Friday, May 7, 2010

Austin Board of Trustees Election Tomorrow


The Austin Board of Trustees Election is tomorrow, Saturday, May 8th.
Polling Station: Mills Elementary
Time: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

We can vote in two races: District 7 (Southwest Austin), and District at Large 9.

District 7:
Robert Schneider
Warren Faulkner

District 9:
Tamala Barksdale
Cassandra Enoch Brown
Julie Cowan
Dianne T. Mendoza
Mike Reed

The Austin Statesman reports that Julie Cowan, and Tamala Barksdale are in a close race, and that PTA groups have the power to decide who will win. So, get out there and vote!!!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Community Dialogue about Austin ISD School Facilities

Austin Independent School District
The Power of Your Voice Will Help Guide the Emerging Facility Master Plan for Austin Schools

Thursday, May 20, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Travis High School, Cafeteria
1211 E. Oltorf St.

Refreshments and child care provided.

Please forward this information to friends and colleagues who may be interested:

Use the Power of Your Voice to Create a New Generation of Schools

Community Dialogue about Austin ISD School Facilities

Discuss issues that directly impact our public school facilities with
educators, parents, students, civic and business leaders, and other engaged
community members.

Your insights and opinions will help shape the future of public education
in Austin. Please attend, listen, and speak up. Bring your neighbors and
friends.
For more information, call AISD Facilities Management, 414-2667, or check
the website, www.austinisd.org

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Check out the new candidate video presentations from AISD.

http://www.austinisd.org/inside/board/election.phtml

AISD Board of Trustees Early Voting

Early Voting:
Monday, April 26, 2010 - Tuesday, May 4, 2010

SOUTHWEST
Randalls South Mopac and William Cannon
6600 South Mopac @ William Cannon
Mon–Sat 7 am–7 pm, Sun Noon–6 pm

Randalls Brodie and Slaughter
9911 Brodie Lane @ Slaughter Lane
Mon–Sat 7 am–7 pm, Sun Noon–6 pm

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Community Impact SW Austin article on Candidate's Forum

http://impactnews.com/southwest-austin/144-news/7925-aisd-candidate-forum-at-mills

AISD candidate forum at Mills Elementary

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Budget priorities dominated the conversation at candidate forum hosted by the Mills PTA on April 7 held at the Mills elementary school cafeteria. The forum was for Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees candidates running for District 7 (Southwest Austin) and At-large District 9.

Incumbent Robert Schneider and retired educator Warren Faulkner are running for the District 7 seat. Tamala Barksdale, Cassandra Brown, Julie Cowan, Dianne Mendoza and Mike Reed are running for the at-large seat. All listed candidates except for Mendoza and Reed attended the forum.

The district’s $7.1 million shortfall was a source of many of the audience’s questions. All the candidates expressed reservations for a tax increase, saying they would prefer looking at budget cuts first.

“I have not heard a lot of support for a tax increase right now,” said Cowan, who supports first examining programs that are not working and could be cut.

Brown added that the board needed to give superintendent Meria Carstarphen a chance to look for efficiencies before going to voters to ask for a tax increase. However, she did say that she believed a tax increase would be needed at some point in the future.

“Tax cuts are the very last thing to me,” Barksdale said.

Schneider also said he is not in favor of tax cuts at the moment and said that structural deficits need to be addressed.

Faulkner echoed similar sentiments about looking for program cuts and efficiencies first, but also added that a small tax increase to support the strategic plan and salary increases for teachers could be approved by voters.

“We don’t need to sell our citizens short,” he said, adding that the last tax increase was approved by 60 percent of voters three years ago.

Other topics discussed included plans for a new high school in southwest Austin, school closures and ideas to improve school boundary processes.

Currently, District 1 incumbent Cheryl Bradley, District 4 incumbent Vince Torres and District 6 incumbent Lori Moya have no challengers. District 1 encompasses East and Northeast Austin and District 6 encompasses South Central Austin.

Early voting takes place April 26 through May 4 and Election Day is May 8. For more information, visit http://www.austinisd.org/inside/board/election.phtml.

AISD Board Candidates Info

If you weren't able to attend our recent Candidate's Forum at Mills Elementary, here is a few of the candidate website addresses and Facebook pages. This is not an endorsement, but information for you to learn more about the candidates and the events they are having. I am following these, and have learned the most about the candidates on Facebook.

Tamala Barksdale
http://www.tamalaforaisd.org/
Facebook: Tamala Barksdale for AISD

Jill Cowan
http//www.juliecowan2010.com
Facebook:
Julie Cowan for AISD School Board At-large Place 9

Warren Faulkner
Facebook: Friends of Warren Faulkner

Bowie Makes the List

Group ranks Central Texas schools

by KVUE News

Posted on April 19, 2010 at 4:12 PM

Some local schools are celebrating after being ranked among the best schools in Austin.

The group Children at Risk released its rankings Monday morning at Canyon Vista Middle School in Northwest Austin.

The group evaluated dozens of campuses in seven Central Texas counties --- considering graduation rates, scores on college entrance exams, and other factors.

Among high schools, Westwood tops the list. Other schools that made the grade include Westlake High School, Wimberley High and NYOS charter school.

Two Austin ISD campuses made the list -- Anderson and Bowie high schools.