"The Power of Us" Brings Excellence to Austin Schools

Student Journalists Ask the Questions

2012-02-02T15:17:00.001-06:00

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

2012-02-01T14:03:00.002-06:00

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!

2012-02-01T14:00:00.001-06:00

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!

2012-01-31T10:42:00.014-06:00

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

2012-01-27T15:00:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-13T17:21:00.002-06:00

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

2011-12-22T11:01:00.002-06:00

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.

Ann Richards School Benefit Held in Washington, D.C.

2011-12-21T13:14:00.001-06:00

Supporters of The Ann Richards School for Young Women, including me, traveled to Washington, D.C. last weekend to attend the opening performance of “Ann” at the Kennedy Center. Actress Holland Taylor’s one-woman performance was complex, engaging, and, at times, downright hilarious. Ms. Taylor, who wrote and performed the play, spent three years on the project, interviewing those who knew Ann Richards and developing the character. Audience members were impressed by how well Ms. Taylor captured the essence of this Texas legend.

As a member of the Ann Richards School Board and one of the hosts for the event, I attended the reception to benefit the Ann Richards School, Cecile Richards, Claire Korioth, and Senator Mary Landrieu shared their memories of their mother, friend and colleague. Ms. Taylor contributes to the school, and will ensure that it benefits from the play over the long term. What a wonderful and generous way to honor Ann Richards and the school!

Thanks to Holland Taylor, and to all of the Ann Richards School Foundation staff who worked so hard to make this event a success. Our students and staff appreciate you!

UT Friends and Alumnae Celebrate Diversity and Leadership Awards

2011-12-21T10:55:00.001-06:00

Gregory J. Vincent, VP for Diversity and Community Engagement and William Powers, President

Many thanks to UT President Bill Powers and Dr. Gregory J. Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement, who recently recognized three organizations and five individuals for their work in education and public service at the Fifth Annual Community Leadership Awards Ceremony at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center. The event was co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas.

The three organizations that were recognized were The Austin Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated, Town Lake Links Incorporated and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators – Central Texas Chapter with Community Partnership Awards.

I was honored to be one of five individual recipients of the Community Leadership Award for 2011. The other award recipients were Albert Hawkins, retired executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services, Michael McDonald, assistant city manager for public safety services, city manager Marc Ott, and Michael Lofton, who received the Dr. June Brewer Legacy Award. As my own way of recognizing Michael Lofton for his contributions to the community, I promised to let him win at foosball the next time I visit The Harvest Foundation! Thanks!

Eastside Memorial: The Time to Act is Now

2011-12-11T09:00:00.071-06:00

On Monday, the AISD Board of Trustees will decide whether to contract with IDEA Public Schools to establish an in-district charter school program. This is one of a number of options the Board will consider to address longstanding district problems like overcrowding, multi-year academically unacceptable performance in schools, low graduation and completion rates, and preparing our students to succeed in a global economy.

In short, the Board’s goals and expectations for this district are to improve graduation rates, eliminate achievement gaps, and improve student success. My purpose in writing this op-ed is to address the in-district charter design in partnership with IDEA Public Schools, the proposal that has garnered the most public attention.

From my perspective, this has everything to do with improving outcomes for our students. Eastside Memorial High School will never succeed if we do not build a strong foundation at the elementary and middle school level made up of students who plan to attend Eastside Memorial High School. That is why an elementary school is part of the proposed in-district charter design.

Today, while the majority of the students attend elementary school in the area, two-thirds of them do not choose to attend and finish high school at Eastside Memorial. They attend other high schools or leave the district for charter schools. As a result, Eastside Memorial continues to struggle, in spite of numerous efforts over the years to shore up the school's academic programming.

Of the students who do attend Eastside, a significant number are reading well below grade level, which makes it difficult for them to pass high school courses and graduate. Without improving the structure of the "vertical team" to create a pipeline of high-performing students dedicated to attending Eastside Memorial, we will remain in a state of triage and vulnerable to state sanctions.

We’re at a crossroads. We can continue on the path we are on today. But the current design for these schools isn’t sufficient to meet the Board’s goals and the community’s expectations for excellence.

We can instead choose to embark on a different path to be proactive by shoring up existing programs, and working with successful partners, so that we do not again face closure by TEA. We can do something today that will have a long-term effect on outcomes by building the pipeline to ensure that students in Eastside Memorial vertical team have access to the quality programming that is no less than that of any other vertical team.

Therefore, I am proposing a design for the Eastside Memorial vertical team that includes an in-district charter that would serve students from kindergarten through grade 12. This is a college preparatory design that emphasizes core values and a “no excuses” culture that prepares students for college and citizenship.

Initially, the program would serve approximately 600 students in kindergarten through second grade and sixth grade. This allows us to implement all aspects of the program with fidelity to ensure the best results. During the next several years, IDEA would phase in the other grades, so that by 2017, the program will serve 2,200 students in grades K-12, including at the Eastside Memorial campus.

The district has an opportunity to establish a partnership with a non-profit program that has built a strong model for student success. Are they perfect? No. But neither are we. TEA has rated IDEA as an “Exemplary” district for the past two years. Last month, the Higher Education Coordinating Board recognized IDEA for its success in sending students to college.

We can learn from this model. IDEA is committed to working with AISD in such areas as professional development, early literacy intervention, and family involvement so that we can share successful practices that promise to benefit all of the schools in East Austin.

Under my leadership, we will continue to support every school in the East side and throughout the district to ensure that all students are academically successful and can graduate with the skills they need to reach their goals.

In the proposal, the district would retain its governing authority over IDEA. Like the Ann Richards School, IDEA will appoint a local advisory body to govern the school and report directly to AISD.

As trustees of our children’s educational future, the district must have the courage to reach outside our comfort zone to identify partners to strengthen all schools for all children.

This online Op Ed was published by the Austin American-Statesman on Monday, December 12, 2011. http://www.statesman.com/opinion/carstarphen-eastside-memorial-the-time-to-act-is-2027505.html

Click here for more information on all of the recommendations.

Student Advisory Council Weighs In

2011-12-09T12:41:00.003-06:00

It was my pleasure on Tuesday evening to meet with AISD’s Student Advisory Council at a forum to discuss issues that are important to our children.

The council is composed of one representative from each middle school and high school in the district, plus a few ex-officio members and other invited students.

To start the process, the students broke into four groups. Each group worked together to identify the issues they wished to bring to the district’s attention, which they listed on a flip chart. Then they chose the three most pressing, and a representative from each group addressed the entire audience at the podium. The speaker discussed the issues selected by the group, and explained why each had been chosen. You can see a few of the steps in this process in the photographs that accompany this story.

After all the presenters had spoken, I worked with the students to organize the issues into larger categories. Here in a nutshell are some of the major concerns shared by many of our students:

Campus environment: overcrowding, bullying, social acceptance, internet access, transfers, attendance and school spirit
Budget cuts: staffing reductions, money used on new technology, equity and supply cuts
Academics: transition to STAAR: difficulty of the new test, college readiness, learning issues, attendance, required classes, GPA and electives, school preparedness

Not for the first time in my tenure as Superintendent, I was impressed by the thoughtfulness and intelligence of our students. Their concerns are extremely important to me, and, as anyone who saw last week's State of the District address can tell you, many are near and dear to my heart.

The group will meet next in February, when we will work together to increase awareness about bullying and collect best practices from campuses on preventing it. And I look forward to digging deeper into all these topics at the Net-Talk the district will hold March 1-3, 2012.

AISD outperforms other urban school districts in math and reading in national test

2011-12-07T17:06:00.001-06:00

This year, AISD was one of 21 urban school districts that participated in the Trial Urban District Assessment, which is part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). I’ve just received the results, and I’m thrilled to report that our students’ scores in mathematics and reading are among the highest in the nation!

NAEP is a nationally representative test that reports on what students know and can do in core academic subjects. It is the only assessment that allows valid comparisons among students in school districts in different states, and the data show that Austin’s fourth and eighth grade students continue to outperform their peers in most other urban districts.

Here are just a few highlights from Austin’s NAEP report card:

AISD eighth grade students ranked 1st out of 21 other urban districts in mathematics.
AISD fourth grade students ranked near the top of the charts in reading and mathematics.
The percentages of AISD students in both grades scoring at or above Basic in reading have increased significantly since 2005, and have outpaced the statewide average over that period.

I am extremely proud of our students and staff, who continue to prove that they are outstanding among their peers.

Looking on the Bright Side at the AISD State of the District Address

2011-11-30T18:01:00.002-06:00

I started this bright, sunny November day standing in a downpour at the third annual AISD State of the District address at the McCallum Arts Center. The staged rain was really falling, and was produced through the wizardry of McCallum theater staff. It was all part of a weather-related theme for the State of the District address.

Here is a summary of the presentation:
The district has made steady academic progress over the past year and throughout the history of the TAKS testing program, which is being replaced this spring by the new STAAR assessment system. Achievement gaps between student groups have been cut in half since 2003, and for the second year, at least 80 percent of all students met or exceeded state standards in every subject. On top of that, more students are applying and are ready for college than ever before!

In looking at the budget, AISD is on sound financial footing. We have the second lowest tax rate compared to surrounding districts. This year, there will be no layoffs and no declaration of financial exigency, so that our staff can feel secure in their jobs and focus on the work of educating children.

There are still challenges ahead. We need to improve educational outcomes by boosting early literacy and graduation rates and by meeting the needs of our growing population of English Language Learners. We have a lot of work to do in transitioning successfully from TAKS- centered test preparation to the “Whole Child” model under STAAR. We need to improve special education performance to meet federal standards for Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. And, using the Facility Master Plan Framework, we must address inefficiencies and inequities that have plagued the district for years.

The McCallum students and staff really shined today, with performances by the Jazz Band, Brass Quintet, Woodwind Quintet, First Edition Choir, Men’s Choir, Chamber Orchestra, and the Knights of Steel.

I never stop being impressed and awed by the level of student talent in our district, and by the amount of effort that our teachers and other staff devote to encouraging and supporting these students. The students who performed today were simply amazing. I’ve been basking in their glow all day!

Hats off and a huge thanks to these great McCallum staff members and their students for a terrific performance today.

Principal Mike Garrison
Choir Director Malcolm Nelson
Jazz Band Director Carol Nelson
Austin Chamber Music Coaches Margaret Ayer and Jeni Gossard
Fine Arts Academy Coordinator Lanier Bayliss
Chamber Orchestra Director Ricky Pringle
Technical Theater Director M. Scott Tatum
Knights of Steel Director Matt Ehlers

The State of the District Address will be broadcast on AISD Channel 22, and can be viewed here .
Thanks again to all who helped me who why I have such High Hopes for AISD!

Potential Expansion of Single-Sex Schools in AISD: Deepening the Dialogue

2011-11-19T15:00:00.023-06:00

On Saturday, I met with family and community members to discuss the possibility of establishing two, single-sex middle schools in Northeast Austin that will help strengthen the foundation of the LBJ and Reagan Vertical Teams while addressing historic inequities in these communities.

Earlier this month, 50 community residents met with me to share their insights into the critical, educational issues their children face and to discuss the idea of creating single-sex schools, which has been proposed by District 1 Trustee Cheryl Bradley.

The Nov. 10 exploratory meeting produced a meaningful dialogue and good questions from families, such as:

“What will the academic program look like?” It will have an early college high school focus.

“Will students have to wear uniforms?” That has yet to be decided but I suspect that having uniforms will be key to the college bound culture similar to what we have seen at other single-sex public school sites.

“Will AISD provide transportation to those who opt out and transfer to a traditional co-ed middle school?” Yes, students may enroll in another middle school where space is available.

Saturday's larger, follow-up discussion drew more than 100 community members to LBJ High School, where Principal Sheila Henry graciously hosted us.

Trustee Bradley opened the meeting, sharing her exciting vision to strengthen students’ preparation for college through the establishment of an all-boys school and all-girls school at Garcia and Pearce middle schools.

To set the stage for the community discussion, we reviewed performance data for schools in Northeast Austin, broken down by race and gender, which reveals both our boys and our girls are facing challenges meeting the state’s educational standards. We also discussed the challenges our students are facing in the community – teen pregnancy, mobility, the criminal justice system.

We presented two short videos, showcasing successful, single-sex models at the all-boys Urban Prep Academy in Chicago, and, closer to home, the highly-successful Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in AISD. One is a public charter school and the other is an AISD public school.

I thank the many community members for joining us for a meaningful and thoughtful dialogue on education in Northeast Austin and for sharing their families’ hopes and aspirations for their children. I even met a spirited, community advocate whom I want to adopt as my grandmother!

Although we have yet to tabulate the survey results from today, what we do know is that the parents and grandparents of students in Northeast Austin want the same things for their children that I do: a quality education that will allow them to graduate ready for college, career and life. Building the design on how to get there is what we are working out together.

We look forward to continuing the conversations and meeting with families to develop solutions—and next steps—for the community as we work together to build a strong, educational foundation for all students to achieve their dreams.

A Day Full of Favorites: Parents, Students and Lasagna

2011-11-18T18:19:00.001-06:00

Today, I got to see some of my favorite people, eat at one of my favorite spots, and enjoy some of the best service in town!

Members of the Austin Council of Parent Teacher Associations, or ACPTA, filled Travis High School’s Hospitality and Culinary Arts Dining Room for the fall General Meeting. While being served a great meal of lasagna, salad, and star-sugared brownies, the ACPTA conducted their business and asked me questions.

Thanks to ACPTA President Amber Elenz, her dedicated officers, and all of the ACPTA members who joined us today. And, of course, a big thank you to all of the Travis High Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program teachers and students, and their principal, Ty Davidson, for working so hard to make today’s meeting a success. Go Rebels!

IDEA Public Schools is NOT a "for-profit company"

2011-11-12T19:02:00.001-06:00

Imagine my surprise to read a news story on the front page of today’s Austin American-Statesman, which incorrectly reported that IDEA is a “for-profit company.”

