06/05/2019 -
Steven D. Herrington, superintendent of the Sonoma County (Santa Rosa, Calif.) Office of Education and a member of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, testified Wednesday, June 5, before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.
The hearing, entitled, “This is Not a Drill: Education-Related Response and Recovery in the Wake of Natural Disasters” was held at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Herrington was invited to testify to share insight and lessons learned from responding to the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County, at the time the most destructive wildfire in state history. In addition, he discussed how he assisted other California superintendents through similar fire disasters in the following year.
The following is an excerpt from Herrington’s testimony:
“It is an honor to share with you lessons learned from responding to the Tubbs Fire that devastated my community in 2017, as well as my experience helping other educational leaders with similar catastrophic disasters. I commend you for convening this hearing so that educators and emergency response agencies can be better prepared to support schools and children when the next disaster strikes.”
Other testifying today included: Frank T. Brogan, assistant secretary for elementary and second education, U.S. Dept. of Education; Glenn Muna, commissioner, CNMI Public School System, Saipan; Rosa Soto-Thomas, St. Croix Federal of Teachers, Kingshill, St. Croix, Virgin Islands; and, John L. Winn, former Florida Commissioner of Education, Tallahassee, Fla.
Read Dr. Herrington's full written testimony here.
