Why is this East Austin School District Against the IDEA Charter School? (Houston: home)

[Exiled Texan]

None of the news reports make a lot of sense to me.

[centralaustinite]

The Austin Chronicle is the best placed for detailed coverage of AISD issues. They are able to provide more context. Long story short: there is no trust between AISD and many east side families (all the way back to the destruction of old Anderson High and Kealing). The new superintendent has a "my way or the highway attitude" and allows for little community input.

The long story is here:
Kicking Around an IDEA - News - The Austin Chronicle
Uncontrolled Experiments - News - The Austin Chronicle
If the AISD Board Won't Come to the Mountain - News Blog - The Austin Chronicle

[Exiled Texan]

Destruction of Anderson and Keeling?

[CarnivalGal]

Because the school district could implement the same programs and curriculum as the charter schools for less money. Also, a charter school doesn't factor into rankings (I don't think) or they are ranked differently, so it would make the district look better on paper.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Exiled Texan

Destruction of Anderson and Keeling?

Wikipedia gives the basic facts:

Anderson High School began in 1889, when a high school was added to Robertson Hill School (itself established in 1884), the city's first school for African-American children. It was located in the same building as the lower school, at San Marcos and 11th Streets. In 1907 the high school became independent and moved to Olive and Curve Streets. It was named for E. H. Anderson, who served as principal of Prairie View Normal Institute (now Prairie View A&M) from 1879 to 1885. In 1913 the high school moved again, to Pennsylvania Street (now the location of Kealing Middle School).
In 1938 the school was renamed for E. H. Anderson's brother, Laurine Cecil Anderson (1853–1938), also a local black educator who served as principal of the school for 33 years, from 1896 to 1929. Anderson was unanimously granted the posthumous honor by the Austin Independent School District (AISD) school board. In 1953 the school moved yet again, to 900 Thompson Street.
In 1971, the school was ordered closed by a federal judge as part of desegregation, and a new, integrated L. C. Anderson High School was opened at its current location at 8403 Mesa Drive in 1973, with its first class graduating in 1974.

Anderson was a segregated school until 1971 (!) and many on the east side feel sadness and betrayal that their beloved school that educated so many community leaders was dismantled in east Austin and reassembled over on the far western (white) edge (in 1971) of the city as if excellent education for everyone couldn't exist on the east side.

Many prominent AA leaders in Austin came from the old segregated Anderson and while they don't mourn the end of segregation, there is anger over the seemingly spiteful way AISD desegregated.

Someone should write a book! It is an important part of Austin's history and it happened not that long ago.

[achtungpv]

Was Anderson a good school when it was on the east side?

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

Was Anderson a good school when it was on the east side?

I did not live here then and would have been a little kid in any case but it seems that "old Anderson" was a good school despite segregation. It had many alumni who went on to great achievement.

From a Chronicle article (2001)

"With such a recent history of indifference and neglect by the city, Lands said, it is little wonder East Austinites still feel the aftershocks of a not-so-distant past, and that remnants of Austin's officially segregated past can still readily be found in AISD. As an example, Lands and Linder both point to the demise of the old L.C. Anderson High School. In 1971, recently enough to be fresh in the memories of many East Austin graduates, Anderson was moved to the west side. To add insult to injury, all the trophies and other marks of accomplishment that the historically black school had earned over the years were left behind, locked in a district storage shed. At AISD headquarters on West Sixth Street, old Anderson High may be mostly forgotten, but east of I-35, the memories linger."

The complete article gives many other points of mistrust between Eastside community and AISD -- everything from asbestos removal delayed for eastside schools to the magnet schools created as schools within schools on the east side. Sterling Lands' New Mission - News - The Austin Chronicle

Old Anderson High School Reunion - Collective Vision | Photoblog for the Austin American-Statesman

In 2009 the City asked AISD to release the trophies and memorabilia and they are now in the Carver Museum. That would be the place to go to learn more about the Yellow Jackets!

[centralaustinite]

Here is a piece from this year in the Austin Chronicle, an interview with an Ora Houston. She says:

An excellent (though segregated) educational system formed many individuals who have given back and continue to give back to the community and the nation. We had doctors, dentists, pharmacies, social clubs, night life and restaurants. L.C. Anderson High School, home of the Yellowjackets, was the center of our community. The manner in which the Austin Independent School District chose to begin the process of 'integration' led to the ultimate closing the original Anderson High School. This closure literally broke the heart, back and soul of the community. A complete lack of respect was shown for the academic accomplishments of the students and the extracurricular achievements of the band, choir and athletic teams. That disrespect was profound then and continues, in many ways, today.



Here is the whole piece, contains some interesting analysis that echos some of the criticism of Austin that you can regularly hear on C-D.


The Daily Hustle: 2/8/11 - News Blog - The Austin Chronicle

[Exiled Texan]

Interesting history. Thanks for sharing.