001Welcome to Somos la Casa de los Encantos. [applause] Welcome everyone, the whole community, the family, the teachers. They are very happy to be here sharing this time with us. I want to send a thank you to Mr. Este Segurente and his team for ensuring that they gave us space and the opportunity to express our feelings, what we are thinking, and how we are going to navigate this together. every day here. Good afternoon everyone, thank you for joining us. My name is Aloruchi, I am the executive director of communications and community outreach, before we begin I just want to talk about what you can expect today. Okay, so let's welcome them. We will briefly review the rules and purpose of the meeting and then we will introduce our panel. Those who came here to answer the
002questions and then we're going to give you an overview of the proposed changes that are in the draft plan so that we're all aware of everything we're proposing. We want them so we can hear what these concerns and worries are, so we can inform you of any changes that will be made to the draft. And then you sent questions through the comment cards. Thank you for sending them. We have these QR codes. If you want to send your comments, you still have to do it tonight. We did this, we took questions from there. We're going to answer some of the questions that came up frequently in your comments, and then for the last 45 minutes we'll have a question and answer session to hear your feedback and, if anything wasn't answered in the Q&A, we'll
003talk about the next steps. So briefly, what else? I want to go over the rules, review the rules we're here for so that we can create a system that recognizes the challenges our district is facing and looks at solutions to strengthen our school district. We want to honor this time, then add questions and answers. So, please try to limit your comments to one minute or more because we want, there are a lot of people who want to make sure everyone's questions are answered in the process. We also want you to follow the program on the agenda. So we have to acknowledge that there are things we'll disagree on, but we agree that we all have something in common. Our goal is to have strong, removable schools for our students, and what we want is for
004them to be able to speak before the second time, so that everyone else who hasn't spoken has the opportunity to do so. We want to provide the best possible solutions to the problems. So, we're going to look at the solutions and understanding, and then we're here to... to provide transfer, and we're going to share what we know, what we don't know, and the things we're going to be facing. We want to have good conversations, and we're looking out for the families who understand the changes that are going to happen, and we have to move forward in this transition, which is what we want to continue. The rules are here in Spanish for you to see. This is simply to reiterate the purpose of the meeting. This is solely for the purpose of responding to and
005answering the questions we have. We're going to answer those questions that have arisen, and we also want a shared understanding of the changes that are taking place, and the reasons behind them. We're going to explain the entire reasoning process behind these proposals, but what we really want is to avoid having to inform you of the changes to the draft plan, because we already released the draft plan, and this Friday we're going to release a modified draft. We're open to any comments you might have. We've been reviewing each idea we've seen, exploring it, and you'll see this Friday that there were adjustments based on the original plan. It won't be all the adjustments we're requesting, but we are making adjustments directly based on your feedback. That's why we're here today. We also want to have a
006final draft by November 20th and we want it to reflect all the feedback we received from you. So, for that reason, we're going to pass it on to our superintendent so he can talk about the process and then have time for questions and hypotheticals. Thanks, Ali. So, first I want to thank everyone, the families and staff, for being here this afternoon. So it's not that I recognize that this is a time for your participation, as he says, this is a plan, it's a plan. We need your feedback, what you share with us, if it will help us shape this. Uh, I want to thank you more. I also want to acknowledge that this is a very painful process, and I want you to know that I apologize for having to go through this. It's not
007something I thought I was going to have to be part of, but given where we are as a record label, we have to do something. The way we are operating, the way we are supporting our students, cannot continue if we are going to move forward as a school. Our goal as a school district is to ensure that every student has what they need to succeed. Spot. What we do know is that in Austin D for decades these young people of color have not been given what they need to succeed. We know. We know where the schools or resources are that have been this for decades, and I keep insisting that if we did those things, our students will see, like me, like you here in the room, that they will not receive what they need
008from us. The Austriation that I, who lead it, has to change. Then we talked about what that change would be. We see how having neighborhood schools is very strong in the neighborhood. We want our families not to have to travel all the way to the other side of town to get to a really solid and strong school, and some schools think they have to . Some families think they have to do it. We want students who not only do well during exams, but who enjoy learning and reading. That's what we want. So, the reality of all this is that we have strong schools. We have very strong schools in the neighborhoods, but not everywhere. So, we as students have to do something to move forward. And to do it, we have to do it at
009a time when there is very strong pressure from all sides from the state and not fully funding public education from the federal government. and the challenges that our families have put us in, changing this system of responsibility that has changed several times in the last three years. What we do from here on out, you have to take everyone into account. So this plan includes a lot and covers the entire school curriculum, but there are several things we want to achieve. One, we want to make sure that every student at Austin D is on an aligned referral pattern. What does that mean? If you are, for example, it means that if you are in a primary school you only go to one or two secondary schools and if you are in a secondary school you only
010go to one or two high schools, keeping the community together, scheduling, aligning, improving. We have schools that have these referral patterns that follow that, they are not in this one in Austin. In Austin, we have schools that have four or five high schools that are going to be what they are. We cannot say, we cannot maintain the community in that way. So, this plan aims to clean up those referral patterns. Number two, we have this budget challenge, we have it. We invested in our teachers, we made these investments with teachers in the classrooms, but the cost of education is going up every year and nobody is helping us. We have some money from the state, but it doesn't help much. So, we need to make sure we know how to find resources and how to
011distribute them so that they go to the students who need them most. So, we have this more efficient being. Number three, we have to deal with all these transfer issues that have been in place for some time. Students are being moved all over Austin and families are being given various ways to navigate and send them to other parts of Austin. There are reasons why they happened in the past, but we have to look at them now from here on out. That's plan number four. Certain programs have evolved in recent years. In Austin we believe in dual language. Hayes en todos dejas que se están distanciados lenguaje dual. We are not focusing. But there are many programs that, because of the way the city is growing, don't have the student population within the school. that these
