Hello Families!
I hope you’re having a fantastic week. We’ve had some exciting events this week.
First up, Akins Early College High School students had the chance to register to vote on National Voter Registration Day, which is such an important step in making their voices heard.
We also kicked off our Hispanic Heritage celebrations at headquarters! Several staff members joined in the festivities, and we were treated to a lovely performance by Mariachi de Oro from Crockett High School.
And, in other great news, Linder and Allison elementary schools have began their new modernizations this month. Check it out!
Important Note: Before we start with this edition, tomorrow Austin ISD will hold a press conference on school safety. Several school districts and local law enforcement will address the media and our community on the issues of how school threats are handled, investigated and have real consequences. You may watch the press conference live via Youtube or Facebook.
Now, let’s get started…
Austin ISD completed nearly two-thirds of the priorities outlined in the Texas Education Agency Special Education Agreed Order.
Why it matters: This marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
Background: Austin ISD and TEA signed an Agreed Order to work with TEA-appointed monitors to transform the special education experience for families. This order outlines 99 specific steps Austin ISD must take to enhance the Special Education program and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. The district has completed 66 of the 99 priorities outlined in the order.
What’s happening:
Since September of 2023 when the Agreed Order was signed, Austin ISD has focused on the delivery, completion, and tracking of professional learning for staff and the development of systems to ensure compliance and implementation of high-quality services to support students with disabilities.
By September 2024, all of the corrective action plans that were initially open were successfully closed.
The Special Education Family Advisory Committee (SEFAC) met twice in the Spring of 2024 and will meet for the first time this school year on Sept. 23. These meetings are open to the public.
Collaboration continues with TEA-appointed monitors who oversee our progress and ensure the district meets the order’s requirements.
What’s next:
Expansion of professional development efforts, with over 5,000 teachers—both general and special education—completing training to improve student outcomes.
The district will submit the process for implementing a monitoring process to check the quality and fidelity of implementation (FOI) of special education services on September 30, 2024.
Principals and special education department staff will conduct audits of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) using an adapted TEA rubric.
To mark the organization’s 50th anniversary, the Assistance League of Austin visited Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders Sept. 13 to present the grant that will help provide healthy meals to students, regardless of account balances.
Why it matters: This donation supports families by eliminating the district’s lunch debt, which last year averaged $15,000 a month.
Background: For the 2024-25 school year, 77 Austin ISD schools provide free meals for all students through a federally funded program.
Learn more about how to support the lunch debt.
Austin ISD is excited to announce the graduation schedule for the Class of 2025! Commencement ceremonies will be held at Burger Arena, Burger Stadium, and the Performing Arts Center from May 28 to June 4.
Check the dates and time.
Every day we hear stories about how our staff members are embracing Austin ISD Joy and celebrating what it means to support students, families, and each other! In the Sparks of Joy series, we’ll meet teachers and staff from around Austin ISD who exemplify how joy centers our work and shapes our purpose.
We spoke to two amazing teachers in their first year at Langford Elementary School—Shelby Rooker and Bianca Jimenez—about where they’re seeing Austin ISD Joy show up in their work. They see it in the moments where there are breakthrough connections with students, in the way they all support each other as a campus community, and in the feeling of knowing they are right where they belong.
Can you tell us about a joyful moment you’ve experienced this year?
“I have a deck of flashcards for one of my little guys [to help us communicate]. He spoke to me for the first time yesterday. I couldn’t believe it. It feels like he heard me for the first time. It was just kind of a breakthrough moment for me,” said Rooker, who teaches Kindergarten. “It’s so satisfying at the end of the day to know you’ve made a connection. That’s why I started doing this.”
Bianca Jimenez, Langford's Art teacher, agrees. “Seeing my students feel proud of something they’ve created and start to believe in themselves, learn that it’s okay to make mistakes…they remind me that I’m doing something right. I’m on the right path. I’m helping them create art and I’m creating art with them.”
How has your campus community shown up for one another during this transition? (Langford is currently undergoing a full modernization as part of the 2022 Bond.)
“I’ve had such a team of support around me. They validate feelings first, but we’re not just going to sit in that bad feeling together. We’re going to work through it. We celebrate every chance we can. We take a lot of time to brag about little things that happen,” said Rooker.
“I’ve seen the teachers here give so much support—not just teacher-to-teacher, but teacher-to-student. The strength of our teachers and how they offer so much guidance and support to someone who is new to our campus has been wonderful to see,” said Jimenez
What is it about the joy in teaching that made you choose this profession?
“Joy in teaching art is witnessing children become artists themselves. I feel like I have a reason to be here, exactly here. I had to meet all of these children. It was planned out that way. I’m so happy to be their art teacher this year,” said Jimenez.
Hello there!
Thanks for all your great festivals and events ideas/information. One of those recommendations is the musical, Young Frankenstein, at the Bastrop Opera House. My plan is to go see it this weekend.
Have a great weekend!
For questions or comments please email me at nayeli.santoyoflores@austinisd.org.
Nayeli 💛
This document has been translated using an AI-powered machine translation tool through Thrillshare. As a result, it may contain inaccuracies, errors, or inconsistencies that do not reflect the original content accurately. Austin ISD strives for high-quality translations and has a dedicated translation team, but sometimes we might have to use AI tools for critical or time-sensitive communications.
