Student Journalists Ask the Questions

This week, journalism students from Gorzycki Middle School, Akins High and  McCallum High asked me some great questions about issues that affect AISD students and schools. Three students, pictured here, attended the news conference in person, and the journalists from Akins attended virtually by television feed.

The news conference took place at the district's Channel 22 television studio. We talked about the district's budget, new school designs, the transition to end-of-course testing, and other topics of interest to our student audience. These young reporters really know how to ask the tough questions. And I know how to tell a great knock-knock joke -- just ask them!

Mark Curry: Austin Chamber Education Volunteer of the Year

Mark Curry (shown here with his family) is the 2011 Austin Chamber Volunteer of the Year for Education!

He says, "Education is a team game and a very important one."

We are delighted to have him as a key partner through both Wells Fargo and Austin Partners in Education, or APIE. Board President Mark Williams and I were honored to be at his lunch table at the awards ceremony today.

(FYI, also at our table was a really cool global tech strat genius, John Price, who won in his category for all of his entrepreneurial volunteer work.)

On behalf of AISD, I thank and congratulate you again, Mr. Curry!

Congrats to Principal Blaine Helwig and Graham Elementary!

Principal Blaine Helwig is smiling happily at a ceremony recognizing his school, Graham Elementary, for being a Texas 2012 Blue Ribbon Nominee for "improving school!" Great job Graham ES!

¡Un Gran Dia en La Feria Para Aprender!

Spanish-speaking families flocked to the North Austin Event Center January 28 for the sixth annual Feria Para Aprender Spanish-language education fair. I joined thousands of families who came to learn about health, education, college preparation, and other important topics. Event hosts were encouraged to wear T-Shirts from their college, so I wore a T-shirt from my alma mater, Tulane. Thanks to Melanie Curriel, a kindergarten teacher at Metz, for helping me track one down!

At the ribbon-cutting that began the event, I joined Congressman Lloyd Doggett and his wife Libby, and event founder Sylvia Acevedo in welcoming participants, stressing the importance of getting involved early in a child’s education and encouraging students to aim high for academic success every step of the way.

Many AISD departments, nonprofit organizations and several higher education institutions, along with our community non-profits, were on hand to answer questions ranging from topics in early childhood education to how to find and complete scholarship applications. Career professionals spoke about their experiences and the benefits of education. Children received free eye tests, and we all had the chance to check our blood pressure. Since good health and good vision are cornerstones of success in school, I particularly appreciated the support of the Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's and other health-care providers.

New this year were sections devoted specifically to teenagers. Girl and boy “Teen Zones” informed families about resources available for teens. At the Anti-Bullying zone, families learned about the warning signs of bullying, and experts helped parents understand the many forms of cyber-bullying.

This event is a terrific way for our district to communicate with our Spanish-speaking families, and I appreciate all of those who worked so hard to make the day a success!

Claudia Santamaria, coordinator of the district's parent support specialists, and her daughter Sophia, first grade student at Ridgetop elementary. Sophia's Spanish is awesome!

Shane Vaughan, program site coordinator and optician. Essilor vision expected to provide more than 200 screenings for children. The majority of children whom the doctor determined needed glasses received their glasses onsite. Other glasses will be sent to schools.

Feria event organizer and community advocate extraordinaire, Sylvia Acevedo.

Summitt Elementary Celebrates the Year of the Dragon

Summit Elementary  students  welcomed The Year of the Dragon with a grand performance for  Tet, the Vietnamese New Year celebration.  Students performed dances, martial arts demonstrations, and a play that led up to the grand finale, the Lion and Dragon dances.   

Summitt Elementary offers an outstanding dual language program in Vietnamese and English. The festival is a great way for all students to appreciate other cultures. 

Happy New Year!

Building on Dr. King's Vision of Opportunity and Progress

Our district's celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began with a morning of oratory and song at the Carruth Administration Center. Lamar Watson, a seventh grade student at Pearce Middle School, and Nelson Cole and Joseph Bonney, two seniors from McCallum High School, spoke eloquently on this year’s theme, “Empowerment Through Education.” Following these presenters, the young ladies of the Bedichek Middle School Choir closed the morning’s events with three inspiring songs.

