Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. We are on week 3!
Campus Visits: Over the past two weeks, getting out to our schools and connecting with our students and staff has been the highlight of my days. During my visits last week, I had the chance to stop by Travis Heights Elementary, which is currently operating out of the former Dawson Elementary building while we resolve water damage from our roof replacement at their main facility. Things will be back to normal soon, but I want to send a huge shout-out to the entire Travis Heights team for coming together to ensure our students have a warm, welcoming place to learn every day. I also want to thank our Operations team and all the dedicated staff members who stepped up to navigate the logistics, move resources, and ensure the building was ready to go. Your flexibility and teamwork represent Austin ISD at its best.
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We’re Looking for DAC Members: Austin ISD is seeking dedicated parents, staff, and community members from across our campuses to serve on the District Advisory Council (DAC) for the 2026–2027 school year. The DAC plays a vital role in shaping our district’s priorities and offering guidance on key issues that directly impact our students. If you’re eager to share your perspective and help steer district decisions, we would love for you to apply! Please submit your application using the link below. Make sure to select "District Advisory Council" and include your primary campus name, if applicable.
AISD Advisory Bodies Standard application form: English / Spanish
Show Your Pride for College Colors Day: We are gearing up for College Colors Day. Austin ISD is excited to participate in College Colors Day, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4. Across the United States, students, parents, family, faculty, fans, and alumni celebrate College Colors Day every year on the Friday before Labor Day.
Break out your favorite college t-shirts, jerseys, or colors, and post your photos on social media! Be sure to use the hashtags #AustinISDCollegeColorsDay and #CollegeColorsDay, and tag @AustinISD_CCR and @AustinISD on X so we can reshare the excitement. I will be representing Texas Tech!
Austin Ed Fund Open House: Austin ISD’s public education foundation, warmly invites you to join us and spread the word about our virtual Open House at noon, tomorrow, Sept. 1. Get to know the Ed Fund’s mission, programs, and how the Ed Fund supports Austin ISD students and educators. The open house will feature a presentation from Executive Director Michelle Wallis with time for Q&A.
Register here to join us via Zoom. Hope to see you there! |
📍Where I’ll Be & Who I’m Meeting |
Monday, Aug. 31, 2026
I’m starting off the week by gathering with our leadership team for our weekly meeting to get updates on our current priorities and keep our key initiatives moving forward. Right after, I’ll connect with La Kesha Drinks, Senior Chief of Staff and Teaching, Learning and Leading, for our regular check-in. From there, I'll meet with members of the Finance, Operations and Technology team to review our progress on the Technology portion of the 2022 Bond, followed by a discussion with leadership focused on supporting our TAP campuses.
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 Tuesday morning is dedicated to getting out onto our campuses to visit with students and staff. Once I return, I’ll be holding one-on-one meetings with Trustees Hunter and Gonzales to collaborate on key campus priorities and district needs. Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026
Midweek brings our very first ATX Bridge meeting, where we're bringing all of our principals together in one room to unpack essential topics and share key updates. Afterward, I’ll sit down with our CFO, Katrina Montgomery, for a finance update meeting. To wrap up the day, I’ll join our Board officers for a governance planning session, where we set the agendas for upcoming board meetings with a constant focus on student achievement.
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026 On Thursday morning, I’m looking forward to connecting with Ricardo Zavala, President of Dove Springs Proud, to discuss our community partnerships. Following that conversation, I’ll jump online with our campus leaders for our virtual Weekly Principal Update. That evening, we will convene a Special Board Meeting to address grievances. Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
I’ll spend Friday morning checking in with my direct reports, La Kesha Drinks, Senior Chief of Staff and Teaching, Learning and Leading; Kenneth Walker, Senior Chief of Business & Operations/General Counsel; and Lance Cox, Interim Chief of Police, for our weekly check-in to review active projects and refine operational strategies. We’ll spend the remainder of the day making sure everything is aligned and ready for the week ahead. |
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Monday, Sept. 7 is Labor Day, and all schools and offices will be closed. |
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