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Old 01-13-2011, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,283 posts, read 2,728,703 times
Reputation: 1040

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To understand these budget shortfall closures, we must talk about the current politics of AISD.

#1)
There is not, or never has been, the political will to close Barton Hills, Zilker, Pease, or Joslin. Those selections were a screen to provide geographic 'balance' to the real closures and consolidations which will take place in East Austin.

Being a minority, new Austin Superintendent Maria Castarphen couldn't openly recommend these eastside closures (which would increase the districts test scores, ratings, and tax base long-term) without alienating the slowly-weakening Hispanic and black constituencies which lobbied for her to get the job. Thus, we have the geographic "Rolodex of schools" for public consumption and protest, until the eastside schools become the last ones standing. At that point, the decision to close or consolidate is out of Castarphen's hands. No central Austin white liberals will protest because none of them would want their neighborhood school to be offered for closure instead.

In essence, the public 'votes' with their protest. Leaving the near-east Austin schools for closure and/ or consolidation to retain the population drift of new upper-income whites replacing the eastside (with elementary students eventually going to O' Henry MS, then Austin High [lower east Austin] or Kealing MS, then McCallum High (central/upper east) - with the remaining non-Anglo eastside strongholds (far east Austin) going to Martin MS, and to Eastside Memorial HS).

Leaving no minority blowback.

Last edited by ImOnFiya; 01-13-2011 at 11:46 AM..
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Old 01-13-2011, 11:53 AM
 
1,430 posts, read 2,367,022 times
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I don't think so, Fiya. I believe the intention is to direct enough of the Anglo students to Fulmore/Travis so that they stop sucking as much due to a more balanced and diverse enrollment. One interesting boundary change that is proposed in the changes that supports this POV is that the East side kids currently going across I-35 to Travis would be moved away, I guess to Eastside Memorial.

AISD is really playing with fire here. The district is a good major city district because it has retained large swathes of high value residential property that allow the district to cross-subsidize poor East side schools. The implicit bargain for this has always been that these wealthy areas get their own schools. If the district guesses wrong and prompts an exodus out of 78704 the knock on effects will be tremendous.
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,283 posts, read 2,728,703 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gpurcell View Post
I don't think so, Fiya. I believe the intention is to direct enough of the Anglo students to Fulmore/Travis so that they stop sucking as much due to a more balanced and diverse enrollment. One interesting boundary change that is proposed in the changes that supports this POV is that the East side kids currently going across I-35 to Travis would be moved away, I guess to Eastside Memorial.

AISD is really playing with fire here. The district is a good major city district because it has retained large swathes of high value residential property that allow the district to cross-subsidize poor East side schools. The implicit bargain for this has always been that these wealthy areas get their own schools. If the district guesses wrong and prompts an exodus out of 78704 the knock on effects will be tremendous.
We will see. I would agree more with your theory, if there was sufficient support on the school board to close Barton Hills, Zilker, Pease, or Joslin. Of course, we have seen none. In fact, even the Mayor has come out against the closure of these South schools. And (if those closures do not occur), then the plan to send more SE kids to Eastside Memorial fails.

More than likely, the ax will fail in one direction. But, if you look at the map, the majority of schools are in that direction. Like they say, "politics is the art of the possible".

What's more possible: #1) reorganizing South upper middle-class center-city schools [with considerable political clout], or #2) reorganizing near East lower middle-class neighborhood schools (where most of the closures are being targeted)?

Just think on it..

Last edited by ImOnFiya; 01-13-2011 at 12:15 PM..
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:16 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,044,821 times
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I agree with Fiya, Fulmore and Travis are not under-enrolled schools. Travis HS is even rated acceptable by the TEA. Neither school needs more students. Many students at BH/Z are transfers, so adding an extra 120 Anglo kids per year to Fulmore and TS would do nothing.

And it won't affect the rankings anyway, since they are based on passing rates by ethnicity already. Example, Anglo kids at Travis Heights Elementary pass the TAKS at levels above 95% but the school isn't exemplary because of the problems that hispanic 5th graders have in science! So 100 wealthy white kids do well on the test, it won't affect Fulmore/Travis ranking if the low-income kids don't do well in math!

Oak Springs and Sanchez are putting up a good fight! I hope they stay open!
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:17 PM
 
1,430 posts, read 2,367,022 times
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They certainly reorganized north central Austin; that's why Baker isn't a middle school, Rosedale is a special ed campus, and Hyde Park kids go across I-35 to Kealing for middle school.

Oh, and I also suspect this change means Oak Hill kids eventually get sent to Small MS.
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:20 PM
 
1,430 posts, read 2,367,022 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
I agree with fire, Fulmore and Travis are not under-enrolled schools. Travis HS is even rated acceptable by the TEA. Neither school needs more students. Many students at BH/Z are transfers, so adding an extra 120 Anglo kids per year to Fulmore and TS would do nothing.

And it won't affect the rankings anyway, since they are based on passing rates by ethnicity already. Example, Anglo kids at Travis Heights Elementary pass the TAKS at levels above 95% but the school isn't exemplary because of the problems that hispanic 5th graders have in science! So a 100 wealthy white kids do well on the test, it won't affect Fulmore/Travis ranking if the low-income kids don't do well math!

Oak Springs and Sanchez are putting up a good fight! I hope they stay open!
CA, there is a strong belief among education theorists today that a primary cause of underperformance of low SES Black and Hispanic students is due to social segmentation. The argument would be that bringing in a more diverse group of students will, indeed, raise the math performance of those Hispanic kids.
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:34 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,243 posts, read 35,486,154 times
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Quote:
I agree with Fiya, Fulmore and Travis are not under-enrolled schools
I thought I heard that Travis was under enrolled by over 10% a year or so ago, not sure if it is still true. From the AISD web site:
List of high schools at or above enrollment for 2011-12 (closed to transfers)
  • Akins
  • Anderson
  • Austin
  • Bowie
  • McCallum
  • LBJ (not over, but close)

I think Crockett is one of the way under-enrolled high schools...
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:35 PM
 
Location: 78747
3,202 posts, read 5,995,436 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainwreck20 View Post
I thought I heard that Travis was under enrolled by over 10% a year or so ago, not sure if it is still true. From the AISD web site:





List of high schools at or above enrollment for 2011-12 (closed to transfers)
  • Akins
  • Anderson
  • Austin
  • Bowie
  • McCallum
  • LBJ (not over, but close)

Coincidentally, those are the top 6 rated high schools in AISD (all recognized). Bowie and Akins are way overenrolled to the tune of 115-120% of capacity. I would like to know how the board plans on addressing growth in that area (south) because we are beginning to run up against some very hard limits.
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Old 01-13-2011, 12:43 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,243 posts, read 35,486,154 times
Reputation: 8587
One option that has been used to help a little is to change the Crockett/Bowie lines, but you should hear the screaming....also, Crockett boundaries have been pushed up pretty close to the actual Bowie HS. Long-range, there has been talk of building a new HS, but that is now where in the near (4-6 year) future. Some area pretty close to Bowie also go to Austin HS, but that school, too, is pretty full.
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Old 01-13-2011, 01:46 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,044,821 times
Reputation: 3915
There will be a new SW HS at some point in the near future.
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