Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD Trustee, District 5

I love knowing that one of the people leading the NASA Artemis mission is an Austin ISD graduate! And I love that the foundation she built in our community’s public schools are part of the foundation for her success, and the mission’s success.

There are so many great reasons to choose public school. And this Austin ISD graduate shows us that the sky’s NOT the limit for what our graduates can accomplish!

“I just got one of the best educations that money could buy out of a public school district,” Nelson said. “I count myself really lucky and super grateful to all those teachers I benefited from in Austin.”

Thank you to Keri Heath and Austin American-Statesman for you reporting on this local angle to a story about humans traveling farther than ever before!

NASA's chief flight director, Emily Nelson, is an Austin ISD and UT graduate. She leads the team overseeing human space flight during the Artemis II mission. https://www.statesman.com/news/education/article/artemis-ii-nasa-emily-nelson-flight-director-22186639.php?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

This longtime tool from Texas Tribune just got a major makeover, and I'm so excited about it! The new and improved Schools Explorer tool - presented by Raise Your Hand Texas - uses data to help families and communities understand Texas public schools with more depth, nuance, and breadth. This is your way to look beyond A-F ratings, beyond STAAR scores, and beyond the headlines to develop a deeper understanding about who students are, how schools are funded and how districts are using that funding, what class size and teacher experience look like, and so much more. You can explore by district or by campus. And you will learn a ton!

Thank you to all who have created and supported this powerful new resource, and to all who will use it to better understand public education in your community and across our state.

Our new Texas Public Schools Explorer will better serve parents Today, we are unveiling our most ambitious update yet to The Texas Tribune’s schools explorer, with more information and added context to help Texans interpret information about our schools.

Nine minutes, fifty-four seconds. That's how long it took me to vote this morning in the Texas primary election - from the moment I walked into the building to the moment I walked out.

Early voting starts today across the state. And primary elections matter. It's our opportunity to choose who will represent us on the ballot in November. And this year's primary includes some very important races, from the US Senate, Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General at the top of the ballot, to state representatives and Texas State Board of Education reps in the middle, to county party chair near the bottom.

Turnout in primaries is always far lower than it is in the general election. So your vote carries extra weight. Here's what you need to know:
1. Early voting starts today and ends on February 27. The primary Election Day is March 3.
2. You can find polling places at https://votetravis.gov
3. Endorsements, candidates' websites, and other resources make it easy to do your homework.
4. Please vote all the way down the ballot. Every race matters.

Voting is easy. It's quick. And it matters.

Registration is open for the Austin Parks Foundation It's My Park Day - a fun city-wide extravaganza of community projects in schoolyards and parks throughout Austin. The event is on March 7, and you can choose to volunteer with a huge range of projects - including many at Austin ISD campuses. To find a project and sign up, go to https://www.givepulse.com/group/9012-Its-My-Park-Day-Spring You will meet new people, make a difference, have tons of fun, AND get a very cute It's My Park Day T-shirt!

Every single staff member in Austin ISD is part of the great work that happens for every single student in our district. I love seeing Trassell Underwood with Education Austin highlighted by Texas AFT. And I love that Trassell is using that recognition to highlight the life-changing work of our classified staff and the relationships they build with our students.

In this week's PSRP (Paraprofessionals & School-Related Personnel) AFT Newsletter, our very own Trasell Underwood was featured!

Trasell Underwood is a PSRP leader in Austin, Texas. Her parents were union activists, and her favorite movie growing up was Norma Rae, but she didn’t really think that she was organizing in her first education jobs. Early in her career, she worked at a private school with no union. Because she wasn’t afraid to speak up, her colleagues informally nominated her to lead a push to secure back pay owed for weekend and overtime work.

On her first day in the Austin Independent School District, she heard there was a union rep in the lounge, and she immediately went over to sign a card. As a classified staff member, Trasell wanted to build unity and solidarity across job classes. When she became an elected officer, one of her first priorities was working with the transportation workers to get back their bidding system for routes, so that assignments were not decided by favoritism. She immediately got to work gathering more than 400 signatures on a grievance that enabled a quick resolution to this issue.