The observance of Dr. King’s life and legacy continued into the afternoon with a visit to Travis High School, a campus recently honored with a "No Place For Hate" designation. There I joined students and community members at a pie social hosted jointly by culinary arts students from Travis High and their counterparts from neighboring Pflugerville ISD.

With its round shape and diverse ingredients, pie symbolizes inclusiveness and creates a welcoming place for all who share it around the table. Through the simple act of gathering to enjoy the pies they had baked together, these students aim to promote peace and understanding in the example of the great man we remember today. I enjoyed this event so much, and was so impressed by the organizers and participants, that I have resolved to host a pie social on behalf of the district as part of next year’s activities to commemorate Dr. King.

As I told those assembled in the AISD board room this morning, it is unfortunate that while we are celebrating Dr. King’s life today, we are not also celebrating an end to injustice and inequality. We as educators have a special responsibility to create hope and opportunity for every student in AISD, regardless of their skin color or zip code, but our efforts to bring about the change we believe in have met with considerable resistance these past few months.

In the face of opposition, Dr. King reminds us that “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. …Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” To our school community, especially our staff, I want to thank you for standing with me in the conviction that we can eliminate achievement gaps and ensure that every single student leaves this district with a diploma in hand.


And to those who are still unsure about joining us in these efforts, I invite you, in the words of the good Doctor, to “Take the first step in faith,” so that we all might walk together in this great cause.

As we honor Dr. King today, I hope everyone will join me in embracing and advancing his vision of opportunity and progress as we continue the work of providing each student a better education and a brighter future.

The Long and Winding Road to High-Quality Academics and Better Facilities

 After a busy and eventful week in which the Board of Trustees met twice to consider and approve all six Annual Academic and Facilities Recommendations (AAFRs) for the 2012-13 school year I want to share my thoughts about what to expect moving forward.

First, I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and our school community for being engaged in the process to develop these AAFRs.

When I was selected to be superintendent of Austin ISD, the Board identified four big-picture goals that were the basis for the district’s Strategic Plan: To have students performing at or above grade level, to eliminate achievement gaps between groups of students, to prepare all students for college, career and life, and to have all schools meet or exceed state and federal accountability standards. The Board further clarifies yearly expectations by setting annual priorities for each year. This year, the Board’s priorities were: to explore and establish to provide an enhanced portfolio of academic options; to refine our human capital strategies; to improve the school and district climate; and to develop academic and support strategies for special populations.

These are the goals and priorities that drive my work as superintendent, and they are the framework for many of the decisions that we make every day. One of my most important responsibilities as superintendent is to ensure that more students graduate and are prepared academically for college or careers. In a dynamic, achieving city like Austin, there is no reason to have 78 percent graduation rate. So, when some people suggest that we are moving too quickly in trying to achieve our goals and measurable outcomes set forth in the Strategic Plan, I cannot agree with them, especially when we know that every year we wait to make a decision, more students will not graduate. Rather, we should expect every one of our students to leave AISD with a diploma in hand.

The Administration developed the AAFRs in response to the work of the Facility Master Plan Task Force. These are the significant events that have taken place over the past two years related to the November, 2009: The AISD Board of Trustees directs the Administration to develop a Facility Master Plan.

• January, 2010: The Facility Master Plan Task Force initiates a year-long facility review process, including community input and evaluation of facility condition.
• March, 2011: The Board of Trustees accepts the Facility Master Plan Task Force Report.
• May, 2011: The Board directs the administration to prepare a response to the Facility Master Plan Task Force and prepare a recommendation for how to move forward.
• September, 2011: The Administration presents its recommendation to the Board, which included that the Board adopt a Facility Master Plan Framework, and that each year,  Annual Academic and Facilities Recommendations are presented for action in December.
• November, 2011: The Board adopts the district’s first Facility Master Plan Framework.
• December, 2011: The Board adopts six Annual Academic and Facilities Recommendations for implementation in the 2012-13 school year.

Since the Facility Master Plan Task Force completed its work during the spring, I worked hundreds of hours with a facility master plan work group comprised of representatives of selected board-approved committees and district-established advisory bodies to develop a Facility Master Plan Framework. Participants in this process also analyzed a wide variety of materials on academic programming, student population data, and operational needs to develop the preliminary scenarios for the development of the Annual Academic and Facilities Recommendations for school year 2012-13, including in-district charters such as the proposed partnership with IDEA Public Schools.

