Weslaco ISD Interim Superintendent speaks at Chamber event

The Weslaco Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly morning event Good Morning Weslaco at Savory Perks Coffee House on April 18.  WISD Interim Superintendent Dr. Ruben Alejandro was the guest speaker on hand.

Dr. Alejandro began by discussing his educational background.  While studying for his Doctoral degree, Dr. Alejandro researched two different groups of students that were followed over the course of several years.  One group came from an affluent, two-parent household, while the other group came from a low socioeconomic, single-parent household.  Though the second group didn’t have the same amount of resources the first one did, the students with the low socioeconomic status ended up performing well in school because the parents were well involved in their schoolwork, emphasizing its importance to the children.

“I realized how important the parental component is to the success of students,” remarked Dr. Alejandro.

It is because of this study, he says, that he’s been able to recognize the potential students in the Weslaco School District have, as long as they have the parental support.  He has passed this down to his faculty and staff, and reminds them to always look out for any barriers that are causing a student to perform poorly.

Dr. Alejandro also talked about the new state assessment exams, which involves more rigorous work and preparation.  Because information continues to increase at rapid exponential rates, Dr. Alejandro pointed out that incoming freshmen are being prepared for future jobs that don’t exist yet.

“That’s how fast our society and technology are growing,” added Alejandro.  “We don’t know what kind of job these students will end up with.”

For more information on upcoming events at the Weslaco Chamber, visit www.weslaco.com.