New Katy superintendent promises to bring fresh eyes to the district after bullying controversy
KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- After months of searching, Katy ISD has a new leader to replace its superintendent clouded in a bullying allegation controversy.
This week, the school board approved Ken Gregorski as its new superintendent. On Thursday, no question was off limits as Eyewitness News got to spend 10 minutes with the new superintendent.
"My heart is in this district, and I think that's the best way I could describe it," Gregorski said.
For the past two years, Gregorski served as the district's deputy superintendent. He takes over a position that was clouded in controversy after Lance Hindt retired over bullying and plagiarism allegations.
Since allegations came to light, the district focused on bullying by adding new employees and creating a bullying reporting app. It's an area Gregorski doesn't plan on slowing down.
"Right now, we're going to stay the course with, and we're going to see how effective these measures are this year. We're collecting data. We'll put out a survey in the spring," Gregorski said.
Addressing bullying isn't only about technology. Gregorski wants to have more face-to-face interaction.
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"We want our parents to come in and get engaged with us, and we want to have that open dialog," Gregorski said.
It's not only about bullying. Gregorski wants to make sure what's happening in the classroom is making successful students.
"When I say that it's about one, putting a quality teacher in every classroom," Gregorski said. "So, we have to watch our recruiting efforts. We have to examine our pay structures to make sure we're re-training and recruiting our best employees. We have to make sure our schools are safe."
Following news of Hindt's retirement, some parents looked forward to a new leader. Gregorski said instead of focusing on a national search for the job, the school board decided to look internally.
He was the only person to apply. The school board gave him a 3-year contract that pays $300,000 and gives him monthly allowances of $1,000 and $100 for a school district vehicle and mobile phone, respectively.
Gregorski's wife is a Katy ISD teacher, and he's got two kids in the district. He hopes parents can move past Hindt's situation and trust him to take over.
"I think it would rely on the definition of a fresh set of eyes, because I am an internal candidate, that doesn't mean I wouldn't look at things without a fresh set of eyes, or a new way of approaching a problem, or a perceived problem that we have," Gregorski said.
