Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest public school district in the United States. It is one of the most diverse districts; serving those of different races, religions, and socioeconomic status. It is also home to those like me: high school seniors who have been in BCPS from first grade to twelfth grade. However, with that, I have grown to wonder a lot of things about how the system works, what procedures are being put in place for improving students, and when will prioritizing student experiences change for the better? After polling other high school students in Broward County, I find that they have similar questions.
On the tenth floor of the KC Wright building sits Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn. He is originally from Belle Glade, Florida, which he describes as a “melting pot of people from the deep south”; that it was “a village that raised some of the most successful people in the United States”, both through athletics and academics. Dr. Hepburn has been an important figure in education through his previous roles as a classroom teacher, coach, dean, assistant principal, principal and instructional superintendent. On April 16, 2024, Dr. Hepburn was appointed the new Superintendent of BCPS with a vision and goal of enhancing student achievement and ensuring equal learning opportunities for all.
Even so, we as teens still have questions. We want to know how we can better compete with private school students during college applications? Where is the funding for school programs that require excessive out of pocket spending, and what steps are being taken to improve magnet programs in addition to kindergarten to third grade education?…