Remember to send email to Board of Trustees

[Coalition SAUS]

Though there is no published date for when the item will be discussed, nor the agenda for the next board meeting, it is very important for us to write to trustees (see details in Lorie's original email below.)  Our emails become part of the public record and we must register our positions.

Thank you for your continued involvement,

Laura Arbilla

On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 2:50 PM, Coalition SAUS <coalit...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear SAUSers,

I called AISD to sign up to speak at the Mar 20 board meeting. I learned that

1) Public comment for March 20 is cancelled

2) FABPAC recommendations item is not longer on the agenda for Mar 20

3) it is "possible" (I think likely) that the FABPAC item will be placed in the Mar 27 agenda, but it has not been decided.

AISD must publish the agenda 72 hours before the board meeting. So please plan on calling to sign up to speak by 24th of March.

I say let's write to trus...@austinisd.org anyways.

Laura Arbilla

On Mar 9, 2017, at 10:26 PM, Coalition SAUS wrote:

AISD Board will meet Monday, March 20, at 7pm, to discuss FABPAC recommendations for school closures and consolidations. The meeting includes one hour for Citizen Communications.

 

Urgent Alert:

Because of Spring Break, to speak at this Mar 20 Board Meeting, sign-up begins tomorrow, March 10 at 1pm.

You can sign-up to speak by calling: (512) 414-4411. 

 

If you cannot attend the meeting to speak, send the board an e-mail at trus...@austinisd.org.

 

Coalition SAUS reached consensus on OPPOSING the closure or consolidation of any of the schools listed in the FABPAC recommendations.

 

At the SAUS meeting this Weds, the group discussed the following talking points:

·       Schools on FABPAC list for closure and/or consolidation represent low income, minority-majority schools located in Austin’s urban core--the most vulnerable students/families targeted for the most disruptive actions.

·       All schools targeted for closure/consolidation done without inclusive, collaborative, stakeholders process for addressing, in a timely manner, any challenges arising on any of campuses targeted.

·       AISD financial considerations listed as primary cause for school closures/consolidations, not student needs – greatest impact on neediest students.

·       AISD/District negligence in using taxpayer money to upkeep or repair or maintain existing schools and campuses.

·       Lack of any discussion of educational value of smaller campuses or role of public schools as heart of urban communities.

 

The rest is up to you!

Lorie Barzano, Steering Committee

Coalition to Strengthen Austin Urban Schools