WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester Public Schools superintendent Rachel Monarrez is setting new goals for the school district after several meetings with staff the families. 

Monarrez is six months into her new position and has been holding listening and learning sessions to help gage what's most important to school families and staff. Moving forward, she's working to address six areas of improvement - equitable resources and programs, climate and culture, diversity in the workforce, wellness and support, communication and the condition of the schools.

"Every time I go to a school, especially my elementary schools, my principals, as they are touring me around, point out, 'do you notice we have to tuck an office in there and do this,'" Monarrez said. "It's really difficult and the staff is saying the same thing. It's unfair to them and to our students.

"The beauty of Worcester and the architecture makes the city so charming, yet it also serves as a challenge in terms of keeping these older buildings up to date and modernized."

Since her time leading Worcester schools, Monarrez said she is most proud of her team and how quickly they came together to take the district to the next level.