My staff and I have worked with the Statesman to issue a correction. The editors have corrected the information online and plan to run a correction in tomorrow’s newspaper.

Just so you know, IDEA is a nonprofit, public school system that is free and open to all students. The proposed IDEA school would be an AISD public school. Similar to all of the district’s schools, it would be funded based on average daily attendance.

Lanier High School Celebrates 50 Years

2011-11-12T17:52:00.002-06:00

I was delighted to be at Lanier today for the school’s 50th anniversary celebration. In many ways, the story of the high school is the story of our district, our state, and our world. When Lanier opened in the building that is now Burnet Middle School in 1961, and then moved to the current location in 1966, the area was mostly farmland, and a big part of the educational focus was agriculture. Back in the 60s and 70s, Lanier was training many of its students for one of the state’s biggest industries -agriculture- of that time.

Fast forward to 2011. The farmland is pretty much gone, except that Mr. Oropez, a former principal, tells me that there is a farm on campus. Lanier High School has been transformed from an agricultural school into the most ethnically diverse high school in the district, with students from more than 50 countries represented. I know that Lanier prides itself on diversity and acceptance, and in that sense, it is a model for the future of our district.

The rich diversity at Lanier offers experiences and opportunities for students that will help prepare them for the future in a global economy. I can’t think of a better way for a high school student to develop both an appreciation of the rich diversity of our world than to have friends from different backgrounds and cultures. Exposure to other languages, foods, and traditions at this age opens doors to a life in which a person can appreciate differences and reach out to others throughout the world. This will be critical in a global economy.

So as we AISD work to prepare our students for college, career and life in a global economy, I want to thank the staff, parents and students, past and present, of Lanier for your contributions to our rich and diverse district. Congratulations to the Vikings for 50 great years. We look forward to another five decades of progress and promise.

With Gratitude and Thanks to All Our Military Veterans

2011-11-11T14:09:00.001-06:00

On this Veteran’s Day, I would like to invite all AISD colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking our military veterans, especially those who are AISD employees, for their great and valuable service to our country, to our families, and to our way of life. To those of you who have risked life and limb, who have suffered physical and mental losses, who have dreamed of home and family from distant and hostile lands, who have served with honor and courage, and who now spend your days doing your part to educate the children of this school district, we say THANK YOU.

Please take time to thank at least one veteran you know. I would like to recognize and thank the district’s Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Fryer, pictured here at the far left, for serving our country as a U.S. Marine for more than two decades. He is shown with other courageous veterans at a service today at the State Capitol.

Thank You!

Tell Us What You Think About Our Plans for School Facilities

2011-11-08T18:24:00.001-06:00

I encourage and invite input on these ideas. Over the next several weeks, we will be seeking feedback at community meetings and public hearings. You can also submit comments on our website at http://www.austinisd.org/fmp/comments.

We’re doing our best to get the word out to the community about these facility proposals. Throughout the month of November, I will continue to share information and listen to feedback at various meetings, but here’s the longer schedule. I hope to see you at one of them. Entering the second half of the fall, I look forward to working together with the AISD community to develop facilities solutions that offer the best academic outcomes for our students.

Community Meeting on North Central Overcrowding:

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Webb Middle School, Cafeteria

601 E. St. Johns

Austin, TX 78752

Community Meeting on College Readiness for the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team:

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Martin Middle School, Cafeteria

1601 Haskell

Austin, TX 78702

District 1 Meeting to Consider Ideas Regarding Two Gender-Based Middle Schools

Saturday, November 19. 2011

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

LBJ High School, Cafeteria

7309 Lazy Creek DR.

Austin, TX 78724

Public Hearing:

Monday, November 28, 2011

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Location To Be Determined - visit the website for updates

Board of Trustee Meeting Dates:

Monday, November 21, 2011

7:00 p.m.

Carruth Administration Center, Board Auditorium

1111 W. 6^th Street, Austin, TX 78701

(Board scheduled to vote on Facility Master Plan framework)

Monday, December 12, 2011

7:00 p.m.

Carruth Administration Center, Board Auditorium

1111 W. 6^th Street, Austin, TX 78701

(Board scheduled to vote on 2011-2012 Annual Facilities Recommendations for implementation in school year 2012-2013)

The Board is scheduled to take action on the Facility Master Plan Framework on November 21. Then, on December 12, I will present annual facilities recommendations for the 2012-13 school year. These will be my best recommendation based on all of the input and feedback received in October and November.

End of the First Half for Facilities Planning

2011-11-08T18:19:00.003-06:00

It’s already November, and I feel like a football player at mid-season! When I presented draft facilities recommendations in late September, I said we would need every minute of the game to take these ideas out into the community and to gather feedback before the clock ran out for AISD half time on December 12, when the first season of facilities recommendations for the next school year will be presented to the AISD Board of Trustees.

Over the past month, I’ve met with hundreds of students, families, teachers, principals and community members about these facilities proposals. It’s not always easy to talk and think about change, but I appreciate the willingness of so many of our stakeholders to consider other ways to use facilities to support better academic outcomes for our kids.

When I read the various Statesman editorials saying that the district is “moving too fast” with scenarios to address academic and facilities needs in the district, I find it hard to believe that anyone can say that about some of the problems we are trying to address, like alleviating overcrowding in North Central elementary schools and improving the structure of the Eastside Memorial Vertical Team. While I welcome all feedback, what I see from my position is that these problems have been problems for years. It doesn’t seem to me that we have moved fast enough.

For at least a decade, the district has struggled to accommodate and support the rapidly growing number of elementary-aged children who live in North Central Austin. The problem dates back at least to 2004, when the district’s bond committee identified the need for at least two new elementary schools to accommodate rapid growth in AISD. The problem has become even more apparent with the release of new census and demographic data. We know that the issue of overcrowding in North Central Austin schools has now reached a point of being a critical health and safety issue for our students and staff. We can no longer afford to put this problem off to another day. While the actions we will propose in December will not completely solve the problem, I know our deliberate actions will help these families.

Similarly, we still face the challenge of low performance in our Eastside Vertical Team and need to address issues that everyone knows have made this group of schools vulnerable: low TAKS commended rates at the elementary level; no feeder middle school; and low high school completion and graduation rates. For at least the past four years, the district has been investigating the possibility of establishing an in-district charter within AISD. Whether people like it or not, I inherited a situation in which the TEA, as part of a reconstitution plan under the state accountability system, requires that we work with “another entity that has proven expertise…to help the District ensure successful implementation.”

The Board took further action over the last school year by revising the district’s policy on in-district charters, giving the administration approval to move forward with a partnership with IDEA Public Schools, and approving the Eastside Memorial Reconstitution Plan that TEA requires districts to develop for low-performing schools. IDEA Public Schools has produced transformative results for children and families throughout the Rio Grande Valley. I know that the District 2 Trustee, Sam Guzman, has his set of advisers which includes parents and other community members who share our sense of urgency about the issue of failing schools. The children in these schools should not have to wait to have access to the same high-quality education that other students in AISD receive.

Since I presented the preliminary scenarios to the Board in late September, my staff and I have gone “on the road” to share the information with the AISD community and to get your feedback. At large community meetings, small group functions, public hearings, campus and district advisory group meetings, and other gatherings, we have presented various scenarios and sought feedback. The responses have helped us to refine our ideas as we prepare to go back to the Board with final recommendations on December 12. Thanks to all of you who have contributed your input and ideas as we move ahead with this process.

This is where we are now, at mid-season:

For the 2012-13 school year, these are the annual facilities recommendations that my administration is exploring, in order of priority:

Make better use of available space, perhaps by changing the configuration of middle and elementary schools, including pre-kindergarten centers, in North Austin to provide immediate relief for overcrowding;
Open Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Programs at four additional schools;
Explore a partnership with IDEA Public Schools to establish an In-District Charter for a college preparation program with first consideration given to strengthening the Eastside Memorial High School vertical team.
Explore a partnership with Education Solutions to establish a multiple pathways education program for students at risk of dropping out of high school to serve Lanier and Travis high schools.
Adopt new program designs for Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs at the elementary and high school levels.
Where appropriate, adjust the district’s procedures regarding student transfers.
Change boundaries where needed to support any facilities recommendations that the Board adopts.
Two single gender middle schools in District 1 using existing space and resources.

Two more options, an Alternative Pathways program for graduation and two new single gender middle schools in District 1, were presented to the Board on September 26 and might still be considered for the 2012-13 school year. But they will need more research and vetting with the community over the next several weeks.

These are the proposals we have introduced and are talking to the community about. They are not a secret, and there are no hidden plans. While some of the options we are considering may involve changes to particular school communities, all of the ideas are on the table and visible for anyone who wants to see them.

Graham Elementary Dedicates Solar Mural to Angie Roberts

2011-11-03T17:19:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Graham Elementary School, led by principal Blaine Helwig, for its Solar Mural Dedication!

The interactive mural was dedicated to science teacher Angie Roberts, who retired recently after 41 years in teaching. At the dedication ceremony, speakers praised Mrs. Roberts for her commitment to teaching. They said she “worked tirelessly” and that her “biggest teaching tool is her passion.”

An Austin native, Mrs. Roberts is a graduate of Lanier High School who married her high school sweetheart.

I enjoyed celebrating the mural dedication ceremony with Graham Elementary staff, families and students. Thank you Mrs. Roberts, for your dedication to AISD!

Families Find Out More About Facilities Options at North Central Meeting

2011-10-20T16:37:00.000-05:00

Some 250 people joined me on Saturday, October 15, to find out more about proposals to alleviate overcrowding in North Central elementary schools. These proposals are not final. They’re among several options in a new process for planning school facilities that the AISD Board of Trustees will consider on November 21 and December 12.

For two hours on this Saturday morning, participants learned about the proposed Facility Master Plan, as well as three proposed scenarios for North Central Austin schools. Two sessions were held at the same time, one in English and one in Spanish, with the majority of participants attending the Spanish-language presentation. Then, we broke out into work groups by school to hear from families. Lots of input, lots of ideas! Thanks for joining us.

There are three proposed scenarios. All three would:

Have sixth grade students from Barrington, Brown and Walnut Creek attend middle school in their attendance area rather than elementary school, as is common throughout most of AISD; and
Create a Pre-K village on the Dobie Middle School Campus, and re-assign pre-K students from Graham and Hart to that campus. Retain the existing boundaries for Dobie Middle School students.

But each of the three scenarios would be different in this way.

In the first scenario, Pre-K students assigned to Barrington and Wooten would be assigned to a Dual Language Pre-K Center at Ridgetop Elementary. Ridgetop students, including the Dual Language program, would be moved to Reilly Elementary.
In the second scenario, Webb Middle School would be repurposed to be a Pre K-8 school, and a portion of students in the Barrington Elementary School attendance zone would be assigned to this newly designed school.
In the third scenario, a pre-K center just for Barrington students would be constructed on the Webb Middle School grounds. It would be separate from the middle school campus, and have its own gym and cafeteria.

Please let us know what you think of the scenarios! Share with your principal, too!

Target Transforms T.A.Brown Library

2011-10-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

There was a sense of excitement and anticipation in North Austin at T.A. Brown Elementary School last Friday as I waited with Principal Veronica Sharp, her students and teachers, and more than 100 volunteers for Target to unveil the results of the long-awaited library makeover at the campus.

We were not disappointed.

The “oohs” and “ahhs” could be heard all over the building. And the students were just as excited as us grownups to see the transformation!

Last fall, T.A. Brown, also known as “The Best School in Town,” was chosen as one of the 42 U.S. Schools to benefit from the 2011 Target School Library Makeover program. This program leverages Target’s world-class design and construction expertise to transform elementary school libraries.

Because T.A. Brown was built in 1957, the library was ready for a makeover. And what a makeover it was.

The redesigned library included new lighting, new furniture and carpeting, eco-friendly design elements, and new reading spaces. And, because we try and stress recycling, the new shelving installed allowed the campus to reuse the old shelving as a literacy lending library for teachers. How cool is that?

The new technology upgrades Target provided also included 10 new iPads for the campus. And, in addition to the 2,000 books Target donated to the campus, each student and his or her siblings also received seven books to take home and add to their own collections. We are so grateful for Target’s generosity.

This great new library comes at a time I have told my staff that I want to blow the cover off reading in AISD! I am confident that this wonderful library at T.A. Brown will certainly inspire students to want to become better readers.

In addition to unveiling the new library, Target also launched a Target Meals for Minds school-based pantry site at the campus. This pantry will help us to combat childhood hunger and its impact on learning. Through the Target Meals for Minds program, all T.A. Brown Elementary students and families will be able to choose from a variety of staple foods and fresh produce to take home.

AISD and Brown Elementary School are grateful to Target for this wonderful library makeover.

Six AISD Schools Make TBEC Honor Roll

2011-10-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

This week, the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) released its annual honor roll, and, out of 253 schools throughout the state that made the list, six were from AISD! This schools that made the TBEC Honor Roll represent less than 4% of all public schools in Texas, and include 34 high schools, 38 middle schools and 181 elementary schools.

In analyzing every public school in Texas TBEC considers only the school’s commended performance, the state’s highest standard for academic achievement, and sets specific targets for schools based on grades served and student demographics. In this, the last year for using the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) performance data, TBEC’s standards were the toughest in the 12 year history of the award. Congratulations to these AISD schools for being named to the TBEC Honor Roll:

Anderson High School
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Hill Elementary School
Kealing Middle School
Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA)
Oak Hill Elementary School

For the Record: Reading is Fun!

2011-10-06T16:49:00.001-05:00

This morning, I got to be "Mama llama" a group of kindergarten students at Casis Elementary School in West Austin, where Patty Martin is principal.

As part of the national Read for the Record reading event, I donned red llama ears and read “Llama Llama Red Pajama,” by Anna Dewdney, to a very attentive group of youngsters, who also looked very cute in their llama ears. I had a great time acting out the baby llama's "tizzy" with them.

This reading, presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, was part of an effort to set two new reading records – for the largest shared reading experience, and, for the first time, the largest digital reading experience.

