Can’t believe it’s already the end of January! Thank you all for being flexible as we navigated the cold winter weather last week. My team and I will always keep student safety as our top priority and communicate decisions to families as early as possible. I also appreciate all the engagement on social media and the opportunity to learn some new lingo from our students.

This week is Holocaust Remembrance Week, an important time to acknowledge the Holocaust’s ongoing significance and the importance of instilling a sense of responsibility to uphold human value, and to prevent future atrocities.

As we wrap up School Board Appreciation Month, I wanted to take one last opportunity to say thanks to our board members for their tireless service and advocacy. At the last board meeting, we bid Trustee Noelita Lugo farewell and welcomed our newest trustee, Fernando Lucas de Urioste.

The board of Austin ISD trustees bid Trustee Noelita Lugo farewell and welcomed the newest trustee, Fernando Lucas de Urioste.

Where I’ll be and who I’m Meeting

Monday, January 27

I’ll start off the week at the Austin Convention Center for the continuation of the TASA Midwinter Conference, to hear from Mike Morath, Commissioner of Education at TEA. I then have a meeting with Travis County, Austin Public Health and Central Health, followed by a TALAS board meeting and strategic planning session. In the afternoon, I’ll meet with a few senior staff members for our Action Required Meeting, where we discuss issues that need our immediate attention, followed by our standing senior staff meeting. We’ll be discussing legislative updates, academic progress data, board meeting prep and progressing our work on protocols for family support.

Tuesday, January 28

Most of today will be spent at TASA Midwinter where I’ll attend various sessions and collaborate with other Texas superintendents. This evening, I’ll be attending my daughter’s National Honors Society induction ceremony — so proud of her!

Wednesday, January 29

This morning, I’ll be meeting with ACC’s Chancellor, Dr. Lowery-Hart. Afterwards, I have a one-on-one meeting with Austin ISD’s Ombudsperson, Beverly Reeves, followed by a one-on-one meeting with Trustee de Urioste. In the afternoon, I’ll be meeting with our operations team to get an update on the 2022 Bond Program. After a one-on-one meeting with Interim Chief of Staff La Kesha Drinks, I’ll meet with our Talent Strategy team to prepare for the Teacher of the Year Breakfast. The last thing for today is a one-on-one meeting with Chief of Communications and Community Engagement, Ali Ghilarducci.

Thursday, January 30

I’ll be spending this morning visiting a few campuses. When I get into the office, I’ll meet with various team members to prepare for this evening’s Board Regular Voting Meeting. A few of the things that will be part of tonight's meeting are student accolades, a budget update and and an update on the Mendez and Third Future 1882 agreement. You can view the full agenda starting at 6 p.m. Monday night by visiting our BoardDocs site.

Friday, January 31

We have a new trustee district orientation session this morning, where my team will get to spend some personal time with Trustees Quintana and de Urioste. In the afternoon, I’ll spend time in the office to work on district initiatives, approve contracts and prepare for the week ahead.

Saturday, February 1

I’ll be at the MLK Festival at Huston-Tillotson, which was rescheduled for today because of the cold weather on MLK Day. Hope to see some of you there.

Recognize our amazing staff each month by submitting a RAVE!

Follow me on Instagram @matias_aisd. #StrongSchoolsStrongerAustin

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