Former high school English teacher, including 11 years at Crockett; district instructional coach; AISD parent; member of numerous district committees; UT Austin professor preparing future teachers.
Aside from competitive monetary compensation, which should be a priority, retaining teachers means cultivating a culture where new teachers are guaranteed high-quality mentoring and meaningful support, and veteran teachers are given reasonable workloads and a voice in instructional decisions. Ultimately, teachers should feel valued and supported in the work they do every day.
AISD needs a clear, ongoing process for school and facility decisions—not crisis-driven decisions. Enrollment and building costs matter, but so do the human costs and impacts on students and communities. We need a predictable, cyclical process for evaluating our facilities so we can make thoughtful, data-informed decisions before we reach a crisis point.
AISD must focus on instructional quality, not just test scores. Excellent teachers are one of our most critical investments, especially in early literacy and math. We need to identify gaps quickly and provide targeted support to both struggling students and teachers. Rather than continually adding new programs, we should focus on improving what every student actually experiences in the classroom.
Budget decisions are felt by real people. We need to think long-term, protect student-facing services, and support the community through difficult changes. That means advocating at the state level, while also taking a hard look at our own spending and considering responsible ways to generate additional revenue. We must prioritize savings that have the least impact on classrooms.
AISD parent and volunteer since 2010 with 15+ years as a PTA leader. A special education advocate and literacy coach trained in the Science of Reading, with a background in operations and accounting.
Teachers need to feel valued, supported, heard, and able to do their jobs. That means competitive pay, manageable workloads, supports, strong campus leadership, meaningful professional development, and less unnecessary bureaucracy. I would also focus on growing our own educators and creating clear pathways for paraprofessionals and other school staff to become certified teachers.
I am an anti school closures advocate. I do not support closing schools. Facilities decisions should be driven by enrollment, student needs, finances, and the long-term needs of each community—not simply a spreadsheet. Before closing a school, AISD should be transparent about the data, meaningfully involve families and staff, and consider the impact on staff and students.
My priorities are strong literacy instruction, early intervention, special education, attendance, and making sure students and staff receive the support promised to them. We need to identify problems early instead of waiting for students to fail. Student outcomes improve when we invest in our teachers, strong campus leadership, and the supports that allow students to be ready to learn.
We should protect classrooms above all and our priorities should reflect that. I would look closely at administrative spending, contracts, duplication, and what is producing results before cutting positions or services that directly support students. Every dollar matters, and AISD should be able to clearly explain what we’re spending, why we’re spending it, and whether students are benefiting.
Alex San Martin is a dedicated educator, public policy strategist, and community advocate running to represent District 6 on the Austin ISD Board of Trustees. I’m ready to serve District 6 on day one.
Teacher turnover remains a major concern. When I am elected, I will work to:
Reduce administrative burdens.
Competitive compensation advocacy.
Improved classroom support.
I’d approach it as a long-term capacity-planning problem rather than reacting to enrollment changes year by year.
Ultimately, the goal would be to maintain the right amount of capacity in the right locations at an affordable cost, while protecting educational quality. The key is have transparent, data-driven framework that tells the district when to consolidate, when to invest, and when to wait.
1. Strengthen foundational learning
2. Provide targeted support
3. Improve student engagement and attendance
Overall, my priority would be to combine high expectations with individualized support so that every student has both the opportunity and the resources to succeed.
AISD has faced major budget challenges and enrollment pressures. Voters want assurance that money reaches classrooms. I will do the following when elected:
Protect classroom funding first.
Conduct efficiency reviews.
Increase transparency on spending.
Prioritize teacher retention.
