EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Round Rock ISD & Austin ISD
QUOTEOFNOTE “WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE COUNTING ONUS, ANDNO MATTERWHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS VOTE, I HOPEWE CAN MOVE FORWARD.” TIFFANIE HARRISON, ROUND ROCK ISD PLACE 6 TRUSTEE AFTER VOTING “NO” ON SEPARATION AGREEMENT FOR SUPERINTENDENT HAFEDH AZAIEZ HIGHLIGHTS AUSTIN ISD Trustees are considering a plan to increase planning time for elementary core subject teachers to 6.5 hours per week by changing schedules for fine arts and physical education classes. The board discussed the changes during the March 10 meeting, and campuses have been directed to create schedules by April 29. Round Rock ISD board of trustees Meets third Thursday at 7 p.m. 300 Lake Creek Drive, Round Rock 512-464-5000 www.roundrockisd.org Pflugerville ISD board of trustees Meets third Thursday at 7 p.m. 1401 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville MEETINGSWE COVER Austin ISD board of trustees Board information sessions: second Thursday, 5:30 p.m.; voting meetings: fourth Thursday, 5:30 p.m. 4000 S. I-35, Austin www.austinisd.org Austin Community College board of trustees Meets first Monday at 3 p.m. 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin 512-223-7613 • www.austincc.edu 512-594-0000 www.pfisd.net
RRISDboard undecided regarding superintendent
BY BROOKE SJOBERG
Feller abstained. Place 6 Trustee Tiffanie Harrison stated she hoped the board can move forward and work cooperatively in the best interest of students. “We have students that are count- ing on us, and no matter what the outcome of this vote, I hope we can move forward,” Harrison said. Public speakers both spoke in favor of firing Azaiez as well as reinstating him. A vote to finalize this report, mak- ing the results of the inquiry subject to the Texas Public Information Act, passed 6-0-1, with Jun Xiao abstain- ing. The meeting set for March 21 was canceled because of weather. The board instead met March 24, after press time, where it considered items to reinstate or terminate Azaiez.
BREAKING DOWN THE VOTE On March 8, the Round Rock ISD board of trustees voted 2-4 on a motion to approve a separation agreement with suspended Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez. VOTED YES: Cory Vessa Amy Weir
TEA forms task force to address staffing challenges Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez. After over five hours of closed session, a motion to approve the separation agreement was put forth by Place 5 Trustee Amy Weir and seconded by Place 4 Trustee Cory Vessa but failed 2-4 with the “yes” votes from Vessa and Weir. Place 3 Trustee and board President Amber ROUND ROCK ISD The board of trustees voted not to approve a superintendent separation agreement during a March 8 meeting. The board conferred with its attorney in closed session regarding the inquiry carried out by an external investigator at the direction of the district’s Texas Education Agen- cy-assigned monitor as well as a separation agreement for suspended
VOTED NO: Mary Bone
Tiffanie Harrison Danielle Weston Jun Xiao
ABSTAINED: Amber Feller
SOURCE: ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Austin ISDboard of trustees reviews data on disciplinary action in schools
BY GLORIE MARTINEZ
Alternative Learning Center— despite being 6.3% of AISD’s stu- dent population. Special education students were involved in 32% of disciplinary action incidents. They represent 13% of AISD students. The overall number of disci- plinary incidents dropped by 47% for Black students and 39% for special education students since 2018-19, the last pre-COVID-19 year when data was collected. The district is working to decrease these disparities to zero by August 2026.
AUSTIN ISD Black and special education students receive disci- plinary action at a disproportionate rate when compared to the rest of the student population, according to data the Austin ISD board of trustees reviewed during a March 10meeting. As of February, Black students made up 19% of students who received disciplinary actions— defined as in-school or home school suspensions for full or partial school days, and discre- tionary removals to the district’s
BY LAUREN CANTERBERRY
TEXAS The Texas Education Agency on March 10 announced the creation of a teacher vacancy task force that will bring together superintendents, teachers, human resource officers and other stakeholders from districts across the state. The announcement comes on the heels of a March 7 letter sent by Gov. Greg Abbott to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath calling for the creation of the task force.
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