As part of today’s event, Pearson donated a copy of the book to each of our pre-K and kindergarten classes in AISD, which amounts to more than 700 classrooms.

Thanks, Pearson.

This event couldn’t have come at a better time.

This year, one of our focuses as a district is on literacy. So, there is nothing like a live demonstration of one of our big district initiatives to model good behavior.

Starting with my Convocation at the beginning of the school year, I have been telling people that I want AISD to “blow the cover off” reading this year. We are also working with some of our government partners to create a citywide reading initiative.

And, speaking of government, one of our adult readers at Casis today was State Sen. Kirk Watson. We were glad to see the Senator there—even if he didn’t wear the cool red llama ears.

Thank you, Senator, for your continued advocacy and support of public education and the Austin Independent School District.

Another public servant, State Rep. Paul Workman, read to students at Kiker Elementary in South Austin. We appreciate that he took the time to read to Kiker students today.

Today’s event provided a wonderful opportunity to get our students, at the earliest age, excited about reading. We are committed to teaching our students the important of reading.

And, today’s lesson learned is that reading is fun!

Wooldridge is Walking on International Walk to School Day!

2011-10-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

This morning, I joined Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, AISD Police Chief Ernesto Riojas, and lots of students and families from Wooldridge Elementary School, as they walked to school as part of “International Walk to School Day.” Wellness lessons need to start early, and I was thrilled to model good, healthy behavior by walking with our students.

I emphasized to students and parents the importance of staying healthy so that students are prepared to succeed in school. Students who get exercise, nutritious meals, and plenty of sleep are more ready to learn.

More than 600 people participated in the walk. I was delighted to see such a large crowd, and lots of smiles from students and their parents. What a great example of strong parent involvement!

This event, which was organized locally by Safe Kids Austin, is a worldwide day of celebration to get kids and parents out of their cars and on their feet to walk or bike to school. We are delighted to have Safe Kids Austin as a partner for the 11th year in a row!

Encouraging exercise for students and their parents, while also promoting child pedestrian safety, is a top priority for our district. AISD elementary students focus on eight wellness concepts each school year, including nutrition, cardiovascular health, stress management, and others.

To view a map of the walking route, please visit http://g.co/maps/3ngty.

Thank you to the Wooldridge Quails, Safe Kids Austin, and our police chiefs for making International Walk to School Day a great success!

The Arts Came Alive at the McCallum Fine Arts Center Opening!

2011-09-30T21:00:00.030-05:00

Fine arts came alive on Friday night at the grand opening of the McCallum High School Fine Arts Center. Many of Austin’s most talented teachers and gifted art students put on a fantastic show to celebrate the opening of the new, 25,000 square-foot facility, which includes a 524-seat theater and three state-of-the-art classrooms. The new theater boasts digital lighting and sound and a full fly loft, which allows stage crews to hoist curtains, scenery, and even people!

As I saw up-close on Friday night, this new facility offers so many rich opportunities for budding artists and performers to flourish. Student artists were hard at work Friday night demonstrating pottery, painting, silk screening, jewelry making, and other crafts in the three new art classrooms. The grand opening performance, Elevate, featured an aerial performance by McCallum dance students, choreographed by Blue Lapis Light and accompanied by the McCallum Choir, Orchestra and Classical Guitar students.

The new $9.4 million facility was built thanks to the voter-approved 2008 Bond Program. For its energy-efficient architecture, the building has earned a five-star rating, the highest award, from the Austin Energy Green Building program. Austin Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole presented the award to AISD Trustees Vincent Torres and Annette Lovoi at the program on Friday night.

The Center will benefit from two new arts initiatives in AISD. Creative Classroom will develop a model for arts-rich schools at all levels, and Any Given Child, a program sponsored by the Kennedy Center for the Arts, will offer the Austin arts community support for planning and strengthening our arts programming.

My thanks to McCallum principal Mike Garrison and the Friends of the McCallum Fine Arts Academy, particularly its chairwoman Cari Clark, who worked hard to make this spectacular event a success. So many others contributed, it is difficult to acknowledge them all. I was happy to be able to celebrate this long-awaited opening with wonderful teachers, parents, students and supporters.

The arts are alive and well in Austin ISD; you just need to stop by the McCallum Fine Arts Center to see that!

Additional photos from the McCallum Arts Center Grand Opening can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/paxsimius/sets/72157627684053543/

Welcome to Austin, ACC President Dr. Rhodes!

2011-09-29T11:13:00.012-05:00

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Richard Rhodes, the new president of Austin Community College, at a reception for local superintendents hosted by the E3 Alliance and Austin Area Research Organization.

Dr. Rhodes has an impressive background, including, as President of El Paso Community College, rich experience in community college success and collaborations with school districts in the El Paso region. Dr. Rhodes just started at ACC last month, but already he is well informed about our community. I was excited to hear about his commitment to the district's Early College High School and Early College Start programs, which allow students to earn college credit while in high school.

Dr. Rhodes takes his new job seriously, but he clearly likes to have fun. I asked him some questions from "Connection Bingo," a game I learned during my first week-of-school visits at Gorzycki Middle School. In addition to his amazing professional background, Dr. Rhodes shared this: He has four wonderful children; He likes John Wayne movies; He has never given himself a haircut; The strangest pets he has ever owned were a beagle puppy and a rabbit that lived happily together in his backyard; And, if he had a magic wand and could change anything, he wouldn't use it.

Hope you have the opportunity to meet him!

Join Our School Community Effort to Launch a New Approach to Facility Planning

2011-09-24T21:42:00.005-05:00

Prioritize. Stabilize. Optimize.

Prioritize. Stabilize. Optimize.

Prioritize. Stabilize. Optimize.

Prioritize. Stabilize. Optimize.

Say it over and over again to ward off distractions.

This was our commitment to ourselves and our school community as we launched the school year at the All-Staff Convocation. Academics are our priority. Staying the course will stabilize us. Doing our best, with all that we have, will result in optimal performance.

So, let's not get distracted. Hang in there with us, Austin, on facility master planning.

We are asking the Austin community to join the effort to launch a new approach that distinguishes a facility planning framework - which are the overall components we use every year - from the Annual Facilities Recommendations (AFRs), which are the outcome of using the process and have specific implications for individual sites. The board meeting on Monday has been scheduled for many months so that I could present an administrative recommendation about facility planning; not to present the fully completed Annual Facilities Recommendations for 2012-2013 implementation. This will come in December. I know this is a new approach, and appreciate your patience as we establish a planning framework first for our facility work and then move to Annual Facilities Recommendations.

In light of what may be some confusing media coverage over this weekend about the FMP and upcoming board meeting, I wanted to clarify the agenda for Monday's board meeting so we don't get off track.

Monday is a continuation of the open discussions that began in November 2009 regarding the ongoing work for facility master planning.

We're on the home stretch to present the administrative recommendation that was part of the timeline approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2011.

Here’s what is going to happen on Monday.

I am presenting to the Board of Trustees the administrative recommendation regarding facility master planning.

Specifically, I will be recommending that the Board of Trustees discuss the following in preparation for action on the Facility Master Plan on November 21, 2011, regular board meeting and subsequent action at the December 12, 2011, regular board meeting:

Adopt Facility Master Plan framework, which includes the following three-part process components: 1) a comprehensive, long-term FMP process; 2) annual updated information used to inform the FMP process; and 3) Annual Facilities Recommendations (AFRs), at the November 21st regular board meeting;

Approve the school year 2011-2012 Annual Facilities Recommendations for school year 2012-2013 implementation at the December 12th regular board meeting (which will be presented in draft form at the September 26th regular board meeting); and

Appoint a Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee to prepare recommendations on a proposed scope of work for a future bond program no later than the December 12th regular board meeting.

I know today’s news article - and other potential opinion pieces - may confuse the public concerning specific agenda items for Monday’s meeting versus the scheduled board actions for November and December of this year. Just try to remember that any talk of Annual Facilities Recommendations are draft at best - giving us plenty of time to discuss and shape - and are also not the purpose of Monday's meeting. The Annual Facilities Recommendations have not been finalized and will get no board action until December.

At Monday’s meeting, I will share draft thinking about critical next steps and revisit previously discussed academic options (such as an all-boys school, in-district charters, two-way dual language, etc.) that would need to be considered for facility planning as the district prepares for November and December action. But, there is no “list of schools” to disclose; there are no specific school recommendations at this point in time.

I recognize community input is very important and this is why we intend to use the next three months to review and verify the data and vet the draft thinking on the Annual Facilities Recommendations.

As a commitment to an open, transparent process, we have launched a new website (www.austinisd.org/fmp) to provide the public with updates on the FMP process and notify families and stakeholders of important meeting dates.

While demanding, the legislative session couldn't distract us from our work and improved outcomes. So let's not get distracted now either. We have to do the right things for our kids and be planful in our facility use.

Prioritize. Stabilize. Optimize.

AISD is on a mission to improve the quality of education for kids and I am confident that - although not perfect - our Facility Master Plan, with your input, will be thoughtful, proactive, transparent and, most importantly, in the best interest of Austin’s children and taxpayers.

I hope this communication helps explain what will be covered and what will not be covered on Monday’s meeting and hopefully reduce unneeded anxiety around FMP.

Thank you for supporting Austin’s children.

Eating Right and Well in AISD Schools

2011-09-01T14:30:00.015-05:00

Want to know where to find delicious, nutritious meals? Try the AISD school cafeterias. Of course, you'd have to qualify as a student or visiting parent for the high-quality meals, but if you do, get ready for a treat.

Garlic and rosemary chicken

We're not talking about the fish sticks, chipped beef, and polish sausages of days gone by. Instead, how about garlic and rosemary chicken, fruit salads direct from the farm, stuffed barbecue sandwiches on homemade bread with roast turkey, carrots with hummus dip, migas, and edamame and carrots?

Migas for breakfast

The food revolution is not taking place just on television and in your grocery store. It is transforming AISD food service. AISD Nutritionist June Hayman has made sure that AISD has well surpassed proposed federal nutrition standards for public schools. Under her direction, our cafeterias don't use transfats, no butter or margarine is used in cooking vegetables, the fries are not fried but are baked, and low-fat milk is the norm. The district is also moving toward using only whole grains and reducing fats significantly. In addition, we are aggressively addressing the problems caused by food allergies, including the growing number of students who are allergic to peanuts.

Fruits and vegetables from local farms

Ms. Hayman works closely with AISD Chef Steven Burke. In his seven years with AISD, Mr. Burke has done wonders in changing the recipes and training in our kitchens. He also wants to make sure the students eat what they find in the food line, trading out low-quality ingredients for more nutritional alternatives. For example, we now serve pizza on whole-wheat crust using low-fat mozzarella.

In addition, he is bringing more locally grown produce to our schools through the Farm to Table program and encouraging schools to have their students plant vegetable gardens.

During my visits to schools during the first week of class, I was lucky enough to arrive at several schools during their lunch hours. The students and I were not disappointed.

Chef Steven Burke with sushi

Travis High School

2011-08-26T18:04:00.000-05:00

Bright and cheery senior, Christina, greeted me at the doors of Travis High School this morning. Mr. Davidson was next to say hello and eager to escort me to Teacher of the Year, David Bellesen's Audio/Video production class. AISD is so grateful to our teachers, and it's always a joy to see them in person at work with students. A fun fact about Mr. Bellesen is that he's not only Travis HS Teacher of the Year, but he was also one of the top three finalists for AISD Teacher of the Year.

As I entered the class, I could hear students buzzing about their favorite movies. They were discussing movie genres and Top 5 lists. What I soon learned is the purpose of the lesson was to help students recognize we are more similar than we are different. So many of us share interests and favorite movies, and it is sometimes these interests that quickly bring people together as a group. Most importantly, the lesson taught the students that if you're going to make a good movie, which they plan to do this year, then it takes the whole group working as a team.

I had the chance to pop into an Electronic Media class right before the bell rang dismissing students. I checked out some cool photography the class was working on. The halls filled with students rushing to get to their next class. I was rushing to get to class too! Next up, I visited Allison Mote's Earth Space Science class, where we reviewed what makes a good scientific theory. I also checked in to see who had already sent in their college applications. Time's running out; get those applications in!

A significant investment this year at Travis HS is the implementation of the five tenets, which is best-practice research to strengthen the academic foundation at two vertical teams.

The five tents are:

More instructional time;
high-dosage tutoring;
investing in human capital (an emphasis on recruiting and developing a high quality instructional and administrative staff);
and developing and maintaining a high expectations and “no excuses” culture.

These elements are among the key factors in most studies of best educational practice and will be implemented this year at Travis. One thing I'd like to point out about this program particularly is high-dosage tutoring. Classroom instruction is supplemented by individualized tutoring provided during the regular school day. At the secondary level, 6th & 9th grade students will receive high-dosage tutoring. And at the elementary level, 3rd grade students will receive high-dosage tutoring. This investment will help better prepare our students for college and career.

Thanks for a great visit Travis Rebels! My week of school visits will end with my next trip to Travis Heights Elementary.

Travis Heights Elementary

2011-08-26T17:58:00.000-05:00

I ended my week of school visits at Travis Heights Elementary, home of the Thunderbirds. Principal Lisa Robertson welcomed me to the school and almost immediately (and proudly) began to describe what makes Travis Heights so unique.

In preparation for my visit, Mrs. Robertson took the time to ask staff and parents this very question, what makes Travis Heights so unique? It turns out, several key elements stood out. The teachers and staff really know their students, the relationships being built between home and school continue to get even stronger, and Travis Heights is the very center of their warm community. It's sometimes hard to measure these answers, so the school narrowed down three areas to highlight in my visit today: dual language, technology and fine arts.

On my way to the first classroom, I decided to step into the lunchroom where I couldn't help but admire a giant mural the size of the entire wall. This living piece of artwork will grow with each new year of students as they continue to add tiles of art to the mural as a whole.

