Carroll ISD gave a warm welcome to its new superintendent Dr. Lane Ledbetter during a special Dragon Chat Wednesday evening.
Joining Dr. Ledbetter was former superintendent Dr. David Faltys and school board president Michelle Moore, who asked Dr. Ledbetter questions submitted by 150-200 viewers through Facebook Live. Recalling his early experiences teaching and coaching for the district, Dr. Ledbetter says his parents Bob and Sue Ledbetter inspired his career in education.
“We moved to Southlake in 1979 when I was in the third grade,” Dr. Ledbetter says. “Both my mom and dad were educators, and growing up in that environment and seeing the impact both of my parents had on students is the reason that I am where I am today. I’m in this profession because of my family.”
Dr. Ledbetter says one of his first priorities is getting reacquainted with the district and listening and learning from his peers, parents and students. He also spoke about providing learning resources to teachers as they continue to adjust to the pandemic.
“From an education perspective, we were thrust into transforming what we do with virtual education,” Dr. Ledbetter says. “Our teachers have put in more time and energy into this than anyone could have ever imagined. I can’t say enough great things about what our teachers have done.”
Dr. Ledbetter was asked how he plans to promote empathy on Carroll ISD’s campuses, to which he replied that it’s going to require an invested effort from everyone.
“For me, it’s really about being able to take a step back and understand that everyone is different,” Dr. Ledbetter says. “That’s something we have to begin to build more of into all individuals."
Dr. Ledbetter ended the Dragon Chat by affirming he aims to make the best decisions for students and move the district in the direction the community desires.
“To have the opportunity to come back and be a part of this district again was something I was excited about,” Dr. Ledbetter says. “I knew I wanted to be at Carroll ISD. It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come back to a place like this.”
The Dragon Chat with Dr. Ledbetter is available on the Dragons’ YouTube page. To learn more about Dr. Ledbetter, visit SouthlakeCarroll.edu.