From there, Trasell and the transportation workers have fought to ensure that laws for school safety apply to buses and that transportation staff have a seat at the table when district policies affecting them are created. Their work has expanded into many more issues that strengthened Austin schools and the students they serve.

February is Love the Bus Month, and when asked what she wished people knew about transportation workers—her favorite school staff member as a child was her bus driver—she said, “Bus drivers and monitors are the first and last set of teachers our kids see in the day. They are in the community, and they know the students and families. Bus drivers could do a lot of other jobs, but they choose to safely drive our kids to school and back every day.”

Trasell spoke about how transportation workers in Austin public schools have built a strong, united group across their three locations and job classifications; they trust and believe in their collective power. She said that when she began organizing with them, the most important thing was to “build that bridge between them and give them the confidence that they had a voice.”

She added that this philosophy guides her work as a classified leader: “We are not going to be treated like we are invisible. We will have a voice and be a part of the decisions that impact us.”

Love seeing our Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura sharing the stage and the conversation about important Texas public ed issues at TribFest!

Texas school leaders: State takeovers are not sustainable Three school district leaders at The Texas Tribune Festival said the Texas Education Agency’s reliance on state takeovers to improve academic performance threatens local control.

Woo-hoo! This team has what it takes! Congrats on making the finals! You’ve got this!

Today is Election Day. And here's one more great reason to vote! Students across Travis County designed I Voted stickers. And today, people who vote at participating schools will get a student-designed sticker.

Thank you to the Travis County Clerk for engaging students across Travis County as future voters!

I'm sharing this message from Austin ISD - for families who rely on SNAP benefits and from people in our community who want to help. It's hard to learn when you're hungry. Thank you to all who are stepping in to do what our federal government should but will not.

Here's the full message - with details about getting help and giving help.

We understand that some families may be having a hard time getting the food they need right now. Austin ISD is here to support students every school day with breakfast and lunch, plus afterschool meals at many campuses.

School Meal Reminders:

Students who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are still eligible for free school meals until the end of the school year, whether or not the government funds food benefits for home.

76 AISD schools provide free breakfast and lunch to all students.

Families may apply (or reapply) for free or reduced-price meals at any time at www.SchoolCafe.com/AustinISD, or pick up a paper application at your school.

Need extra food support outside of school? These community partners can help you find assistance in your area:

Central Texas Food Bank

Travis County Food Pantry

United Way for Greater Austin

Sustainable Food Center

Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.

Schools Providing Free Meals for All Students:

Pre-K and Early Childhood Centers: Uphaus

Elementary Schools: Allison, Andrews, Barrington, Blackshear, Blanton, Blazier Intermediate, Blazier Primary, Boone, Brown, Campbell, Casey, Cook, Cunningham, Dawson, Galindo, Govalle, Graham, Guerrero-Thompson, Harris, Hart, Houston, Jordan, Joslin, Kocurek, Langford, Linder, McBee, Menchaca, Norman-Sims, Oak Hill, Oak Springs, Odom, Ortega, Overton, Padron, Palm, Pecan Springs, Perez, Pickle, Pillow, Pleasant Hill, Rodriguez, Sanchez, St. Elmo, Travis Heights, Walnut Creek, Widen, Williams, Winn, Wooldridge, Wooten, Zavala

Middle Schools: Bedichek, Burnet, Covington, Dobie, Garcia YMLA, Lively, Marshall, Martin, Mendez, Paredes, Sadler Means YWLA, Webb

High Schools: Akins ECHS, Crockett ECHS, Eastside ECHS, Garza Independence, International, LBJ ECHS, Navarro ECHS, Northeast ECHS, Travis ECHS

Other Campuses: Alternative Learning Center, Rosedale School

Community Contributions

In addition to the community partners noted above, community members who would like to support Austin ISD families may make a donation to the Austin Ed Fund Crisis Fund. Funds raised are distributed to Austin ISD families in need. The Austin Ed Fund is Austin ISD’s education foundation.

Please also check with your campus for any campus-based donation drives.

SchoolCafé SchoolCafé gives students and parents a quick and easy way to stay on top of their nutrition. Macros, ingredients, and allergies are displayed for meals and individual items. Submitting eligibility applications has never been easier, SchoolCafé allows parents to quickly submit for Free & Reduced M...