The tech team at Travis Heights developed a better plan to teach the technology TEKS as well as integrate those skills into core content. They began the program last year with a 3rd grade Science technology class and are expanding it to 4th graders this year. Way to go!

Travis Heights' has finally received their renovated stage floor. They also worked with the community to replace their stage and light system. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees provided all the light components for free. And they included a disco ball! Last year, the student's videotaped a school wide program called The Michael Jackson Spectacular directed by Brandon "B. Liggy" Ligon and I walked away with my very own DVD of the program. The classes it took to create this production align with programs at Fulmore Middle School and at Travis High, now that's what I call preparing our students for the next level.

I was thrilled to cap off my school visits with students and staff at Travis Heights Elementary, they truly are a very unique school that supports a comparably unique and diverse community.

Galindo Elementary

2011-08-26T16:46:00.000-05:00

As I entered the halls of Galindo Elementary, one of the first happy faces I saw was that of custodian OD Haywood. Mr. Haywood has been working for AISD for 48 years! Now that is what I call dedication.

Our first stop was to Bernadette McBride’s class, where second graders were learning about the big job of learning how to respect each other, which is part of our social emotional learning curriculum. Social emotional learning helps children and even adults, develop the fundamental skills for life effectiveness. SEL teaches the skills we all need to handle ourselves, our relationships, and our work, effectively and ethically.

Students recited the mantra, “being respectful helps you learn.” We sat on the floor in partners, my partner was Dr. Ramona Trevino, our Chief Academic Officer. We discussed the best way to ask how to borrow a pencil and how to ask a question during class. Next, we heard a song about the skills that learners need to be respectful. Every time students heard the word “respect” or “respectful” in the song lyrics, they raised their hands and waved them in the air. Doing a little dance is always a great mid-morning exercise to stay alert.

Next up, I was welcomed to the shaded outdoor learning classroom of Jacque Wolman & Terri Wood, where students in Life Skills were practicing the art of meeting and greeting. We looked each other in the eyes and said “hello.” I had the pleasure of meeting three new friends today, Nathan, Andrew, and Alejandro. I taught all three of them how to pronounce my last name: Car-Star-Fin. They passed with flying colors!

On my way out I peeked into the library. Posted in the hallway entrance to the library was a poster from NEA’s Read Across America where the Reader's Oath was the main feature. It always makes me smile to see students reading.

I enjoyed my time with Galindo Elementary, but now let’s head over to see the Travis High Rebels!

Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

2011-08-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

Our second stop of the day was to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. We were greeted by the star mascot and a big hug. Principal Jeane Goka announced the school had a special presentation for me. Only created for special occasions, the girls created a "star walk" for me and my guest, philanthropist Ross Moody. To roaring claps, screams and many “high fives” we ran through the crowd carrying the TEA Exemplary flag we brought to present to the school that they earned for their outstanding performance.

Once our star walk ended, we gathered in the cafeteria for the middle school assembly. In support of our district's convocation, students sat down in the form of a wave. What a great way to start an assembly! I enjoyed the all-girl drum line performance too.

I was happy to present the school with their flag. Great things are happening at the Ann Richards School, and this year, we added 11^th grade to the campus.

I recognized Mr. Moody and The Moody Foundation for their generous donation of $4.6 million to help AISD establish a School for Young Men. We believe we can duplicate the success of the Ann Richards High School with a school for young men — and I'm proud that the Moody Foundation believes so as well. Many thanks to our young women for modeling a quality school environment that inspires investors!

Our classroom guide today was Paige, a senior. The first stop was sophomore Human Body Systems, a class under the Biomedical Science umbrella. The vocabulary work in the class was possibly college-led. I certainly wasn't learning these words in 10th grade!

Next stop was to see the Media Technology Pathway. Teacher Roger Soden and his student Lareesa talked to me about the program and their Distinguished Achievement Project. Most recently Powerhouse Animation offered to take students from the high school to be interns at their office. What a great opportunity!

Today was a great experience. Thank you Ann Richards Stars!

Maplewood Elementary

2011-08-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

First thing in the morning, I visited Maplewood Elementary, a new addition to our Recognized schools! Congratulations Maplewood!!!

We arrived just as students were finishing their morning assembly and being escorted to class. While waiting for students to complete dismissal to class, I walked around the halls to read student work and inspect the building, which is one of our older elementary schools, having been built in the 1950s with portables just as old too. I look forward to helping find ways to improve the building and grounds this school year. I’ll also put into our facility planning the need for more parking spaces for staff.

We were greeted in the cafeteria by Principal Vickie Jacobson who led our tour around the campus. Our first classroom visit was to Bina Felsens, 2nd grade math class. Several students shared that they were reading a lot. Natalia told me they had been reading Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar, and Genevieve shared that she was practicing her writing. Outside of the class was a wall full of handwritten postcards the students had created about what they had done over the summer. It is clear that these students are already having a great start with reading and writing.

Then we visited Elizabeth Gutierrez’ 1st grade two-way dual language classroom. Sleepy students started to wake as they recited their numbers in Spanish...uno, dos, tres…days of the week and the months. I also joined in and got to practice my Spanish.

Two-Way Dual Language supports "two language" groups of students to become bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate. For example, equal number of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking students would learn in both languages. We are moving quickly to expand Dual Language education in AISD. In fact, this year we will reach 8,024 students across the district, which is nearly seven times the number we had last year. Off to 4th grade science!

On our way to the portable buildings to visit Kristina Muehling's 4th grade science class, I saw a 100 year-old tree with a historical marker in the courtyard of the school. When we arrived, Ms. Muehling’s students were learning about the nature of science tools used to collect date and do a variety of investigations. The students were excited about using tools for collecting data and making observations.

Ms. Muehling was very encouraging, and I was delighted to see that even this early in the morning, there were many students with their hands up enthusiastically ready to answer questions about microscopes, calculators, and balances.

I then met Lauren Kelsey, a 5th grade teacher who was preparing for class. She shared that last year her students were doing a lot of reading. This was music to my ears!

On our way out, we met Richard Levy, who teaches 5th grade math/science. Mr. Levy uses many unique teaching strategies and focuses on a lot of vocabulary with his students.

Thank you Maplewood Mustangs! We are now off to see the stars at Ann Richards High School.

Dobie Middle School

2011-08-25T18:55:00.001-05:00

Principal Carol Chapman served as my guide with the Student Council in tow, for Dobie Middle School. Dobie Middle School has really ramped up its college preparatory program in recent years. The school is now in the process of applying to be an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) demonstration school. While there are thousands of AVID classrooms in the nation, there are only 115 demonstration sites. Dobie has my full support in this. It’s a fantastic school. Ms. Chapman is doing all the right things. AVID is not a program at Dobie; it’s the system for organizing the entire school, for every student. The principal has brought this school to such a better place.

Not only does it train students to take notes, ask questions, and have high expectations for themselves, but it is also a system based on mutual respect and building social relationships. For example, in the READ 180 classroom of AISD Middle School Teacher of the Year Kim Ross,

I asked one student why he was wearing a hat. He said it was to designate that he had answered in accountable talk, saying “I believe,” and “I disagree, however.” The hat was his reward for being polite and respectful.

Dobie also has a socialization program, pairing 8^th graders with incoming 6^th graders, so they know they have someone to trust other than the teachers.

When I visited the classroom of Christy Barrett, Dobie’s AVID coordinator, she was leading a discussion among students about what they were doing to become more college ready. The students were also prepared with questions for me.

I was asked how I thought AVID had improved education. I told them I see students who are articulate, can answer questions, speak up and present themselves well.

They asked me what I like about Dobie. I told them I like the fact that it teaches them about organizing their work, it exposes them to college, and it teaches them to work with others.

All of my new AVID friends let me sit with them at the special center table of the cafeteria. We continued to talk about my job and their hopes. We all agreed that it was a great visit. I can’t wait to go back again!

Dobie Middle School is getting better and better year after year. I look forward to seeing them become an AVID demonstration site!

Murchison Middle School

2011-08-25T18:46:00.000-05:00

As soon as we entered Murchison, Principal Kimiko Cartwright and the school’s IB Middle Years Program coordinator, Ben Newton, showed me the amazing displays from the school’s summer transition camp. The camp was attended by 300 incoming sixth graders.

Then we visited a 7^th grade beginning Chinese class. The class greeted me by standing, bowing, and saying hello in Chinese! They were also learning to count in Chinese. Then the class was trying to teach me to count to 10, using hand signals.

I was very honored that the class bestowed on me a Chinese name: Mah-Lee-Yah. It means “one who sees the beauty of Asia.” Teacher Robyn Stringfellow is full of energy and encouragement. She had the students play a kind of telephone game to help them recognize the Chinese characters for numbers. They each had to draw the Chinese numeral on the back of the person in front of them and then each child did the same until it reached the front of the row. Then the person in front drew the number down to show to the teacher. My row did it right the first try! It’s an IB fabulous class.

Next I stopped by Liza Feldkemp’s German class which was it decorated with tablecloths, flowers on the table, chandeliers and a comfy chair—all to make the students comfortable and happy. She uses a great phone app from a company called Busuu to build foreign Language sentences. I tried it and decided that this is going to be my next download!

When I visited the wind ensemble, the class was talking about tones, and the director, Whitney Crowley asked that I compare photographic tone to sound tone. I told them about my work as a photojournalist at National Geographic and how the concept of tone transpires both music and visual arts.

I told them that the image and its tone can make the viewers feel what you are trying to convey. Even in black and white photos, you can depict warmth, richness or coldness, just as you can in music.

Then I got to conduct the band in its fight song. It was wonderful!

Olé, Murchison Matadors!

Anderson High School

2011-08-25T18:36:00.001-05:00

We arrived at Anderson during the morning pep rally for 9^th and 10^th graders, which was before the Taco Shack Bowl between old rivals Anderson and McCallum high schools. It was awesome. The drum corps was revved up. The cheerleaders were doing back flips across the gym. I got the chance to speak to the students and wished them luck. (Don’t tell Anderson, but I wish McCallum good luck as well.)

Principal Donna Houser was with us throughout the entire visit, climbing stairs and walking hallways with a cast on her foot. The first classroom visit was to the IB Psychology class of Cathryne McNamara. The class is a combination of senior IB diploma and certificate students as well as junior IB diploma students. They were discussing the history of Psychology from the 1890s to now. She puts all the student responses on the class website, so the students can use their notes and the notes from the other Psychology class in their study.

I asked the students what they thought the benefits were of the IB program and how we could get more students to take advantage of the opportunity. Serena told me they were exposed to many books translated from many languages, so they get a world perspective on literature. She told me that her extended essay was about combating global warming.

Kevin, the school drum major, said the biggest benefit for him has been time management. It’s helping to prepare him for university study. The class is exposing him to so many things, he said. His extended IB essay will be on tourette’s and whether it begins with nature or nurture.

Students Diana and Eder talked about recruiting more students to the IB program who may be scared off by the work. They said we needed to tell them this is a different kind of learning and not just more work.

And a great kind, in my book!

We finished the class with a group picture behind the Anderson IB World School banner.

See you tonight at the Taco Shack Bowl. It should be exciting.

Lucy Read Pre-K Center

2011-08-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

First thing in the morning, I visited our Lucy Read Pre-K Center. I was greeted by

little Armando (4 years old), who delivered a very proper greeting; “Good Morning. Welcome to our school. How are you?” His buddy Mando was holding a basket of penguin pins with a Power of Team story about penguins-their school mascot. Those two made a perfect team of greeters!

Principal Janis Darrington, then took us on a tour of the school. I am so proud of the Center in its delivery of best pre-K teaching practices, serving as a model for the rest of the district.

AISD is committed to full-day pre-Kindergarten—and it is the right thing to do. Even with the reduction in state funding, I recommended, and the Board agreed, that we would still fund full-day pre-K this year because of its value as a springboard for future academic performance. A number of studies support this:

· Every $1.00 invested in high-quality early education programs saves Texas communities at least $3.50. (Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M)

· Investing early reduces future spending on remedial programs. (Pew Center)

· Children with quality pre-K experiences enter kindergarten with better reading, language, math, cognitive and social skills than those without pre-K. (Cost, Quality and Outcomes Study)

· The reward for a full-day program will be the longer-term return on the upfront investment in high quality care and education: students better prepared for success in school and in life. (United Way Success by Six)

· Children who attend high-quality pre-K enter school more prepared and achieve greater educational success, including fewer grade retentions, less remediation, higher standardized test scores and high graduation rates. (National Research Council)

· A study conducted in AISD showed that full-day pre-K students received 223 more hours of core academics than students in half-day pre-K. (AISD DPE report)

There is great excitement in this school. We first visited the room of Read Teacher of the Year Jessica Dimas, where the students were busy with manipulatives to help improve their fine motor skills. Many of these rooms are connected so the teachers and students can share in activities.

Then we passed by the school’s garden. The students do all the work here. They plant, till soil, pull weeds, and harvest. Then they eat what they’ve grown. Assistant Principal, Yolanda Reyes, told me that she was served a “school-grown salad with ketchup” by the students. Yum!

I saw my greeter Armando again in Heidi Varga’s class. The entire class has great manners.

Denise Cisneros was reading a book to her class about their school friends to acclimate them to the people in their environment. The book has photos of their classmates and teachers and includes pictures of the places the kids will visit that day so they become familiar with where they are and whom they can go to for help.

There are also six classrooms for half-day classes for three year olds with disabilities (PPCD). These classes provide inclusion opportunities with the other students. When we visited, they were following their teacher, Gina Rollman and playing musical instruments while trying to keep the beat with some music.

We found Teacher of Promise Ana Zepeda singing “Wheels of the Bus” with her students in Spanish. Seventy-five percent of the students at Read are English Language Learners. Like all Read teachers, Ms. Zepeda wore a greeting apron with symbols. Hers were a snake, duck and butterfly. When each child arrives, he or she chooses a symbol for how they want to be greeted. The snake elicits a curvy wave, the duck gives a quacking greeting and the butterfly provides a flittering handshake. This ensures that all children are greeted individually each morning.