012were originally intended as schools for emerging bilingual students. If we are going to support these programs and move these programs to where the students are. That's the plan. And lastly, this plan has to respond to the issue of accountability pressures that we are facing. No, it didn't happen to me when I arrived in 2022. We have a state responsibility that was acceptable. The same children, the same teachers, the following year they had an unacceptable rating so you can see how that test has changed in a year. So, we have to adjust because the state isn't going to change. So this plan has to address that. If we do not respond to that, then the state may take this approach and present risks that could at some point involve taking local control. It's happening right now
013in the state of Texas, in the last week at a school that looks very similar to Austin. So we have to do all of this together. This plan is a draft; we will adjust and modify it, but I want you to know that all of this, all these issues are integrated into this, and every time there is a change, it has an impact on one school or another in Win. We hope that you will share your concerns, your thoughts, and how to improve. It's not a perfect plan. No plan is perfect because it's very complex, but I want to share with you why this plan is the way it is right now. So, the plan in this plan in the award recognizing some things, the first is that we have that many of these places
014in this are empty and there are 20,000 in all I heard. So this plan tries to remove, to eliminate those empty spaces in order to make changes in the areas of existence. So Wed, also recognizing that we have to respond to a transformation plan, arrives at this draft plan scenario. At Wed Elementary School, he will go to Rodriguez Elementary School and then to Houston Elementary School. We have 70% to Rodriguez, 30% to Houston. That is based on geography and where our students live and where in terms of proximity of the schools. So, the plan that you see in the size that is a little bigger, Rodriguez, the primary of Rodriguez, would be the school that receives a transformation plan that is required by the state of Texas for Win. So, when working with that school,
015that plan, as we move forward, then Rodríguez will be the school responsible for changing that, implementing that transformation plan, changing that chain of responsibility, and this would be the obligation of the entire community. And Houston Elementary is also undergoing a modernization. I want to acknowledge that they do not historically have the same classification. There have been changes, it's been D, but they don't have three unacceptable ratings , they have two. We're seeing that the investments we want are progressing in the right way and they're going to change this. So, you can see that this is a reaction to the place we see and also address the issue, the transformation plan that the state of Texas requires. So, I'm going to cover this. What does the coming year mean for your child ? If they live
016in the area where they will attend, they will attend Rodriguez or Houston. There will be a tool on our website that, with your address, will show which school you will be attending. If you are a transfer student to Win, we will share with our board and our community that you will be able to move with your group to the one you select, if you choose, if your community is going to Rodriguez, if they want to go to Houston, they can go to Houston too. That is a level, that is a division of the south. I want to assure you that the community will stay as close together as possible. Do they want to speak about Christ? Thank you all. I'm Cristina here and part of the operations director team. I just want to review those
017school attendance limits and talk a little bit about them. Here we are seeing the uh where the school boundaries of Widen are. If they live here they will be assigned to Widen. And those are the areas where the next closures are proposed. What this is called, uh, is called brown drink when they are changing the school boundaries in order to change enrollment and to make sure that it has a very good and healthy range of student population. And I'm going to review them more or less, and we're going to review them because these little squares are different . Let's see how the students are going to get to Rodriguez. based on where they live and where we are going to change that school attendance limit. This part will go to Rodriguez and this part will
018be reassigned to Houston. And if we want to review the next maps, these show the school boundaries of Houston School and the changes there as well for Perez. That's more or less the domino effect of things moving and changing. This is the east side that you saw on the previous map, and this is Rodriguez's side. This piece here is going to Rodriguez. So, that demonstrates that, and we're going to review those school boundary changes. And one last piece of what we wanted to talk about, we wanted everyone to know, we wanted everyone to be on the same page for the transformation plan. Uh, the Texas Education Agency wants to make sure we are responsible and reassign students so we can reassign them to a school that has a better ranking. Rodríguez is one of those
019schools that has a better ranking, and that is why we have assigned the students to that school. As Superintendent Segura said, when there is a transformation plan and that plan follows the students, then that's why Rodriguez is going to have that Widen plan. So, let's do that draft right now. If they are approved, then that means we are going to work together with the community to refine that plan because they are going to have to implement and adopt that plan. the director of the schools when we are consolidating the schools. Those will be administrative decisions made by our superintendent. We recognize that there is a lot of uncertainty during this process. So, we're going to try to give you some reassurance once we have a vote in November and once we know what changes have
020been approved. Uh, we're going to look at the options from different directors in December. That will allow the new director to start seeing what kind of staff we're going to have. For example, if you have questions about what kind of services your children will receive, or if they will have the same teacher, we're going to put that principal in their place so we can see which staff will stay where . We have guidelines for hiring staff, and this teaches us that when we have communities coming together, we want to make sure that wherever the children end up, they have family members. So, let's make sure that Rodriguez still has staff they recognize. But we also want to let you know that in Widen, the people who are here will follow the children to the next
021schools. Let's review what percentage of the school stays in Widen, what percentage will go to Rodriguez. Let's see, 50% will stay at one school and 50% at the other school so that everyone has familiar faces. It's not going to be perfect, obviously, but that's going to be our goal. And if we have staff right now who aren't going to stay, whether in Rodriguez or Houston, at that point we're going to have career fairs to identify other places within the Austin district where they can stay because we want to find a home for all those teachers. Normally, instead of starting to hire new staff in the spring, we'll review it and see what people we hire from outside our district. And the last thing would be any school that has a transformation plan. Our Wien school
022would be one of those. It will have its transformation plan and it will go to Rodríguez and those schools will receive some investments to support this transformation plan. This process, the point of this process, one of the biggest goals is to have funds to be able to allocate them where they are most needed. Those schools will use those additional resources to hire additional counselors or additional education instructors to support the teachers. These schools will receive extra resources and they will decide how to use those resources during their transformation plan. And with that, we'll begin with the questions on the comment cards. If you have any questions, we are also more than happy to answer your questions and comments. The question is, could you explain the Texas Education Agency's requirements for transformation? Why are Wiiden students
