Happy 8th week of school, y’all! I hope our students and campus staff are coming back refreshed after a long weekend. Personally, I got to hang out at ACL, and it was amazing!
This week is Principal Appreciation Week at Austin ISD. Our principals really have one of the hardest jobs in the world, and they do it in style! I deeply appreciate each of them for their leadership and for their tireless dedication to our students, families and staff.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! I’m proud of the work our Information Technology division does every day to ensure our systems remain secure, but all of the work doesn’t fall on them. It takes the effort of each person within our Austin ISD community to stay safe online. To promote cybersecurity awareness during October, we’re offering activities and learning opportunities for staff, students and families. Be on the lookout for more details in our staff and family newsletters.
This past Wednesday, I got to meet America Garcia, who has been an Austin ISD custodian for 27 years. I gave her a golden rave for her dedication to our students and her hard work day in and day out. Fun fact: she was the custodian at Bowie HS when I was a student there!
Finally, I want to encourage all families, if you haven’t already done so, to take a couple of minutes to complete the income verification form for your students in Enroll Austin: English, Spanish. No matter your income status, just a few minutes helps us ensure all students are accurately coded, which maximizes our federal funding.
Where I'll be and who I'll meet
Monday, Oct. 7
I’ll begin the week in a meeting with my senior staff. After discussing any urgent issues that may have occurred over the weekend, we will delve into district priorities and initiatives. Top of mind is the budget stabilization process, enrollment and academic progress. Right after, I will be traveling to Samsung Austin Semiconductor to present to Opportunity Austin’s Education Council on Prop A.
When I return, I’ll meet with the Inspire the Future planning team to continue preparing for what will be an amazing event. In the afternoon, I’ll meet with Deputy Superintendent Paty Rodriguez and the Assistant Superintendents in Teaching, Learning and Leading. I then have back to back one-on-one meetings, first with Trustee Kauffman, and next with Ali Ghilarducci, Chief of Communications and Community Engagement.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
The first thing this morning is a meeting with Gibson Consulting regarding their budget audit. Their findings will help us identify budget cost saving opportunities. After that, I will meet with Laurie Mattson,
State Business Development Director at Abre. The rest of the morning is committed to a superintendent coaching session with Holdsworth Center’s Marcelo Cavazos. In the afternoon, I’ll be popping into the ACL Immersion Day event where I’ll get to sit on the judging panel for student pitches. I’m so excited!
When I get back to the central office, I’ll hold the second Executive Leadership Team meeting of the year. I am using this meeting to both connect with our Executive Directors, Assistant Superintendents and Chiefs, and to keep them informed of our district initiatives. This evening, I’ll attend the ongoing Ad Hoc Budget Committee meeting where we will be focusing on Technology, Legal and Police.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
I’ll start the morning at the monthly Principal’s Roundtable meeting. I always look forward to spending time with our principals, but this month’s meeting is extra special since it lands on Principal Appreciation Week. In the afternoon, I’ll have a lunch meeting with Dr. Patrick Lee, CEO at Central Health. When I return to the office, I’ll do an interview with Austin Common regarding Prop A. After that, I have a one-on-one meeting with Trustee Lugo, and then will attend the APIE regular board meeting. This evening, I am headed to the Austin Chamber Greater Austin Business Awards.
Thursday, Oct. 10
First thing this morning is my one-on-one meeting with Trustee Gonzales, followed by a virtual meeting with superintendents in the I-35 North cluster. In the afternoon, I have a one-on-one meeting with Deputy Superintendent Rodriguez, and then a debrief meeting after Tuesday’s Ad Hoc Budget Committee meeting. The rest of the afternoon will be spent meeting with my team in preparation for this evening’s Board Information Session. On the agenda are scorecard discussions around chronic absenteeism and 2nd-grade literacy.
Friday, Oct. 11
I’ll be taking a personal day, and will be leaving Austin very early this morning. I’m catching a flight to Palm Springs California to hike the Cactus to Clouds trail at Mount San Jacinto State Park. This is a challenging 21-mile hike round trip with over 10,000 feet of elevation gain — and I love it! I especially love that I get to do this with my old track teammates. Wish me luck.
If you’d like to opt out of future Matias’ Weekly emails, please fill out this form.
Recognize our amazing staff each month by submitting a RAVE!
Follow me on X @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.