OCDE to host virtual town hall with state schools chief to discuss closing the achievement gap

Educational leaders from Orange County are invited to attend a virtual town hall meeting with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to discuss strategies for closing student achievement and opportunity gaps.

Tony Thurmond
OCDE will host a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to discuss closing the achievement gap with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.

While Thurmond will lead the interactive session from Sacramento, county offices across the state will stream the presentation live and provide opportunities for audience members to ask questions and chat with participants.

The Orange County Department of Education, located at 200 Kalmus Drive in Costa Mesa, plans to host about 175 local teachers, administrators and support staff from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the OCDE board room. The event is free, but participating educators must first register at link.ocde.us/2019virtualtownhall.

Thurmond, who took office in January, has made addressing longstanding achievement and opportunity gaps a top priority for his administration. In February, he held the first in a series of forums to explore root causes of underperformance and promising practices, and the challenge has become the focus of one of 13 transition work groups established by the state Department of Education.

OCDE’s Educational Services division is hosting Tuesday’s interactive video conference. For questions, contact Melissa Alvarado at malvarado@ocde.us or 714-966-4327.