Two community groups compete for job to help turn Mendez Middle School around

Mendez Middle School will be run by a group outside the Austin Independent School District next year. At a meeting last night, two groups explained to parents, teachers and community members how they would improve academics at the school.

Mendez has failed state accountability tests the last four years, and now the district is looking for an outsider for help. One of the groups that wants to step in is a partnership between Communities in Schools and the University of Texas at Tyler. It said it would start a STEM academy that relies on hands-on, project-based learning.

The other proposal came from a partnership between Austin Voices for Education and Youth and Talent Development Secondary, a Maryland-based education group. This group helped turn around Reagan High School when that school was failing.

The community will offer feedback, and the board of trustees will pick a partner at its meeting on April 23.

This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT. Photo by Gabriel Cristóver Pérez/KUT.

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