Parents, teachers and advocates worry online-only lesson plans could widen the digital divide and exacerbate educational equity issues in the Austin Independent School District. To try to prevent that, the district, which has roughly 81,000 students, is distributing Wi-Fi hotspots, laptops and tablets. Here’s a step-by-step guide for parents and guardians on how to get […]
AISD
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD’s school year delayed until Sept. 8, first eight weeks could be online-only
The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted to delay the start of classes for the school year until Sept. 8. Virtual classes were supposed to begin Aug. 18, but the board wanted to give teachers more time to prepare for online learning. School board members also took into account recommendations from local health […]
Posted inAISD
AISD officials discuss Covid-19 response
Austin Independent School District officials spoke at an Austin Justice Coalition panel Wednesday night, discussing how the district and its students are coping during the Covid-19 pandemic and the stay-at-home order that has shuttered schools. Speakers included AISD Board of Trustees President Geronimo Rodriguez, AISD Chief Equity Officer Stephanie Hawley, Education Austin President Ken Zarifis, […]
Posted inAISD
As Superintendent Paul Cruz prepares to leave Austin ISD, his school closure plan remains unresolved
Even though Superintendent Paul Cruz said he’s leaving the Austin Independent School District, the process of school closures that started under his watch likely will not end. But where the plan goes from here is unknown. At a press conference Thursday, Cruz said the decision on how to move forward with eight schools under consideration for closure […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD considers opening a school for young adults with autism
A local nonprofit wants to start a school in Austin that serves young adults with neurological conditions like autism. Easterseals of Central Texas is seeking to start the school within the Austin Independent School District. The school would help students older than 18 who have autism or other conditions learn important life and workplace skills. […]
Posted inAISD
Chief equity officer calls Austin ISD’s school closure process inequitable and ‘short-sighted’
School closures and consolidations are not “equity strategies,” the Austin Independent School District’s chief equity officer says in a report released Monday. “They are short-term and often short-sighted approaches to cost savings that are seldom reinvested in programming in the very school communities that are displaced and dispossessed,” Stephanie Hawley continues. The report was dated […]
Posted inAISD
Human Rights Commission seeks apology from AISD
Last week the Austin Independent School District’s chief equity officer, Stephanie Hawley, called the board of trustees’ vote to close four elementary schools racist and inequitable. In an effort to improve the district’s financial situation, the board was faced with a list of 12 proposed school closures. The list was whittled down to four elementary […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD equity officer calls closure plan ‘racist’ before board votes to close four schools
The Austin Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted 6-3 on Monday to close Brooke, Metz, Sims and Pease elementary schools at the end of this school year. Trustees Ann Teich, Arati Singh and LaTisha Anderson opposed the closures. Parents and community members have pushed back for months on the proposal; that continued during public […]
Posted inAISD
Under new proposal, Austin ISD gives itself more time to consider closing eight schools
Instead of closing 12 schools over the next five years, the Austin Independent School District is now proposing to close four schools over two years. In a revised school changes plan released Friday, AISD says it will take more time considering whether to close the eight other schools on its original list. The revisions come […]
Posted inAISD
What’s next in the process to close Austin ISD schools?
The Austin Independent School District finished its third week of community meetings to get feedback on its plan to close and consolidate 12 schools. Now, district staff will revise the proposal before the school board votes in late November. Here’s a wrap-up of what was discussed last week. Appetite for a November 2020 Bond? The […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD says second draft of school changes will emphasize academics district-wide
At a live discussion of the Austin Independent School District’s proposal to overhaul the entire district, school officials said the idea is about more than just closing schools. Meanwhile, city leaders said there’s room to grow to bring more equitable opportunities to students. KUT hosted the show during Morning Edition to try to answer questions […]
Posted inAISD
Austin ISD wants to close 12 schools, expand academic programs throughout the district
The Austin Independent School District has released a plan to close 12 schools and move those students to other campuses. The district is also proposing boundary changes and wants to add academic programs at more than 30 schools. “Change is hard,” Superintendent Paul Cruz said in a letter Thursday to the AISD community, “but it can also […]