| Hello! 💪 While I’m glad we’re all on the other side of the emergency water notice, the best time to prepare for the next emergency is now. 💡 Don’t forget our Suggestion Box is open! Send your ideas and feedback. 📰 This newsletter is coming to you on Tuesday instead of Friday because we had to deliver some updates to our staff first. You’ll still get your regular edition later this week. And on that note, let’s dive in… |
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| Family Newsletter |
| By Scott Thomas ● Feb 20, 2022
Smart Brevity™ count: 5 mins... 1287 words
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Hello!
💪 While I’m glad we’re all on the other side of the emergency water notice, the best time to prepare for the next emergency is now.
💡 Don’t forget our Suggestion Box is open! Send your ideas and feedback.
📰 This newsletter is coming to you on Tuesday instead of Friday because we had to deliver some updates to our staff first. You’ll still get your regular edition later this week.
And on that note, let’s dive in…
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1 big thing: Austin ISD to balance budget without cutting teacher plan and prep time
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At the Board of Trustees meeting last week, Austin ISD Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde proposed balancing the budget without cutting into teacher plan and prep time at the secondary level by cutting 250 jobs at Central Office.
Why it matters: Secondary teachers and public feedback made it clear that teaching seven of eight classes wasn’t palatable. We also heard that elementary teachers need additional planning time. This plan gets us both while still balancing the budget.
The details: All Central Office budgets are being cut by 10% to balance the district budget, which translates to 250 jobs.
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We'll get elementary teachers additional planning time by redesigning our essentials, such as art, PE, or music.
Dive deeper: Watch the full discussion on our Facebook page, and jump to 3:49:00 to watch the presentation about the budget..
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2. Overall COVID-19 cases drop by 58%
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We’re continuing to see a steep drop in COVID-19 cases across the board.
Last week: Our overall COVID-19 cases totaled 421 cases—a 58% drop from last week.
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Staff cases dropped 60% week-over-week, totaling 60 cases.
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Student cases saw a similar drop of 58%, with a total of 361 cases.
The bottom line: The Omicron variant is leaving as quickly as it came.
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3. We’ve added two new testing sites
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We’ve added new COVID-19 testing hubs and closed some of the less-used locations as well.
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New locations are Perez and Jordan elementary schools.
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Norman-Sims ceased operating as a testing hub last week, and Blazier’s last day as a hub is Feb. 18.
Why it matters: Testing is a proven way to keep cases down in a community. Moving locations allows us to put tests where people are accessing them.
The details: You need to sign a consent form before going to any of our testing sites.
We’ve also worked with the city of Austin to open the former Metz Elementary site as a seven-day a week testing site that operates from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Dive deeper: Find all of our testing sites and more information on our COVID-19 testing page.
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4. Let’s Talk Question of the Week: We’re not ready to lift the mask mandate
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This week we’re answering a question about the state of our mask mandate. There’s been an influx of mask questions into Let’s Talk as the Omicron wave dies down, so let’s get to the bottom of it.
Can we start lifting the mask mandate now that we’re seeing cases drop again?
Answer: The mask mandate is staying for now. The pandemic is a public health crisis, and in a public health crisis, we follow guidance from public health authorities.
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Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde talks with Dr. Desmar Walkes, the Medical Director for Austin Public Health, weekly, and her guidance is consistent: mandating masks on school property, along with other layered protocols such as advanced air filtration, is the only way to keep classrooms safely open.
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Our staff are also testing positive for COVID-19 at record levels, making staffing an ongoing challenge.
By the numbers: Our COVID-19 cases are dropping, but they’re higher now than at any time previous to Omicron.
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During the Delta variant, our student cases peaked at 189 in one week.
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Last week, we’re at 361 student cases, and that’s after a two-week drop from our peak of 1,555 student cases.
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5. Here’s what’s going on at Martin and Mendez middle schools
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Starting in August, we’re expanding sixth grade to 10 elementary schools that feed into Martin and Mendez Middle Schools.
Why it matters: If you’re at one of those elementary schools, it gives you more options for how you want to transition your child into middle school.
The details: If your child attends one of the 10 elementary schools, you can keep them there for their 6th grade year.
Still want your child to go to sixth grade at a middle school? That’s no problem. They can transfer into any middle school campus nearby.
Just FYI, while we’ve been working with the community, we’ve heard some rumors on this subject we want to clear up.
Myth 1: This could lead to closing Martin or Mendez Middle School.
Myth 2: Martin Middle School is bringing in students from out of Austin ISD. 23% of Martin’s current sixth graders transferred into Austin ISD from out of the district.
The bottom line: We’re looking to help students transition to middle school, give families options, and keep them in the district.
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6. As Omicron falls, attendance for athletics and fine arts can increase
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We’re opening up our Fine Arts and Athletics events and lifting audience capacity restrictions, effective immediately, while still requiring all attendees to wear masks.
Why it matters: Our kids deserve to be celebrated, especially with playoffs and other end-of-year performances coming up.
Yes, but: Masks are still required anytime you’re inside an Austin ISD facility, including stadiums or performing spaces – and this applies to those coming in from other districts as well.
Driving the news: Cases in Austin ISD are plummeting, and Austin is close to going back to Stage 4.
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7. Extra Credit: Rounding up the news
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🍎 Congratulations to the campus teachers of the year! (Austin ISD)
🎨 Get ready to see student artwork in the sky! Four students will have their art displayed on billboards around town. (Austin ISD)
💉 We’ve got three vaccine clinics coming up this week, learn more at www.austinisd.org/covidvax.
Austin ISD to remove sixth grade from Martin, Mendez middle schools (Statesman)
Austin ISD removes sixth grade to try and increase enrollment at two middle schools (KUT News)
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