We also saw the new welcome video prepared for parents. In Spanish and English, it explains bus transportation, tardies, attendance policy, and other details about life at Read. All parents watch it at orientation.

Our pre-K curriculum is a great success. To qualify for the state-mandated pre-K program in our schools, children must meet criteria about English language ability, family income or other factors.

AISD also provides tuition-supported pre-K at many of our campuses for four-year-olds who do not qualify for the pre-K program. Information on tuition-supported pre-K can be found on our web site or in our Department of Early Childhood at 414-4790.

Pearce Early College Prep Academy

2011-08-24T17:48:00.053-05:00

This morning I waited at the bus stop with seven Pearce Early College Prep Academy students at the corner of Reinli Street and Sheridan Avenue at 7:47 a.m. Parents and guardians can drop off their children as early as 7:45 a.m. at Reagan. Today, there were 21 students from the Pearce Early College Prep Academy at Reagan High School on the bus and I had the chance to talk with several of them during our ride. Alicia, Sherri, Tracy, and Lucy talked about the big change they were making and about the electives they can take. By the time we arrived at Reagan, I had successfully recruited Lucy to join my superintendent’s student advisory council.

The Pearce 8^th graders are picked up by our school buses from their neighborhoods, and arrive at Reagan in time for breakfast, served only to the 8^th graders from 7:45 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Students were greeted at Reagan by teachers and escorted to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. Principal Anabel Garza joined us on the walk to the cafeteria. As soon as we entered the cafeteria at about 7:55 a.m. I noticed the delicious and nutritious breakfast choices on this serving line. Today’s breakfast offerings included cinnamon rolls, biscuits, egg sandwiches, chicken patties, sausage, beans, breakfast taco fixings, milk, juice, and fresh fruit. Many students did eat breakfast. However, I reminded the whole group about the importance of eating breakfast and school lunch every day. Eating a nutritious breakfast is important to your child’s health and mental clarity in the classroom. Better nutrition = better grades.

After breakfast we entered the original Reagan mall, which is where the Pearce Early College Prep Academy is located. I love the new Pearce Early College Prep Academy courtyard. Ms. Garza personally planted flowers in the planter so that the space would look even more inviting for our students. The courtyard also features new landscaping and flags of many colleges. The space looks better than even three weeks ago. It is more middle school appropriate and friendly. This has been a collective group effort to make this learning environment Pearce-centric and to promote a college-bound culture.

Classes in the Pearce Early College Prep Academy begin at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. (see below for Pearce’s daily schedule). The classes are geared to prepare the Pearce students for the Early College High School curriculum at Reagan and LBJ high schools.

Ms. Garza is also holding additional assemblies for the 8^th graders to ensure that all their questions are answered. For example, on the uniform questions—the dress code was determined by the Pearce CAC last year; Reagan is honoring that decision. This dress code allows students to wear an orange or gray collared shirt with no graphics. Only a white undershirt may be worn under a collared shirt. Students can also wear pants that are dark blue, black, gray, brown or khaki and black or white shoes. Jeans are not allowed – and, yes, it’s no surprise that some students don’t like that.

This afternoon I finished up my school visits by taking the bus with the 8^th graders from Reagan back to the Pearce campus for after-school activities. The students debriefed with me their school day. The only issue they raised was the dress code. They do indeed want to wear jeans. I’ll leave that up to the CAC to decide.

At Pearce Middle School, teachers and the new principal, Texanna Turner, were managing buses and getting kids home. I saw assistant principals with students at the Metro bus stops chaperoning until the bus arrived. The coaches were ready and waiting to take the 8^th graders to their activities. And, in the cafeteria, Ms. Turner had the set-up in place so that students could get their physicals for after-school athletics.

I know there may still be some lingering questions about the new Pearce Early College Prep Academy. That is why part of my mission today was to get some clarity about how things are progressing. I wanted to experience the campus culture first-hand.

Here is a summary of a few questions that stakeholders wanted confirmed that helped me monitor our work thus far:

What time can students arrive at Reagan?
7:45 a.m.

What time does breakfast begin and end?
Breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 8:10 a.m.

What time do classes start?
8:15 a.m.

What time do classes end?
3:30 p.m.

What time do students leave on buses for Pearce or for home?
3:40 p.m.

What time are students required to be off of the Reagan campus?
3:40 p.m.

What happens if students remain on Reagan campus after dismissal? Parent sign-out?
If students do not ride the bus and are not picked up by 3:40 p.m., they are escorted to the office where they sign in and are not released until the parent or designee signs them out from the office. Permission slips for walkers were sent home yesterday. Only students with returned permission slips will be allowed to walk.

How many electives do students have?
Students have a selection of the following six elective offerings: Band, Art, PE, Spanish, Digital Media, and Keyboarding. Students still needing to meet PE or other requirements will work with a counselor to schedule that class for the first or second semester. Each student has earned their own credits based on their own performance, so it is important that parents talk to the school directly to discuss their child’s individual options.

Can students take a foreign language? Art?
Yes.

Are students allowed to go back to Pearce for after-school activities? Which activities?
The TEA has approved our 21^st Century after-school grant serving Pearce, including the 8^th graders. We have an exciting list of after-school programs for these students, including pottery, journalism, robotics, soccer, and website design. We will meet with the Pearce 8^th graders next week to sign them up for these exciting activities, which will begin on Tuesday, September 6^th. Staff for these programs must be trained according to federal guidelines throughout the month of August.

Further, once classes end for the day, students will take school buses home or to Pearce for the sports too. This includes the following after-school teams: football, volleyball, and cheerleading. The teams have begun at Pearce, but students need to pass a physical before taking part. Please make sure that your child gets their physical and follows AISD’s guidelines for participation in after-school activities.

Is there only one band class being offered for students? What happens if a student can’t take that band class?

At this time, we are offering one band class. However, we are exploring opportunities for more band offerings for our 8^th graders. As in all school schedules, there are some conflicts that restrict choices. Students are given the opportunity to select another elective if a conflict cannot be resolved.

What is the dress code for students?

Students will wear an orange or gray collared shirt with no graphics. Only a white undershirt may be worn under a collared shirt. Students will wear pants that are dark blue, black, gray, brown or khaki and black or white shoes.

Daily Schedule for Pearce 8^th Grade Students

TIME	STUDENT ACTIVITY
7:45 a.m.	Students may begin arriving on Reagan campus
7:45 a.m.	Breakfast begins
8:10 a.m.	Breakfast ends
8:10 a.m.	Classes begin
3:30 p.m.	Classes end
3:40 p.m.	Buses leave Reagan to take students home or to after-school activities at Pearce*
	*Parental written permission required for students walking home; families may also pick up their children at Reagan. Students remaining on campus after 3:40 will wait in the office until picked up by appropriate family member.

Jordan Elementary School

2011-08-24T17:05:00.000-05:00

It is College Day at Jordan Elementary School! I love college day.

Principal Diana Vallejo led me into the 6^th graders team-building activity, where we formed a circle and joined hands. As a team we bounced a balloon without letting go of the chain of hands. It took real communication. We used heads, elbows, and noses. It’s a great way to break down barriers. Then I joined an activity led by librarian John Garcia, in which you had to climb into a hula hoop while keeping your hands joined.

Ms. Vallejo told me that, because these are new students to the school and to sixth grade, she wanted them to learn to problem solve together, to be teammates, and to resolve issues themselves.

In the library, counselor Cristela Garcia talked to students about setting “SMART” goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. A student named Maria asked where I went to college, so I gave them my academic history.

Another student, Taylor, asked about my goals in sixth grade. I told them about a book that changed my life: Where the Red Fern Grows by Richard Riordan. I was affected by the teacher’s emotion when she was reading the book to the class. I decided at that moment that I wanted to be the best reader. I told them that I also love to read non-fiction and recently read a book about chloroform.

I asked how many books they had read over the summer and stressed the importance of continuing to learn when they’re not in schools, as in the nine non-school hours they are awake. I told them that TV takes away from their time to prepare for college and that I haven’t looked at a TV for four or five months.

I observed more team-building activities in every wing. While picking up a delicious to-go lunch from the cafeteria manager Mary, I was told by teachers that teacher retention was better this year and that one of the reasons was the REACH program.

Thank you Jordan Jaguars, we had a great time!

Overton Elementary School

2011-08-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

I presented Principal Gilbert Hicks with the “Recognized” banner for Overton Elementary School. It’s always a joy to be at Overton. They are so happy to have the sixth graders too. Mr. Hicks told me about the school’s work to instill college preparation in the minds of scholars and to focus on reading. We walked the hall of expectations where all the standards for the school are clearly illustrated in multiple ways so that scholars, parents, teachers, and visitors know exactly what they need know and do while at Overton. I very much appreciated a bulletin board that had real clothes pinned to the board so that everyone knew what the uniform was suppose to look like. It questioned, “Are you in dress code today?” One would know clearly if he or she was or was not. What I like is that the expectations are clear so that there is no guessing as to what the outcomes will be. Performance charts for college readiness connected elementary school work to what college ready standards. Scholars and their families will know exactly when they are on or off track for college long before it is too late to intervene.

What is particularly nice along the halls is TEACHER work next to the SCHOLAR work. Scholars see what their teachers do in professional development as well. And, they have fun too! There is a very humorous poster of the principal designed as Captain America but called “Captain Achievement” so that it could demonstrate and emphasize positive character traits of the principal. Great modeling for the scholars!

We then visited the ELL classroom of Overton Teacher of the Year, Brian Hill, who I adore. He is a wonderful teacher and, of course, a Teacher of the Year for the school. The scholars serenaded me with the school’s spirit song – without provocation from their teacher. Clearly, scholars know how to lead the class too. I talked with the class about the importance of reading and asked them to make the following commitments: 1. Go to bed by 7 pm – less TV/cell phone monitor time; 2. Read at least 20 books in the summer – and continue reading throughout the school year; 3. Go to college.

The school is also piloting more work in single gender classrooms. The boys only had good things to say about their experience. It was a very interesting discussion with scholars in Pauline Pavilica’s 5^th grade, all-boys classroom. Overton also has an all-girls 5^th grade class. These are the first single-gender classrooms in any elementary school in AISD. The scholars in Ms. Pavlica’s class told me, that in this all-boys class, they “build closer and tighter relationships with each other;” there are “less distractions;” “it’s easier to learn without girls talking to us;” and “it’s easier to work with another boy in teams.”

The Overton Bulldogs rock! Congratulations to the whole school. This is just wonderful school.

Garcia Middle School

2011-08-24T16:50:00.001-05:00

Principal Helen Johnson greeted us at beautiful Garcia Middle School. What a view, and what an orchestra! The seventh grade percussion group met us in the foyer with a wonderful performance, led by director Javier Ayala.

The xylophone player, Cameron, taught me how to play a few notes on the xylophone. I then asked Cameron how many books he’d read this summer. He told me he’d read ten. I encouraged him to push himself in reading and to make college plans and stick to them.

After visiting the life skills class of teacher Laura Phillips, we joined the seventh grade Texas history class led by Garcia Teacher of the Year Stephanie Spradlin. The students were putting together a Texas fact sheet. They were discussing facts about Central Texas counties, and they were really engaged in their lesson.

On the way out of the school, I met the Garcia dropout specialist Ray Lopez. He’s working in partnership with LBJ to recover kids. Ray is fabulous and works hard to bring the Garcia dropout count to zero.

LBJ Early College High School

2011-08-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

We pulled up to the exciting new purple entryway to LBJ High School. It took some work to get that right, but it was worth it. The students I asked as we entered said they thought it was a big improvement.

LBJ is in its first year as an Early College High School in partnership with Austin Community College. It is an important start to a great opportunity for these students. If they really apply themselves, they can graduate with a high school diploma and an Associate’s degree at no cost to their families.

We were greeted by Rhonda Hall, the school’s academic director. Our first stop was the Student and Family Support Office. It houses counselors, the dropout specialist and other student support structures in one place. Next we saw the Parent Resource Office. Here parents can fill out job applications. It has a small childcare area with educational games while parents are working in the resource office. It also serves as a meeting place for parents and volunteers.

In Melanie Kirchoff’s AP World History class, the students were working on finding text-based evidence to support the negative and positive effects of agriculture. Ms. Kirchoff is LBJ’s Teacher of Promise, and it shows.

Next we visited Norma Saavedra’s College Readiness dual credit course with Austin Community College (ACC). The students reviewed the information they heard in an ACC orientation on Monday. They talked about the essay they would be writing in anticipation of mastering the Compass test, which is used to measure college readiness.

I then spoke briefly with the students, talking about the work of the Superintendent, the role of the Board of Trustees, and how they are elected. I told them that I would report to the Board that I witnessed first-hand a great program with engaged students. I also talked about the role of politics in education, explaining that’s why the district and I are often in the newspaper.

I was so delighted to the smiles in the hallway of LBJ from students, faculty and staff. Go Jaguars! Get all that college credit!

Joslin Elementary School

2011-08-23T14:41:00.001-05:00

I was proud to deliver an “Exemplary” banner to Joslin Elementary School Principal Jennifer Pace and Assistant Principal, Griselda Galindo-Vargas. Then I stopped in to see the 2^nd graders eating in the cafeteria and to thank the cafeteria staff, who made me a healthy dessert of nuts and berries. Many thanks to kitchen manager Rosa Jeronimo, Roby Oduna, Deborah Baker, and Simona Salas!

I then met the brainy 5^th grade techno-scientists, with their Math and Science teacher Gloria Rangel. I worked with two students, Anthony and Marcos, on their computer. We looked at my blogs, so I could explain what my job is like and how large our district is. The class was then engaged in Glogster—a way of visually creating a poster on a laptop with graphic tools similar to power point, but used for education. Before I left the class, Anthony and Marcos promised me they would read, read, read!

