Grenita Lathan, Ph.D., was never more than an Interim Superintendent for three years at the Houston Independent School District. After being passed over for the permanent job more than once, she leaves in July to become the Superintendent of the Springfield Missouri Public Schools. On this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall, she talks about why she’s leaving, the lessons learned and what more needs to be done. She also says during natural disasters and the pandemic, she learned the importance of being able to pivot and focus on priorities such as feeding the children and families of HISD. “To see the lines wrapped around the school out into the street, it was so disheartening,” she said. “I’m talking to the staff and I’m saying this can’t be a one-shot deal. We can’t just stop and provide meals today. We need to figure out how we’re going to do this.” See the full interview above.