023being relegated to another school that requires a transformation plan? The state of Texas requires that transformation plans, when we have two unacceptable classifications, are called unacceptable accounts. And what happened last year, and what made it very difficult, is that the responsibility for 2023, 2024, and 2025 all came out in the last 5 months. So what the agency said is that if they were doing a transformation plan, they had six strategies they could use, and typically they're going to start doing that draft in the second unacceptable classification. What happened is that they have six that they can evaluate and then if they have their third unacceptable classification, which we have here in Widen. There are other steps available, but we know they won't be accepted. An example of this would be, uh, a reboot or a
024new school. If they are in the standings, in the second qualifier, they can do that. The second year they could have a whole year to plan, then the following year to implement and thus gradually be able to get out of that classification. But because they gave us those classifications together in one plan, in a very short time, we had to make the draft transformation plan that we knew would be accepted, and another one that we knew would be closer to being usable on the timeline we had. And we are currently in year three. We're about to start our fourth year. If it goes all the way to the fifth year, and the students take that START exam and don't break this chain of responsibility, that's where the Texas education agency intervenes. But for us there
025are different options available, but I'm going to tell you that when we work with the agency they tell you they have six, but in reality you only have to be looking at three. When we have these conversations, we're always asking them, "What's this going to look like?" How is this going to work here in the Austin district? They give us that feedback and then we take the next steps to make the next plans. So when it comes to reassignment, because that's always one of the approved strategies, we reassign students to a school that is academically acceptable in the simplest way. If there's a school that historically hasn't had good rankings, the state would say, "Move all the students to this other school." That's what they would say would be the best option in cases like
026when they have several schools with different programs and different challenges, right? We always can, it's not that simple. So for us, we had to think about where we could find a school that would meet those criteria and be academically acceptable in order to implement that transformation plan. And what the State says is that the majority of students are going to go to that school. We couldn't have done it the other way, with most of the students going to Houston. That's not going to be acceptable. There is another option, restart. When the Austin district reopens that school. We did that in Doby, Web Doby, Web and Burnet. There's also a restart with another partner like us in the district. We would prefer that our students be taught by our staff, our values. We also have other
027options, including resources. Typically those are for a two-year transformation plan, but lately when they have three unacceptable ratings we have fewer options. One question, do we have a microphone or, well, let me see, we 're recording, then yes, that would help us a lot. You can speak directly into the microphone here. My question is about unacceptable classifications. You mentioned that we had three unacceptable ratings that came out at the same time. At the last meeting with Miss Page, she said that the Austin district was aware that we had these qualifications. And my question would be, why wasn't the Austin district proactive? Why weren't they here? And why did n't they say? No matter what happens to the education agency, its obligation is to our students. And whether or not the link comes out, you knew
028that our school had three unacceptable grades. Where were the extra teachers, the additional tutors? Where were they? [applause] Well, first of all, we didn't have that hope. We felt that if we were going to improve academic matters and results, we were going to do it our way. And what our way looks like. Well, that means that in 2022-2023 we had very large vacancies. Think about that time. Two years after the pandemic, we had very few staff. We're already at 97%. But we knew that we needed teachers in the classrooms, first and foremost, and we had to create systems, we had to align our curriculum , and we also had to invest in instructional coaches, instructional leaders. We also had to look at how we were going to improve compensation for our teachers. I do n't
029want people here in this room or outside to think that we didn't want to move that system. We could have done it faster maybe, but we probably would have adopted behaviors and strategies that weren't going to align with who we are. So, we wanted to make a response that wasn't overnight, and we had that strategy in 2023, 2024, 2025. We knew that the schools had to make progress. Honestly, when the responsibility came up, it did put quite a bit of pressure on the system, but what we didn't want to do was lean on something we didn't believe in. I don't want you to think that we didn't have resources. We were coming out of a period that had gone through quite a few interruptions, but we never had... Well, I was referring specifically to the
030resources for us because not all the resources were being distributed to all the schools, right? equity, because if we were only given one instructional leader here at the school, the teachers couldn't do their job, we did n't have intervention specialists. Well, we were doing it everywhere. What we did in 2023, we created a resource, a resource index, we organized all our schools and looked at the student demographics and said, "If you're in this area from a teacher perspective, you're going to have support in a different way." Our principals understood that, right? We didn't apply the same thing to every school. We were very intentional in quite a few places. We had a minimum; we didn't want to be aggressive. There were several examples of that, but I did n't want people to think that we
031were naive during our process. We had our index of our operational services and the strategy that would be improved. I've been at this school for 10 years, with all due respect, I'm not answering the question because I've been here from the beginning. I've been here since before. This was my principal back then. Working here, being with the kids, being here every day, I didn't see the difference in the last three years. Different executive directors in the last 3 years. And before Mr. Medina, I maybe didn't see him two or three times at the school. So if you saw him with Mr. Fas or Mr. Shoton or before him or whoever, that was, no, we didn't know. So, in terms of strategies that we are putting in place, we have n't made progress, we've been looking
032for an answer, not a correct answer, not the political one, no. What did he do here? Here in Wed, not in the area, not with Rodriguez, not because of the numbers in a database here, what was done here in Wed when it's intervention? Thank you. So, as I say, I was saying some things that we are saying here, specifically for Win and also for other schools that have also been struggling, is to give them a specialist coach, an intervention specialist. In addition to that, we are leveling because there has been low enrollment, these schools are losing teachers, even though the schools aren't completely full to maintain capacity. So, smaller classrooms affect learning. I just want to say, part of our... The consolidation plan isn't just about accountability; it's also about operating under a budget deficit
033and being unable to provide the support schools require. There are schools that are similar to those with three unacceptable classifications, and we don't have the funding because they simply need a specialist, or perhaps they need several classrooms with fewer than 18 students. We can't do that when we're operating with 116 schools, many of which have needs. So, part of the plan is to consolidate schools because we know they need more, and we want to provide more. I have another question. I'm a parent volunteer here at my school. I understand the reason for consolidation, but all the proposals they're outlining try to achieve that, but I do n't agree with the solutions. Many of the solutions in the proposal address one thing or another. The point regarding the transformation plan is that Austin D, and other