My last visit at Joslin was with the school’s Teacher of the Year, Theresa Melomo, a first grade teacher. This is an inclusion classroom. The class is accommodating two hearing impaired students by teaching the other kids how to look at the student when speaking as well as having two sign language helpers in the classroom. I taught them how to remember my last name using hand gestures (in charades style) for a car, a star and a fin. They got my name right away! Breaking complex things into simple, visual terms helps everyone to learn.

Ms. Pace tells me the teachers are very excited because the school has 65 new computers this year. Year in and year out, Joslin does a great job for its South Austin neighborhood.

Gorzycki Middle School

2011-08-23T14:26:00.003-05:00

After the presentation of the “Recognized” banner, Gorzycki Middle School Principal Vicki Bauerle, led me on a tour of their great fine arts program. I couldn’t believe how incredible the Tiger band sounded, and on its second day of school! I guess it’s only fitting since the school is named after the late Diane Gorzycki, former award-winning Bailey Middle School band director and AISD administrative supervisor for Fine Arts.

I had the good luck to visit Michele Huerta’s 6^th grade theatre arts class right before they started their “Connection Bingo” exercise. I started the activity by asking everyone to laugh out loud for 30 seconds. It wasn’t long until everyone in the room was genuinely LOL! It was crazy fun! I plan on using this exercise in my other meetings. Everyone in the room was very happy and ready to jump into the next exercise with smiles on their faces.

Then I got the chance to visit with 7th grade students during lunch. Ah, middle school students! They recommended the taco bowl with lots of veggies on top for lunch with milk for my drink. I got my vitamins and minerals for the day, thanks to them! It is now my favorite school to get a taco bowl!

During lunch, I met the school’s Teacher of the Year, Megan Butler, a Special Education English/Language Arts teacher, and Teacher of Promise Andrew Doggett, a 6^th grade Science teacher, who also coaches football.

Ms. Bauerle told me the school was off to a very smooth start—and its only their third year. It showed. Congratulations, Gorzycki Tigers.

Bowie High School

2011-08-23T13:29:00.003-05:00

It’s always fun to visit Bowie High School, home of 2800 Bowie Bulldogs. And it was especially fun to present Principal Stephen Kane and Student Council co-presidents Matt Orlando and Janson Higgins with the “Recognized” banner for their school. Go Dawgs!

Our first stop was Wendy Uzzle’s life skills classes. Bowie’s high quality instruction includes its Special Education classrooms, in which teachers like Ms. Uzzle address individual student’s needs.

We dropped in on Chef Richard Winemiller’s Culinary Arts class where it is all business. Chef Winemiller is doing team building with the class. He has them working alongside each other, going back and forth slapping out a rhythm on the table. This is a precursor to helping them understand what “building the basics” could mean to their career. They will take simple skills, like knife skills, and use them to turn out complex gourmet meals. By the end of the curriculum, they will be certified in food safety, food handling and food management, so they can go straight into a job in the food industry. But, there was no food. I will have to come back when they do their meal preparation for the Bowie community event. Chef Winemiller also has a great sense of humor – see that cartoon he shared with class…

Bowie Teacher of the Year, Kelly Flickinger, was talking to her Math class about building character. She told her students that character matters most of all, but they also need to graduate from Bowie as thinkers and scholars, they need to be literate and stay healthy, and they need to be effective communicators. I love her enthusiasm. It is contagious in the classroom.

That contagiousness does indeed spread throughout Bowie – it’s a great school with great spirit!

Bailey Middle School

2011-08-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

I was pleased to be able to present the “Recognized” banner to Bailey Middle School and its principal Julia Fletcher again. Not surprisingly, the school looks fantastic. And it’s setting a good example by embracing our “No Place for Hate” campaign. Bailey has been working on their designation since 2009 and it has paid off in the school culture, which is welcoming and warm.

I visited Bailey’s Teacher of the Year, Benjamin Summers, in his Science classroom. This is his first year teaching Science after three years teaching Math. He appreciates the opportunity to use both his left brain and right brain in this class. He described a structure that provides tons of real time support by other seasoned science teachers as he perfects his new assignment.

I then went to the classroom of Ellen Cox, Bailey’s Teacher of Promise. She is such a great teacher that students see on average 40 percentage point gains, according to the principal. Already on the second day of school one of her students calls her “awesome.”

Our Chief Academic Officer Ramona Trevino and I talked with the staff about the use of Schoolnet. The teachers were ready to engage students in rigorous instruction, using the curriculum roadmaps and the assessments. I am looking forward to seeing our new technology integrated into every teacher’s work this year.

In a rare moment of peace and quiet, I was able to speak to the principal about where she grew up and what she experienced in school. It was the perfect end to the visit for me because knowing her a little better made it clear, that based on her values she wants to provide a high quality education for all kids. This is why Bailey is such an outstanding school! Congrats to the whole team!

Akins High School

2011-08-23T10:47:00.001-05:00

This morning, I grabbed a Capital Metro bus in South Austin to ride to Akins with a group of students. On the bus I talked with freshmen Jose and Eric, both former Mendez students. I’d met Jose when he was performing in the band at Mendez. Now he’s signed up for the Akins band. I’ll have to watch for him on the field at some future Akins football game. On the ride, we reviewed their schedules and talked about college readiness.

We arrived at our newest high school, now home to over 2700 students. I had to say a quick hello to my favorite rocket class before heading to the first classroom visit. I stopped by to see my favorite robotics teach, Mr. Sebastian Espinoza was to the Certified Nursing Assistant Career and Technology class. The students told me they are taking the class because they want healthcare careers, including being nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians. Their teacher, Debra Johnson, is an RN and has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing too!

The first part of the course focuses on long-term care. They do a practicum at a nursing home after they spend time in lab learning the skills. Later in the course, they shadow nurses at Seton Hospital. The students then have to receive at least an 80 on a state exam to receive certification. I also told the class that being bilingual makes them even more marketable.

I met Jared, who is considering going to my alma mater (Harvard), in Kyle Voge’s Physics classroom. Jared would be a perfect candidate for the school and I think as shoe in. Mr. Voge is known as the Akins “Rocketman,” teaching rocketry to his physics students, who compete in Central Texas rocketry contests. Mr. Voge was the Texas AP Science Teacher of the Year and represented Texas at a national conference. I talked with Jared about his career plans. I urged him to set high career goals, choose good classes and take part in extra-curricular activities. He will be competing in a global economy.

Before leaving I was also able to meet Akins’ Teacher of the Year, Becky Redland, in her English class.

Throughout my visit, I was tailed relentlessly by three Akins journalists, doing a great job and asking tough questions. The reporter was Haleigh Wagner, and the photographers for the Eagle’s Eye newspaper were David Vatoillid and Alex Herrera.

Bryker Woods

2011-08-22T15:58:00.002-05:00

I ended the first day of school visits by presenting an Exemplary flag to Bryker Woods Principal Jane Kronke and Ruth Hansen, the school’s secretary for 20 years (and with AISD for 29 years!).

We visited the first grade classroom of the school’s Teacher of the Year, Monique Cavazos. The students were drawing pictures of what scientists look like and what they do. Then they discussed their drawings with each other. Ms. Cavazos told them they would all have the opportunity to be scientists this year.

Third grade Teacher of Promise Meredith Dayon was showing her students how to use a planner to help them get organized early in the school year. Their homework assignment for tonight was to spend 20 minutes reading—something I love to hear!

I then met with Bryker Woods parent Cord Dover, who is directing the Boltage program at the school. This is part of a national program to encourage walking and biking to school and is co-sponsored in Austin by the Bicycle Sport Shop, Trek, the Austin Cycling Association, and Bike Texas. Last year, students around the country logged 365,000 kid-powered miles. This is the third year for the program at Bryker Woods. As Mr. Dover explained, this is not only good for the students, but it reduces the school’s carbon footprint. Last year at Bryker Woods, students walked or biked 10,460 miles, saving 5.75 tons of CO2. I think we will want to consider this program for the entire district as we look at improving the health and wellness of our students. If anyone at Bryker Woods wants more info about the Boltage program, they can contact Cord Dover at jcdaustin@gmail.com. He will be happy to help sign up the students in this great program!

I began the day with the Freewheelin’ Mustangs of Zavala and ended it with the Panther bike riders of Bryker Woods. Not a bad way to start a school year.

Stay tuned for first day of school report at the Board Meeting tonight.

Garza Independence High School

2011-08-22T15:16:00.001-05:00

It’s always a joy to visit Garza Independence High School. The classroom of the school’s Teacher of the Year, Margaret Fackler, was a mixed math by design. She loves all math and can teach different subjects to different students at the same time – Wow! I thought my job was hard! By day, she is an inspiring and favorite teacher of Algebra 2, Physics, Pre-Cal and Calculus. By night, she can sometimes be found on the Roller Derby track under the name Olivia Shootin’ John, a crowd favorite there as well. She promised to help get an AISD Roller Derby team pulled together soon.

We also visited the multi-credit course, called Garza 10-18, taught by Randy Atchison and Vaughn Camacho. (“10-18” means to respond quickly.) The Austin Chronicle calls it “the most innovative class in Austin.” The students learn emergency preparedness, survival skills, CPR & First Aid certification, HAZ MAT training, criminal court proceedings, and much more. Students have the opportunity to explore the impact emergency preparedness has on their regional & local communities through the lens of various systems. This is the only class in the city in which students are allowed into the emergency transportation and communication center. They gave me a cool cap with their class name to remind me to 10-18 to all things Garza.

A couple of students seemed to be awestruck by their opportunities in the course. Shayla told me that it taught her to act professionally and to understand the criminal justice system. Clark learned about crime scenes and how police work them. He said you see things you never would see normally. “It’s hard to say how wonderful this is,” he said. Sasha said it helps build relationships with the police department and get a deeper understanding of what they do. It’s like a course in CSI.

Garza has an interdisciplinary, multiple credit, self-paced curriculum. This is an alternative high school that students choose for the relevance and the rigor, as well as the college and career prep it offers. At the same time, I encouraged the Garza students to read for their schoolwork and beyond their schoolwork.

It’s very fitting that this school, bringing in students from all over town and specializing in interdisciplinary learning, has the mythical Griffin for a mascot—half eagle and half lion – because they soar and roar!

Eastside Memorial High School

2011-08-22T14:00:00.002-05:00

I was met at the door of Eastside Memorial High School by new principal Joseph Coburn. I was able to see the new Health Science Practicum. It will provide the students with the opportunity to take part in a rotation in a local hospital. Through this course, Eastside students can end up with a nursing certification, as part of the Career and Technology Education strand at Eastside. This new curriculum is being conducted in partnership with Austin Community College and is being taught by Nancy Diesel.

Next I visited the classroom of the Eastside Global Tech’s Teacher of the Year, Jean Fiske, a special education teacher. Her classroom was moved into the main building this year, which makes the experience more inclusive with the school. I followed this by stepping in on the Algebra 2 class being taught by Ingrid Ristroph, the Eastside Green Tech Teacher of the Year. (I always enjoy watching her teach.) She began by telling the students what they will need to prepare them for every day of schoolwork. They are:

1. Be dependable.

2. Advocate for yourself. But be polite and respectful, but ask questions the minute you need to.

3. Support each other to learn and stay focused.

4. Be a problem solver.

5. Follow school rules.

And, then, they jumped into their math work. Ms. Ristroph teaches from a google site she set up (look for her photo with a hot pink post-it covering one eye – a dead give away that it is indeed her). Today the students shared laptops for a group assignment to access the day’s work. Then she jumped right into a lesson using real-world problems. I worked alongside a student named David on an exercise comparing teachers’ salaries year over year. We were answering questions to identify the variables and the domain of the salary range. Are the data discrete or continuous? Does the salary grow linearly and is the slope consistent? A great Algebra lesson. I was thrilled to see students involved in lessons on the first day of school. Setting a high standard for excellence on the first day is essential.

I’m looking forward to great strides at Eastside Memorial in the coming year. Eastside PRIDE!

Govalle Elementary

2011-08-22T11:57:00.002-05:00

Govalle Elementary School, a Recognized school, was one of 15 AISD schools to move up one level in the state accountability ratings, despite the fact that the State raised the performance standards. So, of course, we wanted to present the “Recognized” flag to Principal Nancy Maniscalco, her PTA president Gabe De La Cerda, and several student leaders as soon as we arrived. I asked a student named Kelvin how many books he read last year. “Over 100,” was his answer. I told him that was exactly what I like to hear.

I then got into math manipulatives with the 2^rd graders of Dan Gach’s class, Govalle’s Teacher of the Year. I also stopped into the 3^rd grade classroom of the school’s Teacher of Promise, Crystal Davis.

Next I visited the Science Lab, in which teacher Lana Stone and several students, calling themselves “the 4^th grade engineers,” demonstrated their work from the summer STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) academy. Student engineers Robert, Gloria, David and Eduardo explained their STEM hand-pollinating project to me, through which they pollinated flowers. They were like human insects. They turned what they learned into blogs about their work. I was so impressed by their writing and the responsibility they took as bloggers. Please visit the incredible site they created and the video about their summer work at stonestem.edublogs.org.

I ended the visit to Govalle by joining the kindergarten classes for lunch. They were so cute and nervous going through the line for the first time this year. It looks like a great start to another great year at Govalle.

Go Govalle Roadrunners!

Reaching for the Aztec Stars at Sanchez

2011-08-22T11:46:00.002-05:00

Sanchez Elementary School is a Recognized school for its second straight year. There, we briefly visited a number of bilingual classrooms. This year, Sanchez Aztec Stars is instituting one-way dual language, beginning in pre-K, Kindergarten and 1^st grade. As soon as we arrived, Principal Azucena Garcia took us to the bilingual kindergarten room of Giovanna Rolls. We went from the little kids to the big kids, next visiting the bilingual 5^th grade classroom of Carolyn Martinez. She was already working with students on the concepts of “empathy” and “respect,” as part of our Social Emotional curriculum.

