Community members gathered around small tables at the Nolan Center on Thursday, Nov. 20, to share their ideas about the future of Wrangell schools.

Schools Superintendent Joshua Garrett hosted the first “community conversation” to gather public input on the district’s purpose and on how students are taught. The group also discussed whether new tools such as generative artificial intelligence should have a place in classrooms.

“The goal of this evening is simple. We want to listen and understand,” Garrett told the crowd of about 30 people. “Education is something the community builds together.”

Participants broke into small groups of four or five people at separate tables. Each table received a question about education. After a short time, groups rotated to new tables and added their ideas to what earlier groups had said.

One question asked, “How can schools create learning that feels meaningful, relevant and connected to students’ lives and communities?”

Garrett also challenged the full group to think about a broader issue.

“What kind of world does Wrangell want to shape for its children?” he asked.

To explain why he wants to rethink some parts of schooling, he shared a story from his time working at a school in Macedonia during the COVID-19 pandemic. When traditional methods suddenly stopped, he said, a group of about 30 educators met every Friday on Zoom.

“During those meetings we would share ideas and strategies because we had to rethink our approach to education,” he said.

Garrett said the group often questioned long-standing habits.

“We asked, ‘Why are we doing things this way?’” he said. “If something works, let’s keep it. If it doesn’t work, let’s find another way.”

He told the audience that many classroom practices exist only because they were passed down over time.

“I want to make sure we’re talking about these things together,” the superintendent said. “In two weeks we’ll meet here again and do some things different.”

Mayor Patty Gilbert joined one of the small groups and praised the effort.

“I think this is a great idea,” she said before her first discussion began. “It really helps when the community has a stake in the education system.”

Garrett has scheduled the second community conversation for 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Nolan Center. He said he will review the comments from the first meeting, identify the most common themes and ideas, and share those findings with participants at the next session.