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Happy Earth Week 馃寧 and STAAR testing season! 馃捇
In this edition you can read more about our request for an informal review 馃摑of the Texas Education Agency's special education conservatorship, and learn about the district's plan 馃搱 for resolving the challenges ahead.听
We also want to tell you about a new website with discounts 馃忆 and incentives for 果冻传媒app ISD staff at 37 apartment complexes 馃汇 across 果冻传媒app.
The Latin American Achievement Awards 馃弳 celebrate their 辩耻颈苍肠别补帽别谤补 this Friday, April 21 at 6:30 pm at the 果冻传媒app ISD PAC. This is the 15th year of the award ceremony 馃帀 recognizing Latino community leaders and students in grades 7-12 who excel in their academic work.听
鈥nd everyone is invited to join the 2024 馃挵 community budget conversations. These are happening virtually 馃捇 on Tuesday, April 25 & Wednesday, April 26 馃棑 in English and Spanish.
Heads up: BOLT applications will be unavailable the weekend of April 29-30 for system maintenance. 馃洜 BOLT is expected to be back online Monday, May 1. We鈥檒l have a reminder with more details next week. 馃棑
We wish a Happy Eid al Fitr Mubarak to those who celebrate, marking the end of Ramadan this weekend.听馃挌
Alright, let鈥檚 jump in and see 馃憖 what鈥檚 going on around the district.
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Staff Weekly
By Paul Stinson听鈼徛Apr 21, 2023
Smart Brevity庐 count: 5 mins...1362 words
Happy Earth Week 馃寧 and STAAR testing season! 馃捇
In this edition you can read more about our request for an informal review 馃摑of the Texas Education Agency's special education conservatorship, and learn about the district's plan 馃搱 for resolving the challenges ahead.听
We also want to tell you about a new website with discounts 馃忆 and incentives for 果冻传媒app ISD staff at 37 apartment complexes 馃汇 across 果冻传媒app.
The Latin American Achievement Awards 馃弳 celebrate their 辩耻颈苍肠别补帽别谤补 this Friday, April 21 at 6:30 pm at the 果冻传媒app ISD PAC. This is the 15th year of the award ceremony 馃帀 recognizing Latino community leaders and students in grades 7-12 who excel in their academic work.听
鈥nd everyone is invited to join the 2024 馃挵 community budget conversations. These are happening virtually 馃捇 on Tuesday, April 25 & Wednesday, April 26 馃棑 in English and Spanish.
Heads up: BOLT applications will be unavailable the weekend of April 29-30 for system maintenance. 馃洜 BOLT is expected to be back online Monday, May 1. We鈥檒l have a reminder with more details next week. 馃棑
We wish a Happy Eid al Fitr Mubarak to those who celebrate, marking the end of Ramadan this weekend.听馃挌
Alright, let鈥檚 jump in and see 馃憖 what鈥檚 going on around the district.
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1 Big Thing: 果冻传媒app ISD requests 馃摑informal review of TEA Special Education Conservatorship聽
On Monday, 果冻传媒app ISD requested an informal review of the Texas Education Agency鈥檚 March 31, 2023, Final Report that recommended a conservator to help address special education issues in the district. 馃彨
What they鈥檙e saying: 鈥淲e believe that the least disruptive way to build momentum toward sustainable, transformational improvements to special education is to allow our most recent plans and improved systems to fully take hold,鈥 said Superintendent Segura.
Catch up quick: We have been working closely with TEA for more than a year to catch up 馃搲 on our backlog of Special Education evaluations.听
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In early January, we requested that TEA assign a monitor to make recommendations and partner with us in our work around special education evaluations and services.听馃帗
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In late March, TEA responded with its intent to assign a team of conservators, which is a level of escalation above a monitor.