034schools, have been working on these transformation plans because these classifications weren't given according to Texas law in the Texas Education Code. 39.04 requires that these ratings be by August 15th. Since then, these ratings have not been given. The commissioner should have given a rating to all the schools so that anyone in the situation we are in—we are trying to improve our schools and try to get a rating that is acceptable—but the ratings were not given at that time. So I think if we are presenting this, the commissioners, given this, how many ratings will we notice? The consolidation, if not more effective, will be the schools that should be closing. But for example, Becker is the only dual-language school in the South, and I can understand why they want to close it because 29% of its
035students are emerging bilinguals. We want to move it to a school where there is a larger population of emerging bilingual students. Well, Rodriguez is a perfect example for an emerging bilingual program, a dual-language program, but we need to split the difference between Houston and Win. And again, if the transformation plan were not part of this, that would put both schools in a better geographic location. All the schools, all the children who come here, so that they have one less school. Rodriguez would be better for any student coming from the south for a dual language school compared to Sanchez, which basically closed its dual language program because it's north of the river. So there are solutions that I see, there are sections in other areas. I'm vibrating here with the proposal to send it to you
036this week so you can review it. There are other options that would be available if the transformation plan isn't taken away. Thank you. [applause] I want to be honest with you. You have the transformation plan that the Texas Commissioner of Education has already approved and demonstrated to other schools, said schools, that the environment we have is n't going away, it's not going to disappear. They've already won the laws, the lawsuits, the schools lost, they have immense power, they have the authority to do what I said. There's nothing we can do that's going to stop us without sending those transformation plans. And if we don't send their transformation plans, I promise you the response is going to be aggressive and it's going to It's going to take away more control and help us more, but it's
037going to harm students more than you can imagine. But I'm very grateful that in 2023, that's what happened. That lawsuit existed because schoolchildren weren't given time to adjust to the changes in the HAR tests. Many 100 schoolchildren sued, and the commissioner won that point anyway. So I don't want our community to waste energy on something that isn't a proposal. I already sent it to the agency commissioner; he's not going to allow us not to send these transformation plans, and as the head of this organization, I have to send these transformation plans because if I do n't, what's going to happen? If you don't send the plan and it's not acceptable, you have 45 days to send a new plan. And if this plan isn't accepted, you have 15 days. And if that plan isn't acceptable,
038then the state can come in, change all the board members, change all the control, and remove the superintendent, and then go back to a plan. I want to see The proposal—I want to explore your ideas and solutions—but I don't want to think that's a viable option because, from my perspective, and I know that's already been considered and lost, not won. I want to address one thing. When we talk about the existing options, we've had conversations on Wednesday, basically, TA has told us that when you reach that point of three unacceptable conditions, you have to either restart the school or close it and send the children to another school. This one that provides training—those are the options that exist— or partner with a charter school. So we have three schools that had those three unacceptable conditions,
039and those are the options that exist. We can't start each school, restart each school. We wouldn't have the staff to meet those requirements. We have to reassign the students to a school that already meets the existing classifications. And not only for... we know that Concerta in Houston, but the fact is that Rodriguez doesn't have enough space for all the students, but we want the majority of students... if there are follow-up questions, please, we have to listen to everyone. And one Conversion, a one-by-one conversion. The question regarding Houston, which is also four years old. We're going to talk about Houston, and it can stay here. So, for the gentleman, there are two things I want to acknowledge. One is that there are so many schools that have changed and are about to receive a D. There
040are many new schools that have... that's not one of them, but there are two... that are not acceptable. They have the D in the middle, which breaks that change of responsibility. They are a year behind, that's the honesty. So, what I'm saying, what I'm telling you is based on comments we make from the Texas Education Agency , when students change to a new facility or when there is a population that is the majority, then they believe it's a viable option. Now, the alternative is to take everyone to Rodriguez, that would be the other option, and in that case, it could be done, but it would be more of an enrollment for Rodriguez. And we don't have the condition; we are balancing this, and I agree that not all plans are perfect. There are places where
041nobody is sending anyone , no. The teachers don't have friends and they think they're going to be better. So, some things are expected, I'm going to ask if someone wants to ask a question, come here, microphone, because we're recording and you won't be able to hear yourself, my brother. If you want to ask a question here, you can come here, microphone, so we can give you one and you can be recorded. I want to know what's going to happen with special education. My son has it. So, regarding special education, our students who are receiving special education services, as a community, we have been working very hard in the last two and a half years to improve our system. We are under an order regarding special education, we place staff based on need. In this plan,
042the way it would work depends on where the student goes, where they are going to be located, what services are going to exist in Rodriguez or in Houston. That's not a talent strategy, it doesn't have to do with staff coming from special education. So, based on these needs, we are going to place these staff members here, and if that resource doesn't exist in that school, then we are going to place them in another school. That always happens. Let me tell you something. I have a special education child. My son started school when COVID began, and he was going to Houston. Houston had special education, but it wasn't available at that time. I came here and found a teacher here in Wing. My 8-year-old son is working hard. Everyone here—the teachers, the principal, the director—knows my
043son. My son knows the whole school. He can come here because he already knows this place. That's why I understand Houston. I hear a lot of comments about bullying. There are complaints from children who are suffering. There are accidents there. There's a lot of bullying, a lot of harassment. What can I expect from my son? Not only that. It's difficult when you have a child with a disability. When I arrived here, the doctor told me, "It's going to be very difficult for him." My son, I have empathy. No, no, as for multiplication at 5. He knows it up to 5 because the teacher helped him because she has empathy for my son. Because my son takes care of my son, because my son is here at school. How many years? My son goes to another
044school, he goes to Travis High School. He has many problems and graduated last year with honors. Now he's working at a company here, but he wasn't a student, but his teachers were, and here all the teachers work with empathy, with education with all the children. And I was given something else. I am afraid because I see that there are children who are going to other schools, and they are suffering with their teachers. It is very painful for children. I'm afraid for my son. I'm scared. If it says to go to Houston. You can go to Rodríguez. It 's not so easy to change that. School because that's where he learned everything. Explain that to my son. And now they're going to take away the only place my son could go. It 's not that easy.
