The AISDXP team commiserates with our co-host, Emily, a parent at Martin and attempts to analyze and reflect on the Austin ISD's decision to remove 6th grade from  two Eastside middle schools and the community engagement around the decision. 

Austin ISD Q & A on the change:

https://fb.watch/bnvMyKRmMi/ (English)

https://fb.watch/bnvQAOTo9i/ (Spanish)

Candace looks at how stressful it is educating kids, and how the district can start to heal itself and the community.

The AISDXP team talks Covid, scheduling (7/8), community engagement, long range planning and feeder patterns. Accompany resource can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O0kbzhSN3iNDUKoZO9KUnxBO7qJ7_TReKwDO14kxmFQ/edit?usp=sharing 

In this second installment, Candace shares her experiences of the December 11, 2021 High School Fair.

Emily discusses the need for a holistic discussion about feeder patterns in Austin ISD, and touches on a few of the various methods of enrollment design.

Links:

Example of a healthy feeder pattern

Example of a fractured feeder pattern

Segregation Contribution Index

A Vox explainer highlighting the work of Tomàs Monarrez and the Urban Institute on school boundaries 

Dividing Lines: How School Districts Draw Attendance Boundaries to Perpetuate School Segregation

San Francisco United School District's new student assignment policy

This week Candace prepares to take her 7th grader to the High School Fair in the hope of finding a program aligned to her daughter's current course of study in Digital Arts.

Basic breakdown of Period Scheduling and lots of questions.

A basic breakdown of schedules and possible configurations followed by lots of questions.

In an attempt to provide clarification for the community Austin ISD publishes Myth Buster posts. However this only served to increase the chasm between administration and some district families.

This BlogCast captures Candace's thoughts about the Austin ISD Middle School Fair on 11/13/21.