JIM SPENCER SAYS...AND AN
UNFAIR DYNAMIC IN AUSTIN
SCHOOLS.WHAT AISD IS DOING
TONIGHT- TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
ALL STUDENTS- ARE GIVEN THE
SAME OPPORTUNITIES.SEGREGATED
SCHOOLS IN 2016.AUSTIN ISD
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SAY IT'S
A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE
FIXED.THANKS FOR JOINING US
I'M SHANNON WOLFSON.AND I'M
ROBERT HADLOCK.HERE'S THE
DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN OF
AISD'S 84-THOUSAND STUDENTS.A
QUARTER ARE WHITE.MORE THAN
HALF ARE HISPANIC.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS MAKE
UP 8-PERCENT. A LITTLE MORE
THAN 3-PERCENT ARE ASIAN.
ACROSS THE BOARD -- NEARLY 60-
PERCENT ARE "LOW INCOME".KXAN
EDUCATION REPORTER ERIN
CARGILE IS LIVE AT THE SCHOOL
BOARD MEETING WITH OUR TOP
STORY.IT'S NOT A NEW PROBLEM
-- LOW INCOME, HIGH MINORITY
CAMPUSES -- ARE GROUPED EAST
OF I-35.AND THE DISTRICT'S
MOST DESIRED PROGRAMS --
INCLUDING LASA AND KEALING
MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE MOSTLY
FILLED WITH WHITE STUDENTS
FROM AFFLUENT FAMILIES.IT'S
NOT A NEW PROBLEM, BUT ONE
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WANTS TO
GET SERIOUS ABOUT SOLVING.AND
THEY WANT TO TIE IT TO THE
SUPERINTENDENT'S EVALUATION --
A SCORECARD -- HE'S GRADED
WITH.IT STARTED WITH A PUSH TO
DIVERSIFY AUSTIN ISD'S TOP
MAGNET PROGRAMS...NOW THIS
SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE IS ON A
MISSION TO ERASE SEGREGATION
IN ALL SCHOOLS...STARTING IN
HIS OWN DISTRICT.DR. TED
GORDON/AUSTIN ISD SCHOOL BOARD
IT'S DISAPPOINTING AND I THINK
IT'S REALLY TIME WE TRY TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT DR. TED
GORDON REPRESENTS CAMPUSES IN
EAST AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN.
DISTRICT ONE IS ALREADY A
DIVERSE, A FAIRLY DIVERSE AREA
MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN IT WAS
YEARS BACKBUT THE CHALLENGE IS
ATTRACTING MORE AFFLUENT
FAMILIES...CHOOSING TO SEND
THEIR CHILDREN TO CHARTERS AND
PRIVATE SCHOOLS.HE POINTS TO
THE SHIFT AT BLACKSHEAR
ELEMENTARY.IN 2011, IT HAD 236
STUDENTS.LESS THAN 1 PERCENT
WERE WHITE, 66 PERCENT
HISPANIC AND 31 PERCENT BLACK.
ABOUT 98 PERCENT OF STUDENTS
WERE LOW-INCOME. ONE YEAR
AFTER LAUNCHING A FINE ARTS
PROGRAM, THE SCHOOL GREW BY 55
STUDENTS, THE PERCENT OF LOW-
INCOME FAMILIES DROPPED TO 81
PERCENT, AND WHITE STUDENTS
INCREASED TO NEARLY 10 PERCENT.
KENDALL PACE/AUSTIN ISD BOARD
PRESIDENT3:04:14 THEY HAVE
DONE FANTASTIC THINGS AND THIS
WAS ALL SORT OF TEACHER
PRINCIPAL DRIVEN SO WE SHOULD
BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THAT AT
OTHER CAMPUSES 22AND NOT JUST
POCKETS OF AUSTIN...CHANGING.
3:02:58 WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL
SOMETHING IS GENTRIFIED, WE
NEED QUALITY SCHOOLS IN EVERY
NEIGHBORHOOD 02 ERIN AD LIBS
ABOUT LATEST ON HIS CONTRACT
LATEST ON HIS ERIN AD LIBS
ABOUT ERIN AD LIBS ABOUT
LATEST ON HIS CONTRACTERIN
CARGILE KXAN NEWS.
AISD KEEPS TRACK OF
DEMOGRAPHICS IN ALL OF ITS
SCHOOLS IN THE "ABOUT OUR
SCHOOLS" SECTION OF THEIR
WEBSITE.WE HAVE A LINK TO THAT
ON KXAN DOT COM.HERE'S A LOOK
AT OTHER BIG ITEMS THE AUSTIN
ISD SCHOOL BOARD HAS VOTED ON
TONIGHT...TRUSTEES UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION
WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY TO
LOOK FOR LAND FOR HOUSING.IT
WOULD BE OFFERED TO AISD
TEACHERS AND FAMILIES.THE
BOARD ALSO APPROVED A
PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN-TRAVIS
COUNTY EMS TO HELP TRAIN
STUDENTS TO GO INTO THE
PARAMEDIC FIELD.LASTLY, THE
BOARD APPROVED A PILOT PROGRAM
WITH U-T AUSTIN TO OFFER
WHAT'S CALLED A
MICROMAJOR...OFFERING STUDENTS
COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES IN THREE
HIGH SCHOOLS.THOSE WHO
COMPLETE THE PROGRAM WILL
COMPLETE THE THOSE WHO
COMPLETE THE PROGRAM WILL HAVE
THE OPTION OF RECEIVING
PRIORITY CONSIDERATION FOR
UNDERGRAD ADMISSION TO U-T
