COC Luncheon: SAISD Superintendent Didn't Beat the Dead Horse

SAN ANGELO, TX -- The San Angelo Chamber of Commerce hosted their monthly luncheon today which featured the San Angelo ISD Superintendent. 

On July 9, the SACOC met at the McNease Convention Center for a luncheon catered by the RiverView restaurant. 

The event started by a short introduction by President of the Chamber Bruce Partain. He then led the room in the pledge of allegiance. 

Then the Chamber's Board Chair Sheryl Pfluger made introduction of the sponsors and the new members to the chamber. She then introduced the key note speaker, Superintendent of Schools for the San Angelo ISD, Dr. Carl Dethloff. 

Dethloff got on stage, looked at the crowd, and said, "The only bond I want to talk about is the one between us today." 

For many previous chamber presentations, Dethloff was accused of beating a dead horse in describing how much the district needs one of two bond resolutions that both failed on election days in 2018.

Instead of discussing the bond, his new focus was on getting the children of San Angelo what they need to excel not only on the yearly standardization test but instead for the rest of their lives. The way the San Angelo ISD is planning on accomplishing these goals is to offer classes for younger children to get them start using critical thinking skills at an earlier age. 

He then listed the top ten skills needed to be successful in the work force: 

• Complex Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking
• Creativity
• People Management
• Coordinating 
• Emotional Intelligence
• Decision Making
• Judgment
• Negotiating 
• Cognitive Ability

Dethloff believes that now that the San Angelo ISD is offering new labs called STEM labs these skills will come for them. These classes offer hands on learning with things such as programming, robotics, and other computer software programs. Dr Dethloff even said he learned how to use Adobe to make the slide show for the presentation. He said he did it because it was the least he could do to show an example and teach others to be a "lead learner."

These classes were offered for 8th graders in SAISD last year and will now by taught in elementary schools across town.