This week many of us had more questions about the Prop A Compensation Package. With that in mind, district leaders released more information in a FAQs page.
This week also wraps up Cybersecurity Month. Did you know? Our students have an incredible opportunity to get hands-on training through our P-TECH Cybersecurity Program at Northeast ECHS, where they can learn from industry mentors and gain skills to prepare them for careers in cybersecurity.
It’s Transportation Employees Appreciation Week! Thank you to all our transportation staff for keeping the wheels turning and getting our students to school and back safely. Thank you!
And..congratulations to Dyslexia Interventionist Jessica Gomez! In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, Superintendent Segura made a special visit to Palm Elementary School to recognize her with a Golden Rave Award! Way to go!
It’s School Safety Week and we’re dedicating this whole newsletter to how we keep our students and staff safe. Now, let's get started…
Now, let's get started…
How Austin ISD police works with our students
Did you know: All Austin ISD Police Officers go through training to work specifically with children?
This training includes learning about the adolescent brain and de-escalation techniques to help students stay where they need to be — in the classroom.
We know that sometimes the sight of a police officer on campus can cause hesitation or fear.
Our officers focus on community-based policing to build relationships and help students and staff know they’re there to help.
What’s next: You’ll start seeing a series of videos with our Police Chief Wayne Sneed and students from the district on our social media to help our youngest students and their families understand the role of Austin ISD Police in our schools.
Breaking down the district's Standard Response Protocols
In honor of School Safety Week, we want to give extra attention to our Standard Response Protocols (SRP), including how campus administrators and Austin ISD police partner to keep your kids safe.
We have five types of SRPs that are activated in the case of a critical incident on our campuses: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter.
We’ll outline each of the SRPs below and show examples of what communication may look like if your campus experiences a critical incident.
A Hold means staff and students remain where they are and continue business as usual. A ‘Hold’ would usually be used to clear the hallways for a medical emergency, physical altercation etc.
Example: Earlier today our campus was placed on a Hold for approximately 30 minutes because of a medical emergency. During a Hold, we keep the hallways clear and students continue their work as usual.
A Secure is used when there is a threat on the outside of the building. It means all staff and students to get inside, lock outside doors and conduct business as usual.
Example: Today our campus went into Secure for approximately eight minutes while police investigated a report of suspicious activity in the community. During a Secure, all activities continue inside, but no one may leave or enter school buildings.
A lockdown means staff and students stay behind a locked door, shut the lights off, remain seated, remain quiet and out of sight in case of a threat inside the school.
Example: [School] is in Lockdown due to a report of an armed person on campus. Police are responding. During a lockdown, staff and students stay behind a locked door, turn off the lights and remain quiet and out of sight. Please do not come to campus. We will update you as soon as we know more information. We will update every 20 minutes.
Unlock Your Future with the P-TECH Cybersecurity Program at Northeast ECHS (En Español)
October is Cybersecurity Month! What better way to celebrate than by highlighting Austin ISD's efforts to empower students in the field of cybersecurity?
Going to school in Austin ISD gives students incredible opportunities like the P-TECH Cybersecurity Program at Northeast ECHS, where they can learn from leading industry partners and gain real-world skills.
How it works: Northeast Early College High School is leading Central Texas in innovation with its P-TECH program in Information Technology, focusing on Cybersecurity.
Thanks to a partnership with Austin Community College (ACC), students can take free college classes and earn an Associate Degree in Applied Science with a specialization in Cybersecurity—all while still in high school.
The P-TECH program provides students with mentorship, workplace learning opportunities, and internship preparation.
Students learn in modern, dynamic spaces equipped with the latest technology, designed to mirror the innovation seen in today’s tech companies.
What they’re saying: "Cybersecurity might seem really intimidating, but it’s really not. It’s just so new. When people think about cybersecurity they might think that they have to be an expert coder or programer. That is not true. You do not have to be proficient in a bunch of programming languages to work in the tech industry or to work in cybersecurity,” says Cole Brown, P-Tech teacher.
What’s next: Enrollment for Austin ISD opens Nov. 6. Discover more about this program and all the other unique programs our district offers by visiting www.austinisd.org/enroll
You may click on the image to register for the event
2025-26 Enrollment opens November 6 through February 4th
This has been a big week in the district. If you didn’t hear, the Today Show with Hoda and Jenna came by for a visit! Big shoutout to Austin High School for putting on an exceptional Welcome Home to alumni Jenna Bush Hager!
Enjoy your Friday and I hope everyone has a great weekend!
-JJ
For questions or comments you may email me at jorge.maldonado@austinisd.org
For languages other than English and Spanish, we use an AI-powered translation tool. As a result, there may be some contextual inaccuracies or other errors. We apologize for this. Please email translation@austinisd.org if you are in need of clarification. To change your preferred correspondence language, contact your school's front office.