045[applause] Well, I wanted to ask why Wien is being given so many exceptions under the plan, because before the plan came out we were told that yes, our school was going to close, our students were only going to go to a school that had a rating of C or higher and those principals were going to have those different requirements in those schools, but now we have been told that obviously they are not going to go to a school with a C or higher rating, they are going to go to a school that has an F, which is worse. So, let's make another exception. Okay, we already made that exception and we'll probably have to make another exception for the director in Rodriguez because we probably don't have different directors. So why are we still considering
046going through with that plan if we've already been told that it won't be implemented as it should be? Very good question. What I would say is the exceptions. We have not asked for exceptions. What I can tell you is that the Texas Education Agency understands how many people, how many goals, how many challenges we have. There are only three ways, and there are 12 more. behind that. And so we as a district have 160 schools. This means that a quarter of those schools have to go through these plans, and if they are going through those plans and do not recognize how those changes impact the next school and the one after that, they are not going to be successful. So, there are no exceptions. What we're saying is that if they're doing something in isolation,
047it's going to stay in this box, with different requirements, different definitions of how the teachers are there, but since we're doing everything at the same time because it has to be done, then we're saying, we can make these adjustments, but we also have to invest in these schools. And what I'm going to say is that Widen isn't the only school going through this transition that has these differences. There are other schools, and just to be very clear, it's not just Widen alone; there are others when you think geographically about where those schools are. Unless we're going to put the students on buses and drive them all the way across town, I'm not going to do that. That is a community that deserves to be here in this area. We have to maintain, we have to
048use different solutions. Let's say that the strategy addresses most of the things in that plan and only a few adjustments need to be made. That's what we're doing. I'm sure it will be accepted, but to return to your point, these aren't exceptions we 're asking for, exceptions. This is our plan at the district level. We don't have a fixed number, we have an infinite number of teachers, of directors. And if we're going to try to make it work, it has to be this way. So we're making this specific adjustment , but that's why we're listening to your feedback. I used the word exception because that's the word they told us to use . That's what they specifically told us. It's an exception to hire the principal and to transfer them to a school that has
049a worse rating. So, that should be the red flag here in Widen, because they're not even following that. They are already making exceptions before implementing it. One of the things I can tell you is that if we were to continue, if we were to be very rigid and as the State requires, one option would be to join forces with other partners, for example, in Méndez. What I've heard from this community is that time and time again, if they're going to be in our schools, they're going to want Austin district staff . The other thing I've also heard is that we want familiar faces in these schools. Ali, I think, just mentioned that if this plan is approved and the students are going to go to Rodriguez and others to Houston, our staff will have the
050option and the ability to go there if they want to go. I want to make sure the children feel welcome, that they have those familiar faces. I have to restart a school and it's a completely new staff, that's further from what this community wants because we know you want your staff there. I don't have the option to restart a school here; I don't have these other options available in the way we would have had if it had been years ago or a different situation. We are trying to find a balance. The way the state is designed isn't perfect; it becomes more rigid as the process unfolds, and I'm trying to find a solution that maintains our values, but I know that this interrupts the process. We have a question from Michel. The district has considered
051the impact that the proposed closure of Wiident will have on surrounding community services such as the community library and recreation center. Yes, I would like to talk about this question because at the Piccol elementary school this morning they also had this question, a similar question, and they were asking if it is more convenient if families could pick up the children at the recreation center. In theory, the children could go to the school they were assigned to and then buses would take them to the recreation center. Instead of, for example, the children participating in activities in Rodriguez or Houston, they could come back here and then go to the recreation center and be picked up from there. That could be a solution that we could probably apply. I don't know if we can talk about that
052a little more . Our schools are fundamental to our community. These are schools in our community. That's why this hurts so much. These Widen schools in this community, like many of our other schools and communities, are anchors. That's why this is where the community comes and gathers. If there's an event, this is where people come. We know that. I know that. Yes, for example, we've had vaccination events; these are centers where people gather. Yes. That's why this is so difficult, because many, many schools are going through it, and that's why too. But if this is approved, we would work with our community to determine what happens next. I can tell you that I, and our directors, are aligned and want these schools to remain as they benefit the community. It's going to be different for
053all schools. Some communities will prefer that there be a community space. Well, there have been opportunities for early childhood education centers, and also housing projects. We can do several different things, but we're going to do it with the community, and not only are we going to do it, we're going to go through the process and just propose something. So, we should have had this conversation last year, shouldn't we? We have a health center, we have mothers carrying their babies across the street. Our children, our children come back with a note every time they go to the doctor. That does n't happen in all schools. This is a "make this a national example and make an exception for us" kind of thing. There's nothing else in East Austin here, just like our school. Nobody else has
054the resources we have here within a four- block radius. If you close this school, you will take the heart of the community and destroy it. [applause] You've been saying, "Why not? Why don't we have more electives? Why are the consolidation effects suddenly becoming more robust? Why is consolidation being given greater access to after-school activities? No, no, no, wait. And for the teachers, you're going to have a more robust staff. We've improved the vacant positions, but you 're promoting that you're going to pay teachers $1,000 more. Please, make an exception. I'm an East Coast mom. My kids transferred, they graduated from Austin, Buye Garza, Matthews. I've never lived, I've never, ever been to a meeting like this. No, this is real. We're considering that we're just numbers. We're not just numbers, we're talking about global college
055programs. Why does our elementary school have these programs? And why do you pay a Spanish teacher who probably doesn't even have it as her first language? And why do you pay the PTA?" Why, why are they paying those teachers? We, this is all this, they've left us here to rot for the last few years. This is absurd. Now it's your turn to listen. Uh, you're just talking about the big picture, a bigger perspective, but that's what you're telling us in the consolidation plan. I don't need a microphone, I speak very loudly. Well, I agree with you that there are quite a few inequities here in the Austin district. I just talked about the reason if we don't do anything. This is going to continue for the next 50 years. Austin High, Bow, and all the