The details: We are still learning what a conservatorship could look like but TEA鈥檚 report told us that 鈥渢he duties and powers assigned to the Management Team should be expansive enough to direct all areas affecting, or affected by, special education, even if not made immediately obvious by its name.鈥澛
馃帓 The bottom line: The district takes full ownership of the problems that have led TEA to issue sanctions. We are focused on resolving the backlog as quickly as possible and making sustainable, transformational improvements to our Special Education program.听
Go deeper with our TEA conservator FAQs and Board President Singh鈥檚 message to the community.听
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2. New website debuts with apartment discounts 馃忆 for 果冻传媒app ISD teachers, staff
A new partnership between 果冻传媒app ISD and the 果冻传媒app Apartment Association (AAA) offers discounts 馃挵 and incentives at apartment complexes around 果冻传媒app, to help teachers and staff battle the high cost of housing.听馃彉
Home sweet cheaper home: 果冻传媒app ISD staff can now access an to find complexes that offer 馃挼 discounts and incentives for 果冻传媒app ISD employees.
By the numbers: So far, 37 apartment complexes are offering 馃憖 special deals for 果冻传媒app ISD employees, and AAA is working to recruit more complexes for the program.听
馃帓 Context: The new feature is the result of collaboration between 果冻传媒app ISD鈥檚 Human Capital Employee Experience & Sustainability team and the 果冻传媒app ISD Real Estate Office.
Go deeper: In a recent, employees noted housing needs and cost of living 馃汇 as a significant barrier to recruitment and retention.听
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3. An Iraqi 馃嚠馃嚩 teacher 馃崕 gives families a voice 馃摚 at Travis Heights Elementary School 馃彨
As 果冻传媒app ISD 馃帀celebrates Arab American Heritage Month, we profile Sura Jasim, who works at Travis Heights Elementary School as a Parent Support Specialist, a link between the school district and parents.
Sura Jasim still remembers what it is like to arrive 馃洭in this country without knowing anyone, feeling insecure and 鈥 perhaps most importantly 鈥 not being able to understand the U.S. 馃帓educational system. That was Jasim鈥檚 experience when she and her family first arrived from 馃嚠馃嚩Iraq. But for the past four years she has made it her mission to prevent those same feelings for newcomer families at Travis Heights Elementary.馃彨
鈥淲e help the parents have a voice 馃摚 in the school and also direct them where to go when they have an issue,鈥 said Jasim, a Parent Support Specialist (PSS).听
馃摚What鈥檚 a PSS? 果冻传媒app ISD has over 70 PSS鈥檚 across the district, primarily in Title I schools. PSS鈥檚 work directly with families, campus staff and community members to help families support their children鈥檚 educational goals.
馃洭 From Baghdad to 果冻传媒app: Jasim arrived in 果冻传媒app with her husband and two children in 馃棑 2015. Back home 馃彔 in Iraq, she had a career as an elementary school science 馃敩 teacher. But because of violence and insecurity, Jasim, her husband and their two children left Baghdad to start a new life in Texas.听馃
馃敆Link in the chain: For Jasim, being the communication 馃枃link between parents and their children's school 馃彨is something she is passionate about and does with a lot of love. She encourages parents to ask for help when they need it.听
馃彨鈥淭ravis Heights is Community:鈥 Although she misses her home country, Jasim feels that Travis Heights Elementary School has become her new 馃汇home, a diverse community that helps fill the void left by her homeland. Jasim describes the 馃彨 school community as a 馃寧 world of different languages and 馃实 cultures together under one roof, where 馃帀celebrations of diverse cultures are highly valued and appreciated.
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Jasim loves馃挍 to teach the students about 馃嚠馃嚩Iraqi culture and traditions.
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She is also grateful to 馃崕Principal Michelle Amezquita-Navarro, who she says believed in her by giving her the opportunity to be part of the school.听馃彨
鉁Homecoming: Jasim is 馃棑 planning a trip home to 馃洬Baghdad this summer, her first in four years. She鈥檒l visit family, friends and above all to relive the memories 馃挍that she misses so much and carries in her heart.
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(KXAN)
(KVUE)
(Statesman)
(Univision 62 果冻传媒app)
(Texas Tribune)
(KUT)
(Community Impact)
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Paul is listening 馃带 to Beth Orton鈥檚 Central Reservation, and managing his playoff expectations 馃弨 for the Minnesota Timberwolves 馃恶 and Minnesota Wild 馃彃.
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