AUSTIN, Texas — Austin ISD (AISD) kicked off the new school year today, but many parents are uncertain about what is ahead pending potential state intervention.
After Burnet and Webb middle schools received their fifth consecutive F rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), a state takeover of the district is possible.
“I would like to ask the district: what are their plans around accountability?” said AISD parent Angela Strickland.
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Parents want to know the state’s timeline if the TEA plans to intervene in AISD, as well as whether or not the district plans to appeal any possible intervention.
“When will TEA not just inform the district, but then inform parents and community members? What does the process look like?” asked Noelita Lugo, a parent of three kids in AISD and former AISD Board of Trustees member. “And then for the district, what are the steps that we’re going to take to appeal any potential takeover that Mike Morath attempts to enact?”
Parents are also calling for more transparency from the district regarding student progress, particularly at campuses with turnaround plans (TAP).
“I would like to see AISD stop using these words, but give us data, numbers, and a very solid plan about how they’re going to move forward,” said Strickland.
One idea that has been proposed is a student progress dashboard with data broken down by campus.
“What does the district need in order to do that, in order to get a dashboard up, [and] be transparent with families?” asked Lugo.
As a parent of a child with special needs, Strickland also wants AISD to provide evidence of improvement from previous TEA intervention in the district.
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TEA oversight of AISD’s special education (SPED) programs ended in February.
In 2023, the TEA entered a monitored partnership of AISD’s transformation of special education programming after a state investigation of the district found systemic shortcomings in AISD’s service of students with disabilities.
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“There are two sides, because we don’t want TEA to take over. I believe that local school boards are very important. It gives parents a voice,” said Strickland. “But also, we do want to make sure that AISD stays in compliance with SPED laws and is serving their most vulnerable students, which a lot of parents don’t feel that they’ve done a great job of in the past.”
When will questions be answered?
CBS Austin reached out to the district with the following questions from parents, among others:
Does the district plan to release a progress dashboard with data from any of its schools, specifically TAP schools? If so, what is the timeline for its publication? If not, why? What resources or support does the district need to create a resource for parents and families?Is the district in talks with the TEA about any intervention yet?What steps will AISD take to appeal any takeover the state attempts to enact, if any?If a state takeover is initiated, is there any possibility for reversal once it starts?Regarding the end of TEA oversight of AISD Special Education programs earlier this year, can the district provide any information about the progress made over the duration of the monitored partnership?Any other comments about the latest TEA ratings and/or a potential state takeover?
The district has yet to respond, but CBS Austin also plans to bring questions to our interview with Superintendent Matias Segura this Thursday.