Dr. Matthew Gutierrez spoke publicly to the media in Madison for the first time since being named the next superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Gutierrez addressed the concern over the achievement gap after a group of black community leaders sent a letter to the MMSD board saying they're concerned about his ability to adequately respond to concerns from minority students.
Gutierrez said he understands the concerns and added he has experience working with black excellence.
"They care deeply about these students, and they're advocating for not just black students, but all students, and it's going to be important that I listen and understand their frustrations," said Gutierrez.
He said he doesn't want to change what the district is doing, rather add value based on experiences he's had. One of his main goals is unity.
"What I do get the sense of is there is some division in the community, and so we've got to bridge that gap," said Gutierrez
Gutierrez will officially take over as MMSD superintendent on June 1, 2020. His contract runs through May 31, 2022.
He's currently the superintendent of the Seguin Independent School District in Texas.
To read more go to WKOW https://wkow.com/2020/03/10/mmsds-next-superintendent-addresses-plans-for-the-future/