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EDUCATION
Opinion: Affordable Childcare Now – A Community Call to Action for Travis County
Austinites have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of our youngest children and their families with effects felt both immediately and into the future. In May, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the Travis County CARES Resolution, the first step toward a November ballot measure that will provide long-term, reliable funding for child care and afterschool solutions benefiting thousands of our most vulnerable children and families. Recognizing the critical need to ensure working parents have access to high-quality affordable child care and afterschool programs, community leaders have united to form the Affordable Childcare Now coalition, a broad coalition convened by the United Way for Greater Austin to support concrete solutions in Travis County. Please join us.
Austin ISD offices, schools closed July 1-5
The first day of school for the 2024-25 school year at Austin ISD is Aug. 20. (Elle Bent/Community Impact) All Austin ISD offices and schools will be closed from July 1-5 in observance of Independence Day. What it means. The closure will impact summer meal sites across the district. District...
ACC Round Rock campus closed this weekend due to chilled water leak
ROUND ROCK, Texas — Austin Community College’s Round Rock campus is closed until Sunday due to a “major underground chilled water leak” that is impacting the cooling system. Repairs are expected to be finished by Monday. All classes, work and activities at all buildings on campus...
AISD renews contract with Austin Voices for family resource centers at five campuses
After a contract process that ended in April in the disqualification of both applications, the Austin school district has signed a new contract with Austin Voices for Education and Youth to run family resource centers at five campuses in North and East Austin. The Austin school board’s decision during a June 20 meeting maintains the same service provider that has been running resource centers for some of Austin’s most at-risk students and families for almost 20 years. ...
"I want to utilize my life," 8th grader starts non-profit that expands to 7 countries
“If someone has a burning passion for something, they should be able to follow it, regardless of age.”. Those are the words from a young Austin area entrepreneur, named 2024 Student Hero for Williamson County by the Texas Board of Education. Arjun Sharda is a 13-year old author, speaker, and...
Leander ISD adopts FY 2024-25 budget with nearly $13.1M shortfall
The board of trustees unanimously passed the district's fiscal year 2024-25 budget at a June 27 meeting. (Chloe Young/Community Impact) The Leander ISD board of trustees approved the district’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget at a June 17 meeting. The approved budget includes a nearly $13.1 million shortfall in the...
Schools can’t wish away the need for DEI officers
When my work began as the supervisor of Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness with Austin Independent School District in 2010, my role was to support staff members to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools for about 80,000 students.By the 2017-18 school year, I was still the lone staff member providing antiracist professional learning, coaching, and capacity-building for some 11,000 district employees. I was responding to racist incidents and viral videos; some included hateful words and phrases like:“It’s N-Word Day.”“You have bombs in your purse.”“If you can’t speak English, then you need to go back to Mexico!”These incidents went viral on social...
DeSoto ISD sees gains in early test of AI-driven math curriculum – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Www.nbcdfw.com – Wayne Carter – 2024-06-28 11:25:03. SUMMARY: At Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet School in DeSoto ISD, Jeff Jacobs and other teachers are using a new AI-driven program during summer learning to catch students up in math. Initially skeptical due to previous unsuccessful one-size-fits-all approaches, Jacobs found this program effective. The AI customizes lessons based on students' struggles and interacts with them like virtual assistants. Impressed by its impact, DeSoto ISD Superintendent Usama Rodgers observed students solving numerous problems and noted the program's potential in stimulating deeper thinking. Despite its newness, the district plans to implement the AI system district-wide in the fall to improve math scores post-pandemic.
Austin-area student tries for the 't-r-o-f-e-o' at National Spanish Spelling Bee
It's three weeks into summer break, but that hasn’t stopped Luis Orlando Ruiz Medina from practicing spelling words in Spanish every day. He’s done it almost "uninterruptedly" with a list of over 1,700 words. “Ininterrumpidamente,” with 19 letters, is the longest word on that list. It's also a tricky one, since it has a double "r."
LISD Names Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, State and Federal Programs
Leander ISD is thrilled to announce Paige Collier, an established leader within the district, as the newest Assistant Superintendent of Special Programs and Services, State and Federal Programs. “It is with great pleasure that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Paige Collier for being appointed as the Assistant Superintendent for...
Austin Community College Faculty Senate asks for 8.5% raise; college proposes 4.5%
Austin Community College employees are asking for an 8.5% across-the-board raise ― almost double ACC's proposed 4.5% raise ― to account for inflation and cost of living before the board could potentially vote on the budget July 1. “We faculty are here for our students. We’re not here for the money, but we...
Austin Community College and Texas DIR Launch Innovative Tech Apprenticeship to Tackle Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage
Forging a new path in the realm of career readiness and workforce development, Austin Community College District (ACC) in partnership with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) officially announced the kickoff of a novel apprenticeship program designed for the tech and cybersecurity domain. This announcement came during a signing event hosted on June 28 at ACC's Highland Campus, as reported by the college's newsroom. Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC's Chancellor, emphasized that the program is a transformative leap for students and the local community, stating, "This is the start of a new system that will change how we work to prepare students for a better future for them and their families."
District Advisory Committee Application Now Open for 2024–25
Leander ISD invites our community to support our students and teachers by volunteering on a district-wide or campus-based committee. To apply for one of the district advisory listed below, please complete the application by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23. Committees. Community-Based Accountability System (CBAS) Community Curriculum Advisory Committee (CCAC) District-wide...
Carroll ISD provides update on superintendent search, new teacher hiring
Dr. Lane Ledbetter was hired as Carroll ISD's superintendent Dec. 11, 2020. (Community Impact staff) Carroll ISD Board President Cam Bryan provided an update on the board’s search for a new superintendent while current Superintendent Lane Ledbetter gave a report on the status of hiring new teachers for the 2024-25 school year.
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