Wow, we had a busy first week in Austin ISD! I visited schools on the first and second days of the year and I was blown away by the quality of learning going on right off the bat. Everywhere I went, I saw how committed our staff were to student learning, safety and well-being. I have no doubt this is going to be a tremendous year.
As many of you know, the Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted last Monday to place a tax rate election on the Nov. 5 ballot. A tax rate election gives our community the option to vote for increased funding to pay for teacher and staff raises, additional high needs positions for campuses, as well as pay for ever-increasing fixed costs. You can learn more about the tax rate election on our website.
Before we get into this week, I want to take a moment to thank our Operations Team, who has been working day and night to ensure a smooth start at all campuses.They have literally been working non-stop at Kealing Middle School so that our students can get their school year started as soon as possible. I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support for our staff and students from our Kealing families, community, local businesses and Austin ISD departments. I’m reminded of the kind and thoughtful community that we get to be a part of and serve.
Monday, August 26
I always start my Mondays with a stand-up style meeting with my senior leadership team, where we discuss anything from the weekend that may need immediate attention. We’ll transition into our senior leadership meeting where, among other things, we will discuss the development process for the Budget Priorities Rubric. The Ad Hoc Joint Community Budget Committee will use this rubric in their work to analyze budget reduction options; we are committed to reducing the adopted budget by $48M. We’re also going to discuss next steps in developing Austin ISD’s Academic Vision and Framework, and the accompanying theory of action, which will guide our work for the next 5 years.
In the afternoon, I’ll be attending the Austin Ed Fund’s Regular Board Meeting. Did you know that Austin Ed Fund’s 2024 Inspire the Future Grants program awarded $450,000 to 67 educator-led projects across Austin ISD? This Wednesday, the Austin Ed Fund's Prize Posse will be visiting each of the grant winners, and I hear some lucky winners will get a visit from Congressman Lloyd Doggett. I’ll finish the afternoon with a one-on-one meeting with Brandi Hosack, Chief of Talent Strategy.
Tonight is Back-to-School night for all Austin ISD high schools. I’m excited to go and walk the halls with my daughter, who is a high school junior, and get to meet all of her teachers.
Tuesday, August 27
This morning, I’ll start my day visiting schools. Getting to see students learning is so important to me as this is the main thing! I will then travel to Crockett ECHS to celebrate the announcement of a new solar panel grant from the Department of Energy. For lunch, I’ll be meeting with a community partner to talk about future collaborations. In the afternoon, I’ll have a one-on-one with Board Secretary Lynn Boswell. This evening, I’ll be meeting with other central Texas thought leaders at an Austin Area Research Organization (AARO) event.
Wednesday, August 28
I’ll start off this morning with a one-on-one meeting with Trustee Hunter. I will then move into a virtual meeting with Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Superintendent at Tomball ISD, to discuss working with Texas Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (TALAS) to advocate for the growth and advancement of Latino learners and leaders. Then I will meet with the Enroll Austin team to ensure improvement work is progressing ahead of the next enrollment cycle.This afternoon, I’ll be meeting with Judge Williams at Travis County Precinct 1 along with superintendents from nearby districts. We will discuss opportunities for collaboration on reducing truancy cases in Travis County. Later on in the afternoon, I’ll meet with Mayor Watson at City Hall to continue aligning our respective priorities for the sake of Austin ISD students and families.
This evening, I get to go to my 8th grade daughter’s Back-to-School Night. I’m excited to hear about all the classes she’s taking this year and seeing her in her element. I hope all our middle school families will make it out to their students’ middle schools this evening.
Thursday, August 29
I’ll be starting off this morning on a call with Region 13’s Texas Superintendents' Certification Institute to do my exit interview after having obtained my superintendency certification this past spring. After that, I’ll have a one-on-one meeting with Trustee Zapata. After this, I may be joining Jeremy Striffler, our Director of Real Estate and Asset Management, at the City Hall for the City Council Meeting. On the agenda is the approval of the zoning change and neighborhood plan amendment that will allow the planned residential use on the Anita Ferrales Coy Facility site. In the afternoon, I’ll have one-on-one meetings with Patricia Rodriguez, the Deputy Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Leading, and with Board Vice President Kevin Foster.
Tonight, I’ll be at one of my favorite annual events: The Taco Shack Bowl at the House Park Stadium. This is the 23rd year that high school rivals Anderson Trojans and McCallum Knights will face off. Grab a ticket; I hope to see you there!
Friday, August 30
Today is National College Colors Day! I’ll be wearing my Raiders red. All of our staff are encouraged to rock their college colors and apparel to celebrate #AustinISDCollegeColorsDay.
The rest of the day is a work day for me, where I get to process everything that went on this week and plan ahead for next week.
Tonight, I’ll be attending the The State of Black Education Welcome Reception at the Boys and Girls Club of the Austin Area.
Saturday, August 31
This is a bonus day for me. I will be attending the State of Black Education: Summit III, at which I’ll serve as panelist for “Discussion with Superintendents: Strategic Leadership for Equitable Education”. I’m excited to discuss and learn strategies for promoting equity and inclusion in education.
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