Happy third week of semester two! Tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and remember his legacy of nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement. If you would like to watch some inspiring videos of Dr. King, please visit this Austin PBS website.

Last week, I was at Galindo Elementary School to celebrate the installation of Austin ISD's first in-district audiology booth. This state-of-the-art booth represents a major step forward in supporting the deaf and hard-of-hearing community within the district. Y’all, my heart was so moved when a couple of students gave me a sign language name, which is an honor that only a member of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community can bestow. These students and all of our dedicated staff that support them are absolutely amazing and I am so excited for what this new booth will mean for them and for our Austin ISD community. A huge shoutout to Principal Barreto-Romero, whose many years of advocacy and support for the deaf and hard-of-hearing students have been instrumental in bringing this milestone about.

A group of adults and children celebrating at a ribbon-cutting event indoors. The children are wearing colorful shirts with playful designs, and some are smiling or cheering. The adults, dressed in professional attire, are clapping and raising their hands in excitement. A red ribbon is visible at the bottom of the image.

I want to encourage you to check out our spring special education learning sessions designed to provide valuable resources and support for families. Sessions will cover a range of important topics and will have Spanish interpretation available.

Finally, we’re keeping an eye on the weather. We will make every effort to make decisions on late start, early release or school cancellations as early as possible to allow employees and families enough time to make appropriate plans. Check out our Inclement Weather protocols for a reminder on how we make decisions on closing or delaying the school day. To receive the latest updates, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Where I’ll be and who I’m Meeting

Monday, January 20
Student / Staff Holiday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. All offices and schools are closed today.

Tuesday, January 21
I’ll start off the day with a one-on-one meeting with Interim Chief of Staff La Kesha Drinks, followed by the Senior Staff meeting. Our agenda for this morning includes plans around cold weather, legislative updates, budget reduction work and the transition to Frontline Special Programs Management platform, among other things. This afternoon, I have a one-on-one meeting with Chief of Talent Strategy Brandi Hosack, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Trustee Arati Singh. This evening, I’ll be at the monthly Austin Association of Public School Administrators meeting, where I’ll get to hear from and problem solve with principal leaders.

Wednesday, January 22
This morning, I’ll visit a few campuses to see the great things happening there. When I get back to the office, I have a Texas Urban Council officer check-in meeting. This afternoon, I have back-to-back one-on-one meetings, first with Trustee Candace Hunter, then with Board President Lynn Boswell. Afterwards, I’ll be participating in a tabletop exercise to be prepared in the event that reunification is required. This will be followed by a meeting with three local foundations—Buena Vista, Klein and Tapestry Foundations—who have supported district priorities for over a decade, including our Social and Emotional Learning program. This evening, I’ll be conducting an interview for the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools position.

Thursday, January 23
The first thing today is a meeting with my staff to progress the work around budget reduction strategies, specifically around real estate opportunities. After attending a meeting to discuss an upcoming equity assessment, I’ll have a one-on-one meeting with Interim Chief Financial Officer Katrina Montgomery. My team and I will then travel to meet with Travis County to discuss collaboration opportunities for childcare. This afternoon, I have a quality assurance quality control meeting with our special education and Information Technology staff ahead of our next data submission to TEA. Afterwards, I have a meeting with Teaching, Learning and Leading Assistant Superintendents. The last thing today is a one-on-one meeting with Chief of Organizational Transformation Dr. Stephanie Hawley.

Friday, January 24
This morning, I have a meeting with Dr. Cherry Lee and Dr. Jennifer Baker, Executive Directors in the Special Education Department, who will together lead the department as we continue our search for the next Assistant Superintendent of Special Education. I’ve set aside the rest of the day to meet with Chiefs and TLL Assistant Superintendents to progress the work around our district initiatives and budget reduction strategies.

Saturday, January 25
With the TASA Midwinter Conference starting tomorrow, this weekend will be a busy one for me. I’ll be at a Holdsworth Midwinter meeting this evening.

Sunday, January 26
This weekend has two bonus work days! From noon to 5 p.m., I’ll be at the Texas Urban Council Meeting.

Recognize our amazing staff each month by submitting a RAVE!

Follow me on Instagram @matias_aisd. #StrongSchoolsStrongerAustin

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.