In the 3^rd grade classroom of Steve De Avila, the students were outfitted in tool belts, holding pencils and erasers. They were ready for work. I watched Ayde Mireles using an Innovation Station to show her 5^th grade students how to take notes. She demonstrated using their notebooks to record their notes on one side of the page and the teacher’s input on the other side of the page for each lesson. A great skill that will help them all through public school and college!

We ended the visit by presenting the school with its Recognized flag in the classroom of 2^nd grade bilingual teacher, Martha Sanchez, the school’s Teacher of the Year.

The Sanchez Aztecs rock!

Hanging at Martin Middle School

2011-08-22T10:32:00.002-05:00

Martin Middle School is perched just north of Lady Bird Lake and within a short distance of Fiesta Gardens. We began with a visit to the classroom of Martin’s Teacher of the Year, Storm Vance, as she went over the school schedule, the students’ schedules, and talked about the discipline and behavior policy to set the guidelines for a safe, productive year! Next stop was my visit with a nutritious breakfast prepared by the sweet cafeteria staff. The new Principal, Leticia Vega, joined me.

From there, we joined the AVID classroom of Terry Davis. AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) is designed for students who will be the first in their families to attend college. This is the second year of the program at Martin, and it’s enrolled to its full capacity. It teaches study and note-taking skills, provides college visits, and expects its students to enroll in rigorous college-prep courses. At Martin, that usually means enrolling in the International Baccalaureate (IB) middle school program.

Before we left, we were able to drop in on the Career and Technology classroom of Katrina Hicks. Ms. Hicks’s classes regularly win state and national awards for career education.

I am very pleased by the college prep mentality at Martin. We need every student in the district committed to rigorous reading, the kind that is promoted by AVID and the IB program. For many of our students, that should mean reading twenty times as much outside class as they currently do.

On to Sanchez.

Greetings from Zavala... Happy 75th Anniversary!

2011-08-22T09:21:00.002-05:00

I kicked of the school year bright and early at historic Zavala Elementary School with the UT Spirit Band playing the UT fight song and the cheerleaders leading the Zavala Mustangs in cheers. Principal Sean Fox guided us through the halls of Zavala to the Kindergarten room of Dacey Long. Interestingly, Ms. Long used a puppet to show the students how to introduce themselves to each other and to me. They caught on fast.

Then we visited the 4^th grade room of Zavala’s Teacher of the Year, Tanya Quezada. In the first half hour of the new school year, her students were ready with questions. After I told them a little bit about myself, Gilbert asked me what it was like in Spain. Jewel wanted to know what it was like in Austria. And Zino wanted to know about Tennessee. I told them about the value of knowing more than one language and about the Kodak chemical industry in Tennessee. Clearly, these students are ready to learn. And Social Studies are an important component of their education.

We ended our tour by entering a classroom of students wearing safety goggles. I was surrounded by little scientists. This was the Science classroom of Cheryl Gibson, who has taught at Zavala for 32 years. They were ready for a new year exploring the universe.

Thank you, Zavala, for super entry into the new school year.

Kick off at Zavala

2011-08-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be at Zavala this morning to welcome students here and all over the district back for the first day of the new school year. Zavala is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year. The school was also recently awarded a grant from the National Wildlife Federation to create a School Yard Habitat, featuring native Texas plants to foster community involvement and to beautify the school grounds.

Some of us got our day off to a good start on a bike ride with the Freewheelin’ Mustangs bike club here at Zavala. More than 20 Mustangs and I were escorted by the Austin Police Department, and we were met at the end of our ride by the LiveStrong volunteers providing our water stop. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo was also there with me today. AISD Police and the Austin Police Department have a strong partnership that helps us keep all of our students safe.

The Zavala bike club has been going strong for three years. It’s a perfect example of our goal to promote student wellness. In terms of fitness, a large number of our students do not meet the targets for healthy body mass index. Only two-thirds of our high school students meet cardiovascular measures. Fitness programs should also apply to every adult in this district, too.

And, if that bike ride didn’t get our hearts pumping, we have the University of Texas Spirit team here, too. What a great way to start the first day of school. There is a straight line that every student here can draw from Zavala to college. With hard work some of these students will also be attending the University of Texas and maybe even a part of the Spirit team ten years from now. And I know every Zavala Mustang will be prepared to graduate ready for college in the coming years because they have been a Recognized school two years in a row!

Today, everyone is excited because it’s the first day of school. But I want that excitement to last all year long. I want all students to be in school all day, every day. You can’t learn if you’re not in class. We know there’s a direct correlation between attendance and student engagement and graduation. It’s a simple equation:

Come to school + do your homework + participate in school activities = graduate ready for college and a good career.

I am proud to be part of the team that is preparing the way for what promises to be a great school year. Thanks to our outstanding custodians, the floors of AISD are shiny. Our bus drivers are getting our students to school on time. Our cafeterias are ready to serve. Our grounds are neatly trimmed. The teachers, principals and staff have put up displays in every hallway and classroom welcoming students and outlining school procedures. We are ready for a safe, productive, and exciting school year. Let’s learn!

Back to School Bash is going strong!

2011-08-13T13:55:00.001-05:00

Come for FREE back packs, safety helmets, eye exams/glasses and much more! Thanks to AISD staff, City of Austin, and County Services for helping our area kids and families get off to a great start this school year!

St. David's Neal Kocurek Scholars Event

2011-08-10T21:49:00.004-05:00

I attended the Scholarship Event for the St. David's Neal Kocurek students. It was just lovely! The students and their families are so excited about their scholarships and plans for college. The scholarships are needs based, provide $6,000 per year for up to six years, or through a Masters Degree. It has grown to 146 scholars over the years.

More AISD students need to apply for these scholarships!!! Of the 36 scholarships recently awarded, only 5 were awarded to AISD graduates. Students please apply. We have so many students who qualify for this great scholarship, named for a great Austinite. This is money for college that is yours to have. The St. David's Foundation wants you to have it - as does AISD. I want us to quadruple our scholarships this year. Please contact Jane Nethercut, our Learning Support Services Coordinator, who also serves on the Scholarship Committee, or your high school counselor if you want information on how to apply. I look forward to seeing many more AISD students at the event next year!

Measuring What Really Counts

2011-08-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year in which the federal and state accountability systems release their data based on student performance on standardized tests. A few days ago, we announced that the Austin School District was rated “Academically Acceptable” by the state, with the district scoring “Exemplary” or “Recognized” on 21 of the 25 state TAKS measures. Today the U.S. Department of Education notified us that we did not meet its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards for the third year in a row. Those standards are based on the very same test results. At the same time, we learned that, for the first time since 2003, AISD will not have any campuses identified for the federal School Improvement Program (SIP) under No Child Left Behind.

Our district has made real progress:
• Our Hispanic students met the federal target outright in both Math and Reading.

• Our Economically Disadvantaged students increased their performance in Math and Reading, but only met the standard in Math.

• Our English Language Learners made a four percentage-point gain in Reading and Math.

• Our Special Education students improved in Reading and Math, but that was not enough to allow the district to make the AYP mark.

• AISD made the standard for the Graduation Rate; and

• The three schools in AISD that had previously been deemed for monitoring through the federal School Improvement Program (Reagan and Lanier high schools and Mendez Middle School) scored well enough to exit that status.

It’s complicated to explain. I’m still learning myself. Seventy-four percent of the 31 AISD schools that missed the federal targets, for example, either were rated “Academically Acceptable” or even “Recognized” in the state accountability system. Here’s how I unpack it, and I hope this helps you, too.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that the federal system targets—after starting off slow—are rising at a challenging clip in order to meet the 100 percent passing rate for Math and Reading by 2014 set by the previous administration. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan declared in June that the federal “No Child Left Behind” accountability system should be retooled or 83 percent of all schools in the country will fail to meet its standards for the 2011-12 school year. He also said that the system needs to be changed to provide more support for students and their schools in order to better serve the future achievement of our students.

I completely agree. The state and federal standards are important, and we are very committed to assessing student progress according to high academic standards. But our primary concern is making sure that our students are learning, progressing and achieving at levels that prepare them well for college, career and life. That’s our bottom line.

AISD Gains on Latest TAKS Tests

2011-07-29T18:29:00.000-05:00

I have some news to share. District and campus TAKS ratings were released earlier today, and AISD will once again be rated as "Academically Acceptable." The data show that the district-wide performance improved or remained the same across all performance indicators in all five subject areas tested. On the 25 TAKS measures evaluated, the District's performance was at the "Exemplary" level on nine, the "Recognized" level on 12, and at the "Academically Acceptable" level on four. Our performance in every subject area improved compared to the other Big 8 districts.

Ninety-three percent, or 104 of our 112, of our campuses, were rated “Academically Acceptable,” "Recognized," or "Exemplary." This means the vast majority of Austin schools meet or exceed the state performance expectations.

For the second year, our District has achieved a passing rate of 80 percent or better in all five subjects. In addition, for the first time, more than 30 percent of AISD students scored at the “Commended” level--the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education.

It’s encouraging to know that the hard work of our principals, teachers and students has paid off. Achieving this level of success in every subject area is particularly significant when you consider that the accountability system has been one of ever-increasing standards and changing rules, while at the same time we've been experiencing the statewide budget crisis. We are proud that these results confirm that our teachers and students have stayed focused and been able to realize these gains.

AISD student group data was also positive. Performance for all student groups, including African American, Hispanic, and Economically Disadvantaged students, increased or remained the same in every subject area. Overall, the largest gains were achieved in Mathematics and Science, the two areas where performance has been the lowest, both statewide and in AISD. Hispanic student performance improved three percentage points in both Math and Science, the largest gains of any student group. African American student performance improved by two percentage points in Math and one point in Science, and Economically Disadvantaged students improved by three percentage points in Math and two points in Science.

Since the TAKS tests began in 2003, AISD students have made dramatic gains across subject areas and in closing the achievement gap. For example, AISD has seen overall gains were seen in all subject areas: including 20 percentage point increases in Reading and Social Studies; 27 points in Writing; 30 points in Mathematics; and 39 percentage points in Science. African American students narrowed the achievement gap by an average of 21 percentage points across all subject areas, and Hispanic students did so by an average of 20 percentage points. Special Education students closed the gap with the "All Students" group by an average of 14 percentage points. We have also narrowed the gap by 20 percentage points for English Language Learners with the "All Students" group.

Overall, 23 Austin schools are rated “Exemplary," 33 are rated “Recognized," 48 are rated “Acceptable," and eight are rated “Academically Unacceptable." All Austin elementary schools were rated “Academically Acceptable” or higher. In total, fifteen campuses will move up to higher levels on the ratings scale.

Eight secondary schools were rated “Academically Unacceptable”—Eastside Memorial Global Tech, LBJ High School, and Garcia, Burnet, Bedichek, Lamar, Mendez and Pearce middle schools. The District is carefully reviewing the data and is likely to appeal several of the preliminary campus ratings. The District believes it can make strong cases for appeals for certain campuses because not only did students make gains on those campuses, but also because the students were so close to making the mark.

TEA made significant changes to the state accountability criteria in 2011, and its effects impacted some AISD campus ratings. Overall, the large majority of AISD campuses will be rated as "Academically Acceptable," "Recognized," or "Exemplary." While last year AISD had only one "Academically Unacceptable" campus, in 2011, under more stringent rules, eight AISD campuses are classified as "Academically Unacceptable," based on the preliminary data.

The most significant TEA rule changes are summarized below:

Higher standards for achieving Academically Acceptable status in Mathematics and Science (i.e., five percentage points higher);
Similarly, higher "floor" or minimum score requirements, used to determine if "Exceptions" can be used, increased by the same amount (i.e., five percentage points);
Inclusion, for the first time, of the scores of students with disabilities who took TAKS-Modified or TAKS-Alternate;
Two additional requirements for achieving ratings of "Recognized" or "Exemplary:" Commended Performance Indicator and the English Language Learners Progress Measure; and
Elimination of the Texas Performance Measure (TPM), also referred to as the state growth measurement.

Despite the State's rule changes, our students made significant gains in Math, Reading, Writing and Science. After analyzing the data, our Chief Performance Officer Bill Caritj said these changes did affect us. We certainly embrace high standards for all of our students, but in this instance the rules changed midstream. Based on Bill Caritj's analysis, all eight ‘Academically Unacceptable’ campuses would have been ‘Academically Acceptable’ if the state growth measurement (Texas Projection Measure) had not been eliminated.

The district continues to look for opportunities to strengthen our core academic work, including making a college-ready curriculum focused across all grades and revamping the assessment system so that teachers can monitor student performance in real-time. AISD also has redesigned the bilingual program around one-way and two-way dual language immersion so students will develop high language and academic proficiency.

We are reviewing the commended levels on the state assessment and will provide assistance to students at all levels to ensure those students are receiving more rigorous instruction. Principals and counselors are also meeting with students individually and in groups to discuss college experiences to ensure that students are focused on continuing their education after high school.

At the campus level, new programs are being implemented to bolster student performance. These include the Early College high schools at Reagan and LBJ high schools. The Eastside and Travis Vertical Teams will focus on the following five tenets: human capital; maximizing instructional time; high dosage tutoring; high expectations and a no-excuses culture; and data-driven instruction. Also, the District continues to stress the importance of student attendance.

We are not where we need to be and certainly not where we want to be with all student groups in all subject areas. We will not be satisfied until exceptional teaching and learning is the norm in every classroom in every school. However, our hard work as a district has paid off for us in the results we are seeing this year. We will build on these gains as we go forward so that we can achieve our goal of every student graduating high school ready for college, career, and life in a rapidly evolving, global economy.

Austin is pretty "Footloose" in the summer!