056schools you mentioned, think about the referral patterns, think about the alignment of the education plan. We're trying to allocate those resources. The 2022 program showed us that the investments we made with instructional leaders, we've tried to move our system exactly in the direction you 're talking about. We have several accomplishments, and we had limited time. I wish that five or seven years ago different things had been done. decisions. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. Well, bring the staff from West Austin here and our staff there. Why do all the schools in West Austin have A, B, and DDF ratings? And why us? And I have this question for all of you. I want to say that we, this school, over the last 10 years, with our test scores, there's no reason why we should have
057had FF, FF, DDF ratings. That's a problem with you, the principals, and the administration. There shouldn't be any excuse until you fix that, and the environment we have right now, you can't fix that. Why are you trying to fix us before you fix yourselves? [applause] I'm not going to make administrations that are going to establish these schools as successful. Those schools are set up for success. We're not set up for success. You seem to make it harder for other things to happen, for us to do our jobs, and we need to be treated equally here. It does n't have to be like this, where we're growing up, where this is the East side, the east side or or east [applause] I want, I want an audit and I'm not, I'm not playing around, but I
058think it does n't make sense for these parents, families, for the teachers. One thing I said was that in 2022 I had a B. In 2023, let's finish. Exactly. No, no, no, teacher. I agree. I'm in 2022. The 2022-23 classification changed. The system changed it in Texas. Did you have the same teachers? The same students, and they went from a B to an F. We have two schools that went from being B to an F. And why on the left? Many went from an AC. So, yes, yes. So, the issue of accountability, when the accountability system changed, it affected us students more than others who have historically been AC, but that was intentional, but it was the state, but the state did it wrong. A comment that was made in sixth grade. I want to
059talk about that. You talked about sixth grade. I didn't You said, but I want you to hear it. Yes, I said it. That in sixth grade, being switched to these elementary schools with Mendez made it more challenging and lately more difficult for the whole school to meet the accountability issues, whether it's for certification issues. What happened in 2023, the administration made this change in April of that year, if you remember, that was damaging. In April, the superintendent, the administration made the decision during the summer, everyone wanted to change so that our schools, including Wed, could receive students, Rodriguez, Wed, and the list goes, but it didn't work. That should never have happened. It's something I'm telling my communities that we can't make decisions like that in the spring, that's why we're having these conversations right
060now, because I can't take away the things that our families need, it's time to plan. So, there are things that happen in that community, but I want you to know that I agree with you, that it created more harm and I'm not going to make those changes in those... Dates. My question is, regarding special education, I'm a teacher and a parent, and there's the magnifying glass at the bottom regarding special education violations, the amount we have to work to pay for time over time, but ever, to change those children here, I have 50% of the children, 50% special education students in my classroom. Do you know what support I receive? Almost nothing compared to that. I have my team here that helps me. I couldn't be anywhere without a special education teacher, an assistant who
061helps us. That's all. This is what I have. 50% of your class, you're going to change them and expect there to be a transition without violations, none of that. Those legal payments that we're paying, what's the plan to ensure we're in compliance, since we're not in compliance regarding special education? Right now we 're not in compliance, between... I 'm a parent, we're not complying with special education. The last 2.5 years, 13 years ago... Order, we have thousands of evaluations that we're behind on. No, no, you're not going to win, you're not going to win, but we have to keep moving the system to improve . Yes, let me finish this. I'm not answering. The question is , what is the plan for these special education children? Because the thing is, we're going to change, we're
062going to transfer the staff who didn't comply with the transformation plan, and they think that's going to fix it. I guarantee you that next year at that Rodriguez school, you're going to see a lot of behavioral problems and other kinds of issues that are going to bring us legal issues again. And again, and so far, the answer I've been given is, we're going to make sure they receive their services at school. That's not how it works. Don't tell me we're going to send services there because that's not [laughs], that never works. And I appreciate your comments, your concerns, and I'm listening to what you're saying. I'm the executive director of special education, and we've been Working on this proactively. My team meets every week. Lately, we've been meeting every day to plan and review information,
063data, and see the students individually. We understand that this isn't just going to change; it's going to require a lot of planning. But what are the plans? What are those plans? That's what I want to know. So, one of the things we talked about is that no one tells me about plans to change another school. No one. Because they're going to change everything here for those children. Everything. You know what's not coming to my school? They're not going to move Rodriguez to Houston. Explain to me how that's going to change things with autistic children and children with special needs. Transitions don't work very well. We know that. We can't just be like, "Can I ask you how we can be successful?" It's more than just one classroom, more resources, resources, various areas, trained staff—not trained
064on the computer, which we do all year, but having this training, practical visitation with TA intervention, the teachers That they know their jobs, do all those things, the staff who know their students, and when the children come in, they're going to be running around, they're going to be very panicked, and the time we received at the beginning of the year, up until August, to plan, it doesn't give us enough time to plan with the teachers, with the children we have now, and those children who are coming back, and then we're going to have some new ones who aren't going to have any idea what's going on. All the safety issues, everything we 're going through, all of that is going to be thrown out the door, it's going to be a new environment, a new
065atmosphere. We're going to have more children in the school, and what are those children going to see in the school? So, what she's describing is precisely why we need to make decisions. She just mentioned sixth grade coming in April 2023. One of the things, one of the reasons we have to have these conversations is because we can create a plan with the structure we have, but I can't create a plan unless your voice is included, or your family, the families are there. Otherwise, we're not going to be successful at the beginning of the year. That's why we need to start in December, in January, so we can hire, we can pay for extensions and have the staff, put them in place. Like, if I create a plan, no, it's not going to meet your expectations.