The community’s participation and feedback have been an invaluable part of the process, helping to shape and refine the district’s recommendations and the contractual agreement. Since the summer, AISD team members have met with hundreds of community members and received several thousand survey responses from parents. And, during that past three months, the district has provided information and welcomed feedback at more than 50 meetings with external groups and more than 40 meetings with internal stakeholders.
 

These are the six Annual Academic Facilities Recommendations that the Board approved for the 2012-13 school year.

1.       Expansion of the Dual Language Immersion Program

Dual Language Immersion Programs will be expanded to four more schools. There will be a one-way Chinese dual language immersion program at Doss Elementary and three two-way Spanish dual language immersion programs at Blanton, Casey, and Galindo Elementary Schools. 

2.       Learning Support Centers

Students who are removed from classes for disciplinary reasons will remain on their campuses rather than attending an off-campus disciplinary alternative education program, if the removal was for discretionary reasons. Additional teachers and counselors will be assigned to campuses based on student needs and related services. The district will seek an agreement with an outside provider to operate a Learning Support Center to serve students who are removed from class for mandatory reasons, as well as those removed for  discretionary reasons if there are safety concerns.

3.       Address Overcrowding in North-Central Elementary Schools

To reduce overcrowding in north-central elementary schools, the following changes to school assignments will be made:

• Barrington, Brown and Walnut Creek elementary schools will no longer offer sixth grade. Sixth grade students will attend either Webb or Dobie Middle School. 
• A pre-K Center will open at Dobie Middle School and will serve pre-K students  previously assigned to Graham and Hart elementary schools. Reassign remaining Barrington Elementary pre-K students to Reilly Elementary.

• A  Pre-K -8 program at Webb Middle School will be phased in over a period of five years, beginning with pre-K, kindergarten and first grade in 2012-13, growing yearly by grade level to pre-K-8 by 2016-17 only if the school has the capacity to grow the new design.

4.       Designation of 2008 Bond Program Elementary School

The Board approved the designation of the north-central area of the District for the location of the 2008 Bond Program Elementary School.

5.       Graduation Pathways Partnership with Responsive Education Solutions

As an In-District Charter, Responsive Education Solutions will provide a Graduation Pathways Education Program at Lanier and Travis high schools. The program is  designed for students who are over age for their grade level, having failed at least three classes per year over time. Using individualized curriculum plans as well as direct teach, paper-based curriculum, and computer-based instruction, students will have the opportunity to recover credits, accelerate credit accrual, and receive intensive tutoring in math and other areas of need.

6.       College Preparation Partnership with IDEA

For the 2012-13 school year, IDEA will offer grades K-2 and 6 at Allan elementary school. In subsequent years, IDEA will expand each year, so that by 2018-19, the program will serve students in grades K-5 in the current Allan attendance zone and all students in the Eastside Memorial assignment area in grades 6-12. Any remaining seats will be available to other students in the district through a lottery system.

Students in pre-K and grades 3-5 who live in the current Allan attendance zone will be assigned to Govalle or Ortega. In future years, students who opt out of IDEA will attend Martin Middle School in grades 6-8 and Travis High School in grades 9-12.

In January, we will begin developing AAFRs for the 2013-14 school year. This 18-month process is described in the Facility Master Plan Framework that the Board adopted in November, 2011. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the process over the past two years, and I look forward to working with you and others in the year ahead.

Reflecting on the past two years of facility planning in AISD, it is clear to me why the district has never had an articulated, long-term Facility Master Plan. It's not an easy challenge to solve and it won't happen in short order. I will take years for us to agree on where we are going and what hard decisions we are willing to make to get there. But, I know we can get there. There will be missteps and triumphs along the way but we can do this with all the talent Austin has to offer. While we have a framework for our planning, I know that the district and the community must continue to have more conversations in the months and years ahead to finally get us to a place where we have a long-term facility master plan. The process  has not always been easy, but as I look at what we have accomplished as a district and a community so far, I believe that we have made great progress in our shared goal of offering all students in AISD access to a high quality education.