2011-07-14T21:13:00.001-05:00

I'm at the 53rd Annual Zilker Summer Musical for their production of
FOOTLOOSE! I have a small role tonight and am a wreck - a very sweaty wreck
in this 105 degree heat! But, the staff of the Zilker Theater Production
(ZTP) is so nice and talented. This is truly a labor of love. Some of our
AISD students are in the production. The Hillside is covered with dedicated
Austinites who have been attending since they were little kids. The show is
perfect for the summer with songs and dancing. There is a deeper message
too. Director Michael McKelvey wrote in his note in the program, "Footloose
is a show about community...the only way a family (or community) can
survive is through communication, understanding and love." Given the
budgetary challenges we have experienced this school year these words speak
to me the most!
It's an amazing experience that is free to the public but not free to do. I
agreed to do the walk-on (I told you it was a small role) not only because
it's great fun, but I am a big supporter of the arts in Austin -- both in
the district and in the community serving on the Austin Symphony and Austin
Ballet boards. They go hand in hand. Let's make sure ZTP receives the kind
of support it deserves for another 50 years as a great community asset!
Let's all support the arts in Austin and in AISD!

Important News for Students, Families, and Staff of Pearce and Garcia Middle Schools

2011-06-21T18:00:00.002-05:00

At our June 20 Board of Trustees meeting, I presented the district-wide preliminary TAKS results, which included a discussion of two middle schools, Pearce and Garcia. Early performance results indicate that Garcia is likely to be rated Academically Unacceptable for the third time in the last four years and Pearce will definitely be rated Academically Unacceptable for the fifth time in the last six years. We have, therefore, accelerated changes for the coming year at these two schools.

As you may remember, on my second day as Superintendent of AISD the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency announced that he would be closing Pearce Middle School due to its multiple years of failing student performance. In response, our Board of Trustees created District Policy AI (LOCAL), authorizing the Board to consider any campus interventions recommended by the Superintendent if a campus is rated Academically Unacceptable. I have been informing the Board of Trustees and the Commissioner that the Administration has been in the process of studying student performance data, making principal assignments and reassignments based on a careful review of these results, including from the feeder elementary school results, and preparing plans of action for Pearce and Garcia Middle Schools. Using the Board policy, we are utilizing student reassignment interventions for these schools.

Since our preliminary projections show that Pearce Middle School will be Academically Unacceptable and that Garcia Middle School is also likely to be AU, we are continuing to implement the early college prep design to keep these schools on course with preparing these middle school students for the Early College High Schools at LBJ and Reagan.

Changes for multi-year AU schools should not be a surprise to our community, given our history with Pearce and other multi-year AU schools. Implementation of the AI policy is designed to provide greater opportunities for academic success for every student in the Pearce and Garcia attendance zones. Because this can have a major impact on families, we will be talking with the families of Pearce and Garcia students in a number of ways, providing opportunities for their questions and their feedback:

• Beginning today, I will be calling the family of every affected student to inform them of the changes.

• Each family will also receive a letter explaining the changes in greater detail.

• We will notify the community about upcoming meetings for the Pearce and Garcia communities and families.

• If you need more information prior to that time, please contact the principal at your school.

Continuing Pearce Middle School College Prep Model

We must continue our crucial action steps for the 2011-12 school year and begin to implement the comprehensive plan for an early college prep program for the following year. The Board and I are continuing to take strong action to ensure local accountability for student performance.

We are committed to the creation of an Early College Prep Academy at Pearce MS that will provide a strong feeder to our Early College High Schools at Reagan HS and LBJ HS. This is to ensure that there is no academic drop-off in the transition of students from Pearce to the Early College High Schools at Reagan and LBJ.

The school structure that best serves the needs of students at Pearce in 2011-12 will be to have rising 6th and 7th grade students attend Pearce under the leadership of Texanna Turner, currently the Director of Middle Grades at the Ann Richards School (ARS) for Young Women Leaders. She is an expert middle school leader in early college preparatory work and will lead the transition at Pearce MS for the 2011-12 school year while we work through the complete change to an early college prep model.

For the 8th graders, we will create an 8th Grade College Prep Academy at Reagan High School to be attended by the current rising 8th grade students from Pearce. Students in the 8th grade Early College Prep Academy will take all core classes and electives with other 8th grade students. The 8th grade Early College Prep Academy will be housed separately on the Reagan campus.

In the out-years, we will continue to refine the Early College Prep model, which may include a gender-specific college-prep design or other college preparatory models.

Making Major Changes for Garcia Middle School

Next year students who are zoned for Garcia Middle School will attend 6th grade at their current elementary school to allow for major changes in the quality of education at Garcia Middle School. The school will continue serving 7th and 8th grade students in an academic program to prepare students for their future attendance at the Early College High Schools at Reagan and LBJ High Schools. Current Garcia Principal, Dr. Helen Johnson, will remain at the school and will focus on 7th and 8th grades only.

Rising Garcia 6th graders will stay at their home elementary campuses for one year, where academic support will be stronger. These schools include Jordan, Overton, Sims, and Norman elementary schools. Due to space constraints, the rising 6th grade students at Jordan Elementary School will attend 6th grade at Overton Elementary School.

The administration will ensure that all academic and elective options for the affected students are comparable to the experiences that other students receive in elementary schools with 6th grades. The district will also continue the implementation of its current transfer policy to accommodate any student in the district who wants to attend Garcia MS as a 7th or 8th grader.

While current Garcia students are going forward with a college readiness curriculum, the district will be working to make major changes in the quality of education for future implementation at the school. These could include establishing high-performing gender-based academic programs or other early college prep designs.

We believe the changes in both schools will provide a significant jumpstart for the students of Pearce and Garcia on the road to Early College High School and then to college.

AISD Offers Pre-K for All; Deadline for Signing Up Is June 15

2011-06-15T15:25:00.002-05:00

To serve the Austin community, AISD has decided that we will offer tuition-supported Pre-Kindergarten classes for children across the district beginning this fall. This will open up the program to students who do not qualify for AISD Pre-Kindergarten by income or as English Language Learners. As always, Pre-K students who are eligible for free instruction will continue to receive that service.

The program will provide a six-hour day of instruction by certified teachers specifically trained to work with young children. The tuition-supported Pre-K program will be offered at 22 elementary schools across the district. Cost for enrollment in the program is $4,656 per school year. But the deadline for enrollment is fast approaching.

Parents must apply for their children by June 15 at AISD headquarters, 1111 West Sixth Street. Please bring a photo ID, the child's official birth certificate, a current immunization record signed by a doctor, and a utility bill, lease, or other proof of residence in AISD.

We hope this provides a new opportunity in Austin for Pre-K instruction, and a help for parents who already have older siblings in the schools offering this instruction.

Bad Weather Day Changes Proposed for 2011-12 School Calendar

2011-06-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

We are proposing changes to the school calendar for the next school year that should better accommodate parent and teacher concerns about bad weather make-up days. The Board of Trustees will consider these changes during its June 20 Board meeting, and the revised calendar is scheduled for action that night.

After nearly half the respondents to a community survey last year chose Memorial Day over other options, the Board approved the recommendation of the Calendar Committee that the first bad weather day for 2011-12 be scheduled for Memorial Day, May 27, 2012. Following recent public concern about the use of Memorial Day this year for a bad weather day, we are proposing that the first bad weather day for next year be scheduled for February 17, 2012, instead of Memorial Day. Currently, February 17 is scheduled as a staff development day without student attendance. Should we need a bad weather day, students would attend school on February 17 as the first class make-up day.

Under our new proposal, the second bad weather make-up day would be scheduled for Monday, April 9, 2012, if needed. That would replace the current schedule, which looks to June 2, June 3, and Good Friday (April 22, 2012) as options for a second make-up day.

Once the Board decides on this new proposal, we will notify our campuses.

4,763 AISD Graduates Receive Their Diplomas

2011-06-10T15:56:00.004-05:00

On June 2nd, 3rd and 4th, the Board of Trustees and I were privileged to to take part in the graduation of 4763 Austin Independent School District seniors in 13 impressive ceremonies. Some commencements were large--Bowie had 643 graduates. Some were small--Rosedale School (for students with unique needs) graduated three students this year. But each was moving and inspiring in its own way.

We celebrated many great accomplishments at each school, including national Science prize winners, students composers, state championship performers, and scholarship winners. Now they are on a path to college and meaningful careers.

I want to thank the students, their families, their teachers and the staff of their schools--going all the way back to pre-Kindergarten--for providing the support and direction enabling these students to become AISD high school graduates.

Below find a few photos of some of the graduation celebrations.

New Bowie graduates celebrate.

Reagan seniors get ready to graduate.

McCallum seniors lining up to receive diplomas.

Principal Craig Shapiro addresses Crockett graduates.

The Akins celebration begins.

Fantastic News for Austin's Young Men! Thank You, Moody Foundation!

2011-06-02T10:38:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited today to share some fantastic news! The Moody Foundation has announced a grant of $4.6 million to help AISD establish a School for Young Men. AISD and the Austin community have been talking about such a school for a while now, and it's finally getting off the ground!

I'm sure you know how successful our Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders has been. Established just a few years ago, ARS is Exemplary-rated by the Texas Education Agency. We believe we can duplicate that success with a school for young men — and I'm proud that the Moody Foundation believes so as well.

Why is a school for young men a good idea for Austin? In AISD, as in most urban school districts, our male graduation and college-readiness rates lag behind those of our female students. The achievement gap between boys and girls is also apparent when you look at TAKS results, class rank, and grade point average. Boys also appear to be less engaged in school than girls: they are more likely to report disliking school, and are outnumbered by girls in almost every extracurricular activity except sports.

Long-standing community interest emerged during this year's Facilities Master Planning Process. An October 2010 survey showed strong support for a gender-specific male school. Two of the six geographic planning areas enthusiastically supported AISD creating a Young Men's school. This past Spring, the FMP Task Force recommended that we conduct "intensive planning" to determine the feasibility of providing such a school, and District Administration is in the process of developing recommendations to present to our Trustees next Fall. We're finding that support for a Young Men's School is strong throughout the community.

Our goal will be to create an exceptional academic environment that fully prepares young men at risk of academic failure for success in college, work, and life. Specifically, we want to ensure that all students reach exemplary performance benchmarks in reading, writing, math, and science; graduate on-time with college-ready skills; and enroll in a post-secondary academic program that puts them on the road to a successful vocational, technical, or professional career.

So what's next? We're going to get started right away! This summer, we'll begin a Feasibility Study to examine other successful urban single-gender schools for boys, and select the model that most closely aligns with both District goals and the specific needs of Austin students. In addition to the school's instructional model, we'll consider its grade configuration, a potential school site, name, and academic theme, as well as the application criteria and processes. This will have to be incorporated in Facility Master Planing. All of this work will encompass the 2011-2012 school year.

If, indeed, the Phase One finding shows that it is feasible to have a boys' school, then we will move forward. In Phase Two, in 2012-2013, we'll do the development work needed to launch the school in Fall 2013. This would include hiring the leadership team, preparing the facility, reaching out to parents and students, writing curriculum, and recruiting and selecting students and staff. Phase Three would be opening the school in August 2013!

Clearly, much work lies ahead, but, thanks to the support of the Moody Foundation — coupled with Austin's commitment to our community's young men — we will proceed with thoughtful determination. As the Feasibility Study evolves, I'll be writing again about this initiative.

Again, I express my deep appreciation to the Moody Foundation which also supports AISD students through its Moody Scholars Program. This year, 14 Austin students received $84,000 in college scholarships through this program. We are fortunate to have found a partner with an interest in quality education — and which is willing to commit significant resources over an extended period of time during tough budgetary times. Thank you, Moody Foundation!

Rosedale Graduation Kicks Off AISD Commencements

2011-06-02T09:19:00.006-05:00

The Rosedale Graduation is always one of the high points of the year in the Austin School District. We start graduation season with the Rosedale graduation each year because no one has worked harder than the students of Rosedale to reach this day. The support they have received from their teachers, teacher assistants, campus administrators, staff, and the families of Rosedale has been phenomenal. Thank you, Elizabeth Dickey, for your leadership, and thank you to the teachers and staff of Rosedale.

A Rosedale graduate and teacher celebrate commencement

Community support for this school is phenomenal. The Rosedale Ride has become an important Austin cultural event. This community responds because it knows that Rosedale, more than any other school, teaches us to help each other and to value every person. Those are crucial lessons that every school should emphasize and that Rosedale practices every day.

We are also very pleased by the fact that several Rosedale students are involved with Project GO and Project Search, through which they are continuing their work and their service to our community.

We were honored to be able to celebrate this momentous occasion with the Rosedale community. Rosedale works hard to make sure every day is a good day and a learning day for its students. That’s the highest standard any school can achieve, and Rosedale and its students meet that standard day in and day out. So, congratulations to the Rosedale Class of 2011!

All Creatures (and Musical Instruments) Great and Small

2011-05-19T14:58:00.002-05:00

"All Creatures Great and Small" is the theme of this year's Austin Symphony Young People's Concerts. The animal kingdom is explored in music at 11 concerts attended by more than 30,000 fourth and sixth grade students from throughout Central Texas. What a wonderful opportunity for the children to hear classical music, and to learn about all the instruments — great, small, and in between — that comprise a symphony orchestra.

This morning, I attended one of the concerts at the Long Center for the Performing Arts with youngsters from 17 Austin elementary schools. Together, we listened to musical representations of bees, lions, elephants, fish, birds, swans, donkeys, and whales! The students were totally attentive and respectful, and I could tell that their music teachers had done a fantastic job of preparing them for the experience.

These concerts are among the most innovative programs around for introducing young people to classical music. Through the use of modern technology, the audience gets an “up-close look” at the orchestra. Four video cameras zoom in on the Maestro and the musicians as they are playing … images are projected on a giant screen behind the orchestra and VOILA … the audience can see what they hear and hear what they see! See it all in “Symph-O-Vision.”

We also enjoyed large projections of children's artwork depicting animals featured in the music, and the "Whales" finale was incredible! Thank you to the very, very talented Austin Symphony musicians and conductor David Mairs.

I'm honored to serve on the Symphony Board with members such as Jane Sibley and Nancy Young

Parents, if you have upper elementary children, be sure to ask them about their experience at these Young People's Concerts. This opportunity can spark your kids' interest in making music in middle and high school bands, orchestras, and ensembles — and maybe even as a future career!