Classroom Portables in AISD (Austin, Spring: apartment, homes, elementary schools)

[Kosmonaut]

Would the poster who just PM'ed me claiming to be a teacher please identify themselves. Please, tell us out in the open what you claim to know.

I would also like to know how central Austin schools get high marks if you claim there is no protection from low performing students. Not just talking TAKS or STAAR, I'm referring to Greatschools and Schooldigger. How do these schools remain under-enrolled, score 8s and 9s, get exemplary ratings, yet you claim everybody can transfer in and there are no standards. There seems to be a concerted effort to tear down the reputations of these schools for some reason. People in the suburbs hate to see urban gentrification?

[Trainwreck20]

A lot of these neighborhoods like hyde park and travis heights are getting too expensive for people with kids, so the low enrollment and good performance is compounding itself at the elementary level.

These are the schools I guess you are talking about, not sure, but they are all growing in number, or at the very least, staying the same (depends on what years you pick).

Travis Heights
2011-12 - 538 Students
2010-11 - 540 students
2009-10 - 525
2008- 9 - 564
2007- 8 - 590
2006- 7 - 574
2005- 6 - 571
2004- 5 - 524
2003- 4 - 463

Lee Elementary
2010-11 - 427
2009-10 - 441
2008- 09 - 406
2007- 08 - 401
2006- 07 - 412
2005- 06 - 382
2004- 05 - 373
2003- 04 - 373

Bryker Woods
2010-11 - 405 students
2009-10 - 400
2008- 9 - 400
2007- 8 - 394
2006- 7 - 426
2005- 6 - 395
2004- 5 - 377
2003- 4 - 373

And as for you last kind of silly post - poor performing students tend to come from low-income families that either don't care enough to transfer to a higher rated school, or who cannot afford to get them to a far away school. Kids whose parents care enough to transfer them to another school probably live in a home environment that promotes learning.

Finally, we have a child that is borderline for the special education program; as such, she will not count against test scores (or I think that is true, it is not a concern of ours). If she was not entered into the SE program, she would likely be a 'poorly performing' student. Transferring her to a 'better' school would in no way increase her learning - she is better off close to people she knows. The school she is at, while over-capacity (or close) has really been helpful and caring and has assisted her learning in many ways. That does not show up on a pass/fail rate on a test. That is nothing against the high(er) preforming schools - if we were there, it is likely she would receive the same excellent attention.

[Kosmonaut]

Lee and Bryker Woods are BOTH closed to transfers, so I don't know why you'd bring them up anyways - it's a straw man argument on your part. Travis Heights enrollment peaked in 2007, and has been trending smaller since and just turned charter by parent mandate, giving them even GREATER control over who they let in. Poor argument with poor examples.

[johnrex62]

As a child I had classes in portables during middle school years. My kids have all had portables in grade school and middle school. My wife was taught in portables in her elementary years.

The common complaint we all had was the noisy a/c units in them and how little they cooled. As to the distractions, well we always had people knocking on the door looking for a student because there were no intercoms. When the grass was mowed it was a tiny bit noiser in the portables than the ground floor main building classrooms. Other than that, they were no different than a brick and mortar classroom. They all had teachers, small desks, and uncomfortable chairs and standard school rules.

I wouldn't worry about the portable so much as the teaching and support staff. That is what makes a learning experience, not the room.

[Kosmonaut]

The conflict here is that these under-enrolled schools were targeted for closure, and they take 2-3X to run them - up to $11,000 per student. The cost per student in the good areas of town is only $4000 per student. This fact chaps the hides of the suburbanites in AISD. The admin at the central AISD campuses know that their existence depends upon how well their school performs, and if they let in and retain every low performing student that requests to transfer, then they are screwed. The ratings are what is keeping these schools open. Suburbanites may feel that these central Austin schools are taking resources away from their neighborhood schools and would love to see them consolidate, so funds can be freed up for expansion/renovation at their local campuses.

I'm still waiting for our *teacher* to speak up. If you're a one-post-wonder, then you have nothing to hide. If you're regular poster, then others can vouch for you.

[Trainwreck20]

We are in AISD. I guess we are suburbanites, even though we are in the City of Austin? Not sure on your specific use of the terminology there.

Anyway, you mentioned those areas of town, therefore I looked at those schools. I do not know what schools are closed, open, or whatever to transfers. Not sure what other schools serve those areas, so perhaps the declining enrollment you reference for Travis Heights and Hyde park are those other elementary schools

No schools 'chap my hide' nor do I feel any are taking my resources. I think more of the 'close the schools' lobby was people w/o kids in school, more likely, but just guessing.....as you are, too, so that makes us about even :P.

[centralaustinite]

What central Austin schools do you claim are under-enrolled? If they are closed to transfers, then by definition they are full. Becker used to be very underenrolled but dual language brought it back to life, same for Ridgetop. Zilker and Barton Hills are small to begin with -- that is the facilities themselves limit capacity -- very different from the suburban mega-elementaries -- and if they are closed to transfers, then they are at capacity.

[Trainwreck20]

Yeah, he is just talking nonsense.....an Alex Jones acolyte, perhaps

[scm53]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

What central Austin schools do you claim are under-enrolled?

Elementary - Brentwood, Allan, Blackshear, Brooke, Campbell, Govalle, Norman, Oak Springs, Ortega, Sims, Zavalla, Becker, and Dawson

Middle - Lamar, Martin

HS - Travis, Eastside Memorial

All classified by AISD as being underutilized. In addition, three central elementaries are < 300 students and VERY expensive to operate - Matthews, Pease and Ridgetop.

[Trainwreck20]

I am not arguing under-enrolled...technically, Mills is now under-enrolled (and open to transfers) and is north of 900 students. What I find 'conspiracy theory' is that the high-performing schools are somehow 'selecting' who gets to transfer in and selectively boot out kids that do not perform at high-levels.

As for the small and expensive schools - probably, yes, but OTOH those schools are drawing kids from some of the highest property values in the city. Part of that value is that there is a local elementary school - I am not the only one that likes to be able have my kids go to a close-by elementary school. Remove those schools and there likely will be somewhat of a drop in property value, partly due to the fewer families wanting to move there - yes, some families (not mine ) can afford to live there. Also, even if it does cost 1.5x as much per student to have a school there, they are paying WAY more than 1.5x the property tax to the school system as compared to what I am in SW Austin.