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Hello Families! 👋🏻🌸🐝
🏫 We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, 🎓 don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the Austin ISD Career Fair 💼 which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 🗓️15, at the Austin Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching ⏳and lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 💲and public education 💰funding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate 🎉 Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 🍎 Austin ISD ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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Family Newsletter
By Nayeli Santoyo & Collaborators ● Apr 14, 2023
Smart Brevity® count: 4.5 mins...1258 words
Hello Families! 👋🏻🌸🐝
🏫 We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, 🎓 don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the Austin ISD Career Fair 💼 which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 🗓️15, at the Austin Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching ⏳and lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 💲and public education 💰funding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate 🎉 Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 🍎 Austin ISD ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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1 Big Thing: Texas lawmakers ✍🏻consider increases📈to teacher 💲pay, public education funding
As this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature moves into its final ⏳six weeks, lawmakers are considering several proposals that could impact teacher pay 💲and public education funding. 💰
💵$5 billion for public schools: The Texas House recently passed its version of the FY 2024 omnibus state budget bill (HB 1) with $5 billion in new money for public schools. HB 1 is now in the Texas Senate, where it may be considered by the full Senate as soon as next week. Any differences between the Senate and House versions of HB 1 will be resolved by a conference committee.
Teacher pay raise? Legislators are considering a pay raise 📈for teachers as part of the $5 billion investment in HB 1, but the allocation of education 🏫 spending is still under consideration.
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Another proposal, HB 11, would increase minimum teacher pay from $33,660 to $35,000 per year.
🎒More money per student: The public education funding in the state budget will be divided up according to a separate bill, HB 100, that is also moving through the legislative process. Among other provisions, HB 100 would raise the Basic Allotment (BA), the funding per student that the state gives to each school district. The current version of HB 100 would increase the BA by $90 to $6,250 per student in FY 2024 and an additional $50 to $6,300 in FY 2025. HB 100 also applies an inflation adjustment to the BA, which expires in 2025.
By the numbers: Austin ISD Trustee Lynn Boswell, who serves as chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Board, is at the Capitol weekly and has testified on several bills, including HB 100. Boswell noted that a $50 per student increase in the BA would add about $3.7 million to the district’s budget. To put that in context, for Austin ISD:
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🍎Each 1% raise for teachers and librarians would cost about $2.81 million.
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💲Each $1 raise to starting pay for hourly staff, plus adjustments for people earning higher hourly salaries, would cost about $6.9 million.
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📚Reducing elementary class size by one student would cost about $2 million.
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🏫Adding one counselor to each campus would cost about $9.7 million.
What they’re saying: “There are many other bills that affect funding, such as voucher bills that would divert money from 🏫 public schools to private schools,” said Austin ISD Director of Intergovernmental Relations & Policy Oversight Edna Butts, noting that the district has filed testimony against bills that oppose the Board’s legislative priorities. “We are pursuing several avenues for increased funding for our district and public schools as a whole.”
🔎Go deeper: with the district’s legislative priorities and Raise Your Hand Texas’ explainer on raising the Basic Allotment.
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2. Former refugee shares 💚 love of learning 📚 with her students 🎓
As Austin ISD celebrates Arab American Heritage Month, we profile Walnut Creek Elementary School ESL teacher and former refugee, Zaineb “Zizi” Ellison.
Seeing her second-grade students learn English 📖 motivates Zizi Ellison, a second grade ESL teacher at Walnut Creek Elementary School, every day.
“I really love the light bulb 💡 that starts turning on all over their face when they understand something,” said Zizi. One of her passions is to help newcomers’ students 🎒 who are learning English navigate school and life in this country. “It makes me really happy to see that growth.”
Embracing diversity: Zizi, a former refugee in Iran, 🧳 now has students who speak at least 10 different languages. She tells her students that the best way to support classmates from other countries is by learning some of their traditions and 🎉 celebrations, and by respecting them.
Roots in Iraq 🇮🇶 and Iran: “My parents are from Iraq but I was born a refugee in Iran…🇮🇷 I considered myself more Arab because I was raised Arab even though it is confusing to my head.” Zizi was born Zaineb Sadik Hussein Alyassri (زينب صادق حسين الياسري) but she later changed her name to Zizi, a short version of Zaineb, to help Americans with the pronunciation.
Zizi landed in Austin 🛬 in January of 2015.
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A year later she started working part-time 💼 for Austin ISD in the Refugee Family Support Office.
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Zizi speaks four languages, Arabic, Persian, Dari, and English.
“I really like to work with [families] and help them solve 🆘 their problems,” said Zizi, adding that she still tries to help whenever she can in her current school. 🏫
Go deeper with more information 📝 on Austin ISD’s Refugee Family Support Office.
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3. Trustee Hunter visits young women ♀️leaders🏫🍎
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
Austin ISD Trustee Candace Hunter recently visited the Leadership Circle of Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy. The leadership circle includes the Student Council and the AmbassaHers under the sponsorship of lead counselor Karen Terry and Joy Young.
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
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During her visit, Trustee Hunter answered questions from students and explained her role and responsibilities as a trustee. Trustee Hunter encouraged the young leaders to stay committed with their leadership and advocacy.
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4. 🏫Students raise their voices 📣against gun violence
Austin High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
🗓️On Thursday, April 13, a group of students from Austin High School 🏫walked out during their lunch hour to raise awareness and voice 📣 student 🎒opinions against gun violence.
“It’s time that we change, it’s been too much incidents that have happened that no action has been taken, it’s time that we take action,” said Serena.
Austin High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
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6. Rounding up the news📰🗞️
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Nayeli will be attending to the 🎓“Maestro en Casa Graduation Ceremony” to celebrate 🎉 🍎🏫Austin ISD parents that completed the program.
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