At Tuesday’s meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Court, commissioners voted to make a portion of American Rescue Plan Act funding available to increase access to dual-language and full-day pre-K in Del Valle in southeast Travis County. The request initially came from United Way Success by 6, a local nonprofit and active partner with county […]
Education
Posted inAISD
AISD brainstorms ways to increase parent engagement
Austin Independent School District’s annual survey, sent out January through March 2021, was designed to gather feedback from parents and guardians about various topics at their children’s schools. This year’s survey focused on measuring whether parents feel their involvement is welcomed by campus administrators, counselors and teachers. While the large majority of parents who filled out […]
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Austin ISD lost thousands of students during the pandemic. It’s going door to door to bring them back.
Fifty Austin ISD staff members gather outside Mendez Middle School in Southeast Austin on Saturday, fueling up for the day with breakfast tacos and coffee. The group is made up of central office staff, teachers and volunteers. The plan is to walk around Dove Springs and talk to residents with school-aged children about enrolling in […]
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Austin ISD is sued over backlog of special education evaluations
An advocacy group for people with disabilities filed a lawsuit Monday claiming the Austin Independent School District is “failing thousands of students” by not evaluating them for special education within a specific amount of time. KUT reported earlier this month that 800 students were waiting to get evaluated for special education. These evaluations are the first […]
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Rep. Talarico proposes bill for educational equity officers; AISD is a case study
Earlier this month, Rep. James Talarico, who represents Texas’ 52nd District, filed a bill aimed at tackling equity issues within the state’s education systems. Specifically, the bill would require school districts to hire a diversity, equity and inclusion officer. According to the bill’s text, each officer would need experience working with students with limited English proficiency […]
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‘Panic mode’: Austin ISD needs to evaluate 800 students for special ed. It doesn’t have the staff to do it.
More than 800 students in the Austin Independent School District are being denied their legal right to a special education evaluation. An evaluation is the first step in the process to get special education services. Without one, there is no official help in class. So if a child who struggles to read out loud never […]
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Austin ISD votes to switch mental health provider
The Austin ISD Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to switch the school district’s campus mental health provider to Gramercy Specialty Clinic. The current partner, Vida Clinic, has begun to transition out. In order to ensure that services continue without disruption, Gramercy may hire some Vida staff. President Geronimo Rodriguez and the board of trustees voted on the […]
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Austin ISD Board of Trustees postpones vote on real estate consulting services
Four Austin ISD school closures in one year has left parents worried about the district’s renewed interest in seeking real estate consulting services for its properties. Fearing more closures, concerned parents called in to ask for postponement of the vote on agenda item 10.1, which if approved by the board of trustees, would authorize AISD […]
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Austin ISD plans to bring a small group of students back to schools in October
Lee esta historia en español. When the Austin Independent School District begins phasing students back into school buildings Oct. 5, it will prioritize special education and lower grade levels within each school as the first to return. At a school board information session Monday night, Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said each school will be able to […]
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Here’s how to make sure your Austin ISD student has access to a laptop and high-speed internet
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 […]
Posted inEducation
Commissioners Court considers allocating additional funding for high-risk youth program
As public education moves from classrooms to screens in students’ homes, families’ need for support from educational institutions has increased. Students from vulnerable populations, in particular, benefit from personalized contact with someone in the Austin Independent School District, according to Allen Weeks, the executive director of Austin Voices for Education and Youth. “We’re really in […]
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 […]