Happy 10th Week of School! You know what that means — today marks the start of the second 9-weeks grading period. I want to thank all our families for their support to ensure our students are giving it their all to learn each day. This truly is a partnership, and is only possible if we continue to work together.  

This week is also Transportation Employee Appreciation Week here at Austin ISD. Did you know that our Transportation Department deploys 550 buses daily, making sure they’re in tip-top shape, running the most efficient routes and transporting 20,000+ students to and from school safely each and every day? Just within the last couple of months, the department coordinated transportation for 500 field trips and 725 athletic events. I cannot thank our amazing transportation team members enough!  

Last week, I got to meet Mr. Glasgow, a bilingual teacher at Reilly Elementary School. Come to find out, he taught with my mom at Rodriguez Elementary School many decades ago. He left the teaching profession for a while to try some other things out, including a job at Southwest Airlines. But the classroom kept calling him back. So he came back to Austin ISD — with some extra life experiences to share with our students. 

As you may know, early voting starts today! Some of you may have already voted by the time you get this newsletter, which is awesome! In case you haven’t and wanted to learn more about the various items on the ballot, I want to share with you a non-partisan voters’ guide compiled by the Austin Area League of Women Voters. You can find out more about Austin ISD’s Prop A, including our newly released detailed compensation plan at austinisd.org/propa.  

Finally, October is Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying can manifest in many ways, including physical, verbal, emotional and cyberbullying.Please help us empower our students to recognize bullying, speak out against it and support one another. 

Monday, October 21 

I’m hoping I can get to the polls today for early voting. Once I get into the office, I’ll have a one-on-one meeting with Brandi Hosack, Chief of Talent Strategy. We’ll transition to the ARM (Action Required Meeting), where we discuss things that may have occurred over the weekend that need immediate responses from my team. From there, I’ll move to the Senior Staff meeting, where we’ll progress the work on the budget and touch base on board meeting prep. 

In the afternoon, I’ll be meeting with the 2022 Bond team to get an update on the progress of our ongoing projects. The rest of the afternoon is reserved for preparing for next week’s Inspire the Future Luncheon address. I am so grateful for all of our community partners who are sponsoring this event, and look forward to spending time with them next Monday.  

Tuesday, October 22 

This morning, I’ll be visiting some schools and get to see the amazing things going on in our classrooms. I’ll head back to the office to meet with our TEA Monitors to progress the work related to the TEA Agreed Order. After that, I have a meeting with Leana Mann, who currently serves as the Chief Appraiser of the Travis Central Appraisal District. After that, I’ll meet with the Enroll Austin team to wrap up the enhancement work. Can you believe enrollment for the 2025–26 school year will begin in just 2 weeks? Mark your calendars!  

This afternoon, I’ll have a one-on-one meeting with Board Secretary, Lynn Boswell. Then I’ll head to Apple to participate in the Apple Workforce Development Event, where I will take part in the important discussion of preparing our students for the workforce of today and tomorrow. In the evening, I have two committee meetings to attend — first the School Safety and Security Committee meeting and then the Ad Hoc Joint Community Budget Committee meeting.  

Wednesday, October 23 

This morning, I’ll meet with the leaders of the Ad Hoc Joint Community Budget Committee to debrief yesterday’s meeting and discuss action items to keep the work moving forward. This will be followed by a one-on-one meeting with Trustee Candace Hunter. Afterwards, I will take part in the filming of the “Welcome to Texas” segment for The Today Show with Hoda and Jenna. This is a wonderful way to bring national attention to the great things happening here at Austin ISD.  

I’ll need to rush out and travel to The Holdsworth Center for a Day 1 of 3 of the Superintendent Leadership Program learning sessions. It’s a great way for me to connect and collaborate with other Texas Superintendents. This evening, I’ll be doing a historical walking tour of Eastside Early College High School with two alumni from the original L.C. Anderson High School, an Austin 360 reporter and representatives from the architecture firm that designed the modernized facility, Perkins & Will. In the evening, I’ll be meeting with a few of our principals to better understand how to support their academic priorities for the year.  

Thursday, October 24 

I’ll return to the Holdsworth Center for a second day. When I return to the office, I will meet with Gibson Consulting to discuss the findings in their Cost Savings Audit. Afterwards, I’ll be meeting with various team members in preparation for tonight’s Board Regular Voting Meeting. Some of the items on the agenda include a budget update and Mendez Middle School first quarter update. Before the Board Regular Voting Meeting, we will have a Board Public Hearing regarding our Financial Integrity Rating.  

Friday, October 25 

I’ll start the morning off at the Holdsworth Center for the last day of the Superintendent Leadership Program. I’ll return to the office to wrap up loose ends from the week, to read through contracts and items that need my signature and prepare for the week ahead. Before heading out, I have a meeting with a few trustees to discuss the ongoing budget work.   

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