News Summary
The Austin Independent School District has revised its plan for struggling middle schools, opting to keep Dobie Middle School open while replacing leadership and staff due to poor performance. Along with Dobie, Webb and Burnet Middle Schools will also undergo significant changes. The district aims to improve accountability and enhance academic outcomes in literacy and math. Teachers express concern over job security and abrupt communication. AISD faces a tight deadline to improve school grades to avoid state intervention under Texas law.
Austin — The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has revised its turnaround plan for struggling middle schools, deciding to keep Dobie Middle School open while overhauling its leadership in response to consistent underperformance. This decision comes after an initial proposal to close Dobie and transfer its students to nearby Lamar Middle School for the next two years.
Under the updated plan, Dobie will retain its status as an operational school, but significant leadership changes are imminent. AISD is set to replace the principal, additional leadership personnel, and approximately half of the teaching staff. This strategy aims to enhance accountability scores and effectively address the school’s academic challenges.
Similar structural changes are also proposed for Webb and Burnet middle schools, which, alongside Dobie, received an ‘F’ grade from the state’s A-F accountability system for the second consecutive year. AISD is required by state law to formulate and submit a turnaround plan for any schools that face two consecutive failing grades.
The district’s proposed plan involves a “district-managed restart,” which includes appointing new principals and hiring teachers with proven track records in elevating student performance. Emphasis will be placed on improving literacy and mathematics instruction. Superintendent Matias Segura has indicated that all current teachers will need to reapply for their positions, with only the top-performing staff expected to remain. To attract high-quality educators, AISD is offering $20,000 stipends to certified teachers who have strong performance evaluations and at least three years of experience.
The announcement of these changes has sparked considerable unrest within the Dobie, Webb, and Burnet school communities. Teachers have expressed feelings of being blindsided by the abruptness of the alterations, which were discussed privately in a meeting on May 6. As a demonstration of their discontent, students at Dobie staged a walkout on May 7.
Concerns regarding job security among teachers are prevalent, with many expressing unease over the lack of clear communication from district administrators about the implications of the changes. Parent attendance at meetings at Webb and Burnet revealed feelings of betrayal among families who feel the abrupt changes do not align with the best interests of the students.
AISD is bracing for potentially further ‘F’ grades in the upcoming accountability reports. If these trends continue, state intervention could be prompted. According to Texas law, should the schools receive five consecutive failing grades, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) may seize control away from the elected school board, which could severely impact the local governance of the schools.
The timeline for implementing these anticipated changes is tight, as AISD has only four months to raise the schools’ grades to a ‘C.’ This is crucial to avoid the threat of state takeover. The replacement of Principal Michael Coyle at Webb has also triggered apprehensions about how changes in leadership might affect the school culture and the relationships built within the campus community.
In summary, the AISD’s latest plans for Dobie, Webb, and Burnet middle schools result from ongoing challenges reflected in state accountability scores. The restructuring intends to hold teaching staff accountable while aiming to reverse the trajectory of failing grades. The district is working against a deadline to submit a finalized turnaround plan to the TEA by June 30, hoping to secure a partnership that could prevent an unwanted state intervention.
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Additional Resources
- Austin Chronicle: Fearing State Takeover, Austin ISD Plans to Replace Middle School Teachers
- CBS Austin: Austin ISD to Consolidate Schools by 2026-27
- Austin Monitor: Austin ISD Gets a C Under Texas Updated School Rating System
- KVUE: Austin ISD Bus Route Changes Reaction
- KXAN: Austin ISD Issues Guidance to Staff After Federal Immigration Policy Changes
- Wikipedia: Austin Independent School District
- Google Search: Austin Independent School District
- Google Scholar: Austin Independent School District
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Austin Independent School District
- Google News: Austin ISD
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