Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath likes what he sees at local elementary school

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath gets a look at learning in Wichita Falls ISD.

The state’s top education official visited Southern Hills Elementary School on Tuesday to see kids learning with new material.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath wanted to see how it was going in classes using reading curriculum Wichita Falls ISD paid for with the help of state funding.

“I had a great visit at Southern Hills Elementary and was able to witness curricular and instructional improvements initiated by the district firsthand,” Morath said in a statement Tuesday. “I saw kids reading Shakespeare and learning about the war of 1812 — all indications of a robust learning environment.”

Southern Hills, Booker T. Washington and Burgess are among three WFISD elementary schools implementing Amplify Texas.

A grant of about $500,000 helped the district furnish the reading curriculum, approved by the Texas Education Agency, to campuses that feed into Kirby Middle School.

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The commissioner, members of his team and representatives from Region 9 Education Service Center toured Southern Hills Tuesday morning.

“During his visit, Mr. Morath commended the school for their dedication and the incredible efforts of our teachers and leadership,” WFISD officials said in a Facebook post.

Morath discussed the curriculum with Dr. Donny Lee, WFISD superintendent, and Southern Hills Principal Amanda Garcia.

School Board President Katherine McGregor and Place 2 Trustee Diann Scroggins were among those at the school Tuesday morning for the commissioner’s visit.

WFISD is expanding the Amplify Texas curriculum to Scotland Park, Zundy, Fain, Cunningham and Franklin elementary schools with the help of a $430,000 grant from the James N. McCoy Foundation.

Morath’s next stop Tuesday was Region 9 ESC where he was expected to speak to superintendents.

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.