A Message from Matias: Celebrating Heritage & Future Success

I hope you’ve all had a chance to thaw out and settle back into your routines after last week’s winter weather. It’s wonderful to see our hallways buzzing with energy again!

This February, I am thrilled to join all of Austin ISD in celebrating African American Heritage Month. While we honor these contributions year-round, this month offers us a special opportunity for a deeper exploration of Black and African American history—histories that represent our collective American story.

We are also shining a spotlight on Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. This national awareness campaign is the perfect time to celebrate the incredible value and achievements of our CTE programs. These courses serve as dynamic platforms where students find their passions and transform them into careers. By combining hands-on learning with real-world scenarios, CTE ensures our graduates are prepared to jump straight into high-skill, high-wage industries or excel in college. Whether they are earning industry credentials, level one certificates or associate degrees, our students are gaining the competitive edge they need for the future.

Finally, I want to send a huge "thank you" to our counselors. It is School Counselor Appreciation Week (Feb. 2–6), and we simply couldn't do this work without your dedication to our students' well-being and academic success.

Take care of yourselves and each other. We’re in this together!

Monday, Feb 2, 2026

I’m hitting the ground running this Monday morning at Akins ECHS for the Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony. It’s a powerful way to kick off our month of celebration and reflection. Afterward, I’ll be transitioning into operational mode with senior leadership as we tackle priorities and calibrate for the week ahead. In the evening, I will be attending the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (Alpha Chapter) meeting held at Lee Elementary. These meetings are vital for staying connected with our educational partners and professional societies that support our educators.

Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026

Tuesday is all about being present where the magic happens: our classrooms. I’ll be out visiting campuses to hear from our students, staff and school leaders. I will also be meeting with Austin Association of Public School Administrators (AAPSA) to discuss administrative priorities and how we can better support our school-based leadership teams.

Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026

Mid-week, I’ll be focusing on district governance and internal collaboration. I have my regular check-in with Trustee de Urioste. I am also dedicating time to meet with central office staff who will be supporting the 3 Restart Middle Schools: Burnet, Dobie, and Webb. Following that, I will join our officers during our regular touchpoint for an Officer Connect session to stay grounded in our campus needs. The afternoon will be dedicated to meeting with my direct reports and conducting a debrief of the Principal for a Day program, which is such a bridge-building event for our Austin community.

Thursday, Feb 5, 2026

I’m dedicating the majority of my day to preparing the presentations and deliverables for next week’s Board Information Session. Our team is hard at work refining our focus on Goal Progress Measures 1.1, 2nd Grade Literacy & 2.1, 2nd Grade Numeracy and Constraint Progress Measure 3.1, Unacceptable Ratings as we continue moving the needle on this critical work for our district. This evening, our trustees are holding a Special Board Meeting regarding grievances.

Friday, Feb 6, 2026

Y’all, it has been such an eventful week! Today, we are hosting a Joint Subcommittee meeting with elected officials from Austin ISD, the City of Austin and Travis County. The Joint Subcommittee exists to strengthen collaboration around shared policy priorities, budget alignment, and coordinated programming in service of student success and long-term community stability. 

Recognize our amazing staff each month by submitting a RAVE!

Follow me on Instagram @matias_aisd. #StrongSchoolsStrongerAustin

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