066It's not going to meet expectations because I don't have the information yet. We don't have the vote yet, it hasn't worked yet, but they've done their... They need to stop and take a little more time. All the neighborhood, all the school community, they're saying, "Take more time, you're putting this together much faster." Why don't they stop a little bit? Why didn't they do this three years ago? Why didn't they respond to the comments three years ago? What's happening to help that community? What makes this work? Instead of wasting our time, give us time together inside the school. And I want to apologize. [laughs] We weren't... three years ago there was a victory. It's not our fault. It's the district's fault. It's our fault. I am Desperately looking for a way to move forward with the
067pressures that exist. [laughter] Delaying this, delaying this, I'm giving it, it's not going to stop them. Why not rent the building they just bought? [applause] Because selling that property, [laughter] that property on the sixth floor, yes. How much did you receive from that property? And why did you go and buy such a large, expensive building? Because it's about well-being, that's your area of expertise, but not about selling land. Why would you sell that property and not invest in us? We have it. So I'm doing everything I can to find money. We can talk about funding, money. What's happening, please? So, when we were arriving, that time was long before I got here. The plan was to consolidate four locations, properties. It's not normally this central office on the sixth floor, it was in the Baker
068building, it was also in the ALC, so they were operating four very expensive buildings. Of course, again, students, before I arrived, the idea was to create all of these things to be more administratively efficient. The real estate funds were used to buy this. Nobody wanted to take money from the operating expenses because that's for the operating expenses themselves. But since then, we've been looking for other ways to finance it. We're doing everything we can, but the thing is, if we sell, it'll run out right away because our budget is $1 billion. We're paying $700,000 to the state every year. If we sell that property, it'll provide relief for maybe two or three months. Then suddenly I'm going to have to look at how to staff schools and improve those spaces. We're going to lose staff
069at that point and need the principal's support. So, we can discuss all of this, but I want you to know that we're looking at all the properties for opportunities to generate income to cover costs. We've reduced the number of people working in our offices. I didn't want to be here; I didn't think I'd be here before I arrived. We're at a point here where we need to take a step forward. We need to reach some different agreements that can allocate resources to communities like these. We have 10 minutes, and we have another community meeting at 6:00 p.m. So, it looks like we have four people. I think we still have time for these last four questions, and then we'll have to go. Hello, I'm not a teacher, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on
070, but going back to Houston Rodriguez and the transformation plan and the consolidation plan, my children would go to Houston if this plan continues. But I know, from information from other teachers, that the transformation plan also has several resources. So, what I understand, based on the Austin school district , is that my children don't qualify for those resources. Both Rodriguez and Houston will receive quite a few resources, but the TAP will continue sending the children to Rodriguez. Well, that's one of the things we 're trying to emphasize. We're currently... 160 schools across the district, we have needs, many things we want to offer the students, but we don't have the funds, we have a funding shortfall. But you and your teachers had a raise recently. And when was that? Because since I've been here, the
071only salary increase was in 2023. The committee voted and applied for it for the 2023 school year, and we also gave the teachers a raise. No, no, I haven't had a raise since I started the job, but I want you to know, well, I can ask, but with those resources we're lacking, how many Austin district staff should expect to lose their jobs? Because we're going to be changing schools. This past summer, before we started this process, well, going forward, right? Because after the three schools, well, after we took, this is the third year in a row, we have about 200 fewer positions. Now, of the positions that have been The increases are all focused on special education. They've seen the increase in instructional leaders. There are several things like that, but we haven't. My committee,
072I think you know, our community knows that I'm going to try to reduce our footprint on the system. Every year, I've tried to cut staff. Positions have changed. Yes, quite a few vacancies, but if you look at the list, there are quite a few, and we're keeping them that way even though they're affecting the ability of the schools to function. But yes, I'm always going to look for opportunities to redistribute resources. Let's now turn to the gentleman next to you. She can stop for a minute. Well, one, the second part of what she wants to say. We were thinking about the executive directors. If we don't have that many schools, we don't need that many executive directors, right? But well, the comment, the question, what bothered me is when we were going over the responsibility
073classifications, we only mentioned the Um, the schools in the east, and they were just saying the exams, that the state made the exams harder. Well, but a few years ago I worked at Harmony. When I started at Harmony, they began with an F rating, and only because we, the students from Houston, transferred there. They didn't lose their staff, their teachers. They held on and had more resources. And that school, over the course of the last three years, took that same exam, received students from the same community, received a B, a D, and most recently received an A. So, please, let's stop blaming the state because it is possible. They, they saw how to be successful in this community without having to take all their teachers and all their students. We only have five minutes, so
074let's move on to the next question. Hello, I'm... Well, so, uh, you're not going to give me a chance to answer my question. Why are we blaming the state and not you? I communicated what has changed. I 'm simply saying that we are in an environment where the state has the Control. We have to be responsible. I don't know what Harmony is doing, but I know several people are saying, "Méndez, they have a B, they have an A, a B, a B, a B, a B." Yes, they can get the results, but maybe it's not the way you want. I'm not going to speak ill of them or the district. That's not who I am. But I want you to know that I firmly believe that whatever we have to do aligns with our values,
075the district's values, because they can get quick results, like what's happening in Houston, they get good results. But I don't want to go down that road, but I am committed to making sure our students grow and feel confident in themselves. I understand, thank you for your position, but I wanted to share that answer because you asked me for one. Hi, I'm the father of a girl who goes to this school, and I just want to say that it's great here. The teachers. Well, I want to say, since I know many of them, that's a question I also have. I recognize them from the Recreation Center, from the library events. I do n't think they can find another school that has better connections, is better connected. It 's the solution to this terrible problem. I hear
076a lot about staff retention, but what about the ability to get around, to go out, to check on your child at daycare, to go to the library? I think this is a very nice place to work. They have to keep their teachers. I love this city. I believe in this city, and we have to keep them building and investing in these resources in the library, in the recreation center, and it really shows. Maybe I don't understand how Schools aren't rated, but my question is, how do you plan to make the school better in the long run than this one? No, there won't be a better school than this one. Widen, it seems to be the school that is best connected. There is no other school that has those connections like we have here with the
077schools-in-the-community program. We also have programs for learning outdoors. We can work with the golf course, with the state of Texas, but there are many things happening that you won't be able to find elsewhere. My question is, Wien is the solution, are we going to leave it? Or, why is Austin's district moving away from Widen? because it feels like this school could greatly benefit the Austin district. Thank you. I am a substitute teacher, I am the oldest person in this school, and I was born in New York City, and I don't know how to tell you this, but I haven't seen so many people like this since I moved from New York. my uh the people I work with, the administration, the children. Let's be honest, we had a meeting last week and this meeting today.
