Average student, great test scores.
Mayoral Candidate for Affordable Housing back in 1997.
I'll try to subsidize their pay with a Charter School District. Participating Charter Schools will be subject to evaluation by the Charter School District in exchange for support from the District.
AISD is already in a doom loop, selling facilities to pay for operating the remaining facilities. Moving all students to charter schools will free up the $1.5B AISD M&O tax, from which we can solicit donations to support the students with tutoring and supportive services. The State will fund the charter schools, all we need to do is supplement that. We can lease AISD facilities to the charters.
Tutoring, after school programs, and supportive services to students and families.
The state takes all the tax dollars and funds schools on a per student basis -- the money follows the students to the schools. If all students move from AISD to charter schools, AISD won't get any money from the state, but AISD won't have any students, so it won't need to levy a tax either. $0 income, $0 expenses, balanced. The state will pay for charters, all we'll need to do is supplement them.
I am a veteran teacher who has worked at Title 1 schools in areas across the city of Austin, I am a former union member and teacher organizer, and I am a parent to a child in Austin ISD.
As a career educator, I know that a district that protects teacher pay and planning time sends the message that it respects its teachers. I also know that a teacher's work is impossible without the help of parent support specialists, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other classified staff. When tough decisions have to be made, I will protect classified and non-classified workers at all costs.
Data has shown that falling birth rates, student mobility factors, and the expansion of charter schools and vouchers have led to declines in the enrollment. Working with the city to expand affordable housing options and revisiting zoning maps will help adjust for these shifts. Investing in our schools will also help draw more families into the district and improve enrollment over time.
Board members must prioritize funding schools based on need by investing in our emergent bilingual populations, low-income communities, and special education students. Focusing our efforts on addressing the needs of our most vulnerable students will ensure all students in AISD have access to a great education.
At the legislative level, we must advocate for an increased basic allotment for students to match the national average and fight against vouchers that redirect public funds from our schools. At the district level, we must find ways to engage in adaptive reuse of AISD owned properties to create long-term revenue streams and ensure bond money for closed schools follow students to their new campuses.
Former: Educator, AISD Counsel, PTA VP(x2), SHAC Chair
Current: School Advocate, Lawyer, AISD Mom(x2) and Volunteer(x lots)
Advocacy Projects: Save Ridgetop, Lead Remediation, Dual Language& Sports
1. Strong Leadership: Teacher retention begins with strong campus leadership and culture.
2. Support Where Needed: Schools on Improvement Plans or missing benchmarks, need the most support, smaller class sizes, classroom assistance.
3. Autonomy and Trust Where Support is not Needed
4. Advocating for the full funding of public schools at the state level (as I have now for years.)
As former counsel for this last bond, the closing facilities need to be repurposed and I want to see them used to house affordable teacher housing or generating income. We have so many new beautiful buildings being built with that money; facility envy is coming! (I'm excited.) I think that will help drive students and teachers to these new beautiful spaces & our old spaces need to generate income.
1. Mitigating the impact of TEA action on AISD. Whether it’s full take over, conservatorship, or monitoring, my number one goal is to mitigate the impact to students and campuses. It is imperative that we do this by creating the least disruption at the campus level, support where needed; but, trust and autonomy where it’s not.
2. Early Intervention
3. More supports for teachers bridging gaps
1. Transportation: Parents with elective campuses who can afford to do so, need to help with carrying the cost of transportation.
2. Transparency: Lets be honest, early, and often. Parents/ private partnerships have mobilized to keep programs that matter, but they need time, truth, and a commitment to work together to help cover some gaps.
3. Resource generation: we need to rent out closed spaces.
