process of cutting $30 million from the budget to counter the state’s projected revenue shortfall.
A decision on Neu’s future is expected Monday during the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting.
In the meantime, Lora, who has expressed an interest in Neu’s job, is focused on “showing people that I’m here for the long run.”
“All I can say is I will be out listening to people . ... I think the voices of our families and community are so important,” she said. “I’m a relationship builder; I care so much about the families and the students and the teachers and I think that will be evident in the coming weeks.”
Lora also stressed the importance of “rebuilding some relationships.” She did not refer specifically to Neu — viewed by some district teachers and administrators as a polarizing figure.
Lora, 39, is a Harvard-educated former teacher, principal and school district administrator.
She was one of three finalists for the Oklahoma City superintendent job in the spring of 2014.
Lasting results, Lora told The Oklahoman last week, are produced by “stability and leadership.”