078They will make a final decision on November 20th. Please be kind to these people. Tell them right now, is there any way we can keep this school open? Please be honest or tell us if it's over or if it's finished, tell us the truth. Well, I never meant to say anything that wasn't the truth. We are refining the plan, updating it. I can't say for sure, I don't cast the vote, I don't take the vote. That is the committee's decision. I have to see different things. You are not giving feedback. Thank you for your comments and to everyone here, but I want to be honest, something has to change here. I have to answer him in all three ways. And I want to be very clear, that's not the committee, it's not me, it's the
079Texas education agency that needs an answer. They need to see the risk involved in having three faiths. Respond by giving us more investment. You are closing a safe school. They're going to take our children to a place where there's bullying. They're thinking that they're fine here. Fix it. Don't close it. Here, everyone knows each other. It's a big family, not just a community. We are all one community. [applause] They're at university. I have one in Boston. This is something that not just anyone can achieve, but with the teachers we 've had here it has been possible. Okay, and this is going to be the last question. We still have time. Thank you. Hello, how is everyone? I have a slightly different kind of energy. I am Steve Rivera. I have been a teacher. for 36
080years, a little more, maybe a little less. And thank you. This is a very magical place. And Miss Penis, how is she? I want to tell you that this is such a magical place, this community, these loving teachers, this amazing principal we have, he's fantastic. I just want to say that when I entered this building, when I first entered this building, I was very young. This is my house, this is my home, away from my home. And mine is already running out. My journey feels very sad because I have worked for the Austin district since Dr. Elis, I don't know if you remember, but it has been a long time, I have seen many different administrations, different teachers, students, parents. And yes, I went from being a young teacher to being a teacher who became
081a mother, who became a grandmother, and now that she is a great-grandmother and feels very sad. I can't even believe we're here talking about this school closing, and I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart if there's any way this beautiful school, Wiiden Elementary, is so special and so different from all the other schools that are going to close. I've seen those schools, they were our nearby schools, but none of them are like Widen. I know that you know me as a teacher, you know me, you know that I have worked very hard. And all the teachers who are here too, Miss Bond, Mr. B, all the teachers who have been here from the beginning, we are special, we are very different. Yes, they can give us an F rating, but let me tell you,
082this kind of school is a different kind of school and it has some very special teachers, a very special principal, it has a very special community and I can't believe this is going to close. Please, I beg you, I beg you with all my heart, with all our hearts, I tell you, I arrived here a very young teacher and I am going to retire a very great teacher. What can I do? How can we do it? Please keep this place open. You know us, you know how we do things, you are part of us. And the director began and continued to provide the best service. These teachers, I feel sad because when I entered this profession in the Austin district, I was very excited to enter the Austin district. I went to Taylor, California. Nothing
083was better than the Austin district. I felt very special, very honored to work here. Please don't let the district close Widen. This is a special place. You know this. You know how we are, and Mr. Fasbanda. I don't know about you, but we 've worked every day, every night here with him. He loves children, he loves teachers, he cares about them, about the community, about this school in particular. And this school is very special. It would be very sad if all of this collapsed. Please, Mr. Segura, I don't know how to beg you, I do n't know what to do, but please I beg you from the bottom of my heart. I believe in the Austin district. My children graduated from Austin High School. I just want this because if Widen closes it would be
084such a huge mistake. I don't know how to tell you, but if I hadn't been here for two-thirds of my life, yes, I would say, "Yes, it's a different school." But most of these dads were probably here as kids, but I know I've seen a lot of kids come in and out and grow up to be really good people. This is a very special place and all these flags here represent something, especially the middle one, and it all starts in Widen. I just want to say that I love Mr. Fasbanda for being the best director and for being able to do everything he was able to do. Please help us. You know us, you know our hearts. God bless you, Mr. Segura, please. I hope you will reconsider our Wién school because this building cannot
085close, it has to be alive with our children. All these parents, if I could tell you what kind of parents they are, they do everything possible for this school. All these dads, look at them, they could be my sons. No, seriously, yes, I'm old now, but I love Wien and I've known her forever. If only I could throw that magic at you, because you don't understand this school. Perhaps Miss P. But anyway, Mr. Fas Banda, thank you very much for everything. [applause] And may God bless you, thank you. [applause] Amen. [applause] So, before I close, I want to show you the chronology so you can see. This Friday we will be announcing the revisions to the plan. There's a board meeting this morning where they're going to talk about those changes that are going to
086be made before Friday, and they're going to give you an email address so you know where to find these changes. We're going to have the selection committee talking about those changes next Thursday, and then on November 20th is when they're going to vote on the final plan. So we have this additional device, the QR code that closes the comments tonight in the first hour. If I have time, you can still send comments via the comments card. Thank you for your time and we'll give this a big thank you.