Hello Friends,

Earth Week begins Monday! 🌎 How will you make our world and community a better place? Earth Week events are listed on the Austin ISD Earth Week page. Please share all the fun happenings at your schools by sending us photos, so we can share them on our social media platforms. ☀️

April 21-25 is Administrative Professionals, Afterschool Professionals, and School Volunteer Appreciation Week! These individuals are so essential in the operations of our schools and for the care of our students. Thank you for all the work you do. 💕

Students are off today for Good Friday! Easter is observed this Sunday, April 20. If you celebrate Easter, we hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family!

Let’s get started….

After two years of lawsuits holding up state accountability results, the courts have dismissed the latest effort to block 2023 A-F ratings statewide. The decision allows campus-based grades districtwide to become public for the first time since 2019. As of today, ratings for 2024 have not been released by the courts. 

Why it matters: The goal of the A-F accountability system is to easily communicate school performance with families. However, the updated calculations, the updated STAAR assessment and significant shifts in campus ratings could cause more confusion as families try to understand how well their schools are doing. 

The details: The Texas Education Agency will release results publicly next week on April 24. Once available, your campus principal will share details on your specific campus grade for the 2023 accountability year and we’ll provide a district overview in next week’s newsletter.

• 2024 ratings are still withheld due to litigation, but this could change at any time.

• 2025 accountability ratings based on this spring’s testing cycle are slated for release in August.

The Austin ISD community came together to celebrate student success, cultural pride and community leadership at the 16th annual Latino Academic Achievement Awards.

Why it matters: The LAAA was created in 1992 to recognize Latino students who had historically been underrepresented in academic awards spaces. What began as the Celebration of Hispanic Heritage has grown into one of Austin ISD’s most powerful student recognition events.

The details: The LAAA ceremony recognized more than 200 Latino students in grades 7–12 from every middle and high school in the district for their academic achievement, leadership and excellence.

• Students were honored for having the highest GPA at their grade level, as well as for outstanding academic progress in the Dual Language and English as a Second Language programs.

• The event also celebrated community members and organizations that have made a lasting impact on Austin ISD campuses and Latino culture.

Thank you to our community honorees for all they do for Austin ISD!

• José Carrasco - Latino Community Service Award

• Maria Rios Cerritos - Latino Parent Volunteer Award

• José Dominguez - LAAA Staff Member Award

• Hilton Austin - Latino Excellence in Advocacy Award

Find more information and past winners at www.austinisd.org/laaa.

Austin ISD is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Salute Awards, our annual celebration of exceptional staff. 

Go deeper: Staff, students, and families were invited to submit open nominations across ten categories from November through January. We received over 1,500 submissions! Three finalists were then chosen for each category by a committee of district stakeholders who scored in alignment to our Austin ISD mission, vision and values.

What’s next: The winners will be announced at our annual Salute event on May 7, where we will also honor this year’s Teachers of Promise and Teachers of the Year.

Let’s celebrate the remarkable staff who help make Austin ISD a place of excellence, equity, and joy.

Google Workspace migration is underway! 

To help you have a smooth experience when using Google Workspace, consider these Google Tips for Collaboration:

Microsoft Teams and Outlook will be available until 6 p.m. June 9. 

For more helpful tips and resources, please explore Google Central, also located in the Staff Portal.

For more of the specifics on what is being migrated, please refer to this Google Migration Details Quick Reference Card.

ACC is now accepting applications for 2025 scholarships, offering students a chance to secure financial support to help reduce the cost of college! Find more information and apply at students.austincc.edu/scholarships.

Arab American Heritage Month - April 1-30

Rapid Chess Tournament at Eastside Early College High School - April 19

Austin ISD Earth Week - April 21-25

Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week - April 21-25

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week - April 21-25

School Volunteer Appreciation Week - April 21-25

Autism Learning 3-Part Series with VELA (English Session) - April 21

Autism Learning 3-Part Series with VELA (Español Session) - April 23

AVID Cording Ceremony - April 23

Dobie Middle School Cosmetology Show - April 24

Board Regular Voting Meeting - April 24

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - April 26

ACE Austin Showcase 2025 - April 26

Unity Walk & Kids Fest 2025 - April 26

For more calendar events visit Austin ISD Calendar of Events.

Visit austinisd.org/earthweek for fun activities happening all week long!

Why AISD might close Dobie to save the district - Austin PBS Decibel

I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer spring weather! Minus the allergies, I'm enjoying the bluebonnets, walks in the park with my dog and being outdoors.

Happening this weekend…

• We love a good tournament! Saturday is the 2nd Annual Eastside Rapid Chess Tournament at Eastside Early College High School. Any Austin ISD student in grades 6-12 may participate for free. Doors open at 8 a.m.! Be sure to register in advance.  

Take care,

JJ

Have a story idea? Share it with us! https://www.austinisd.org/communications/request-services/story

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. 

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