Why Should We Support a VATRE?

Dear Editor,
    As a former Austin ISD trustee, I try not to be adversarial, but when I look at the data for African American students, I must ask the question: Why are we voting for a property tax increase? [See "Will Voters Agree to Max Out School Property Taxes Amid Budget Crisis?" News, Aug. 23.]
    Our neighborhood schools should be a beacon of discovery and hope; not a beacon of despair and disappointment, as in East Austin. How do you support a district appointing novice principals and teachers at a high school without resources to help them be successful? How do you support a district that has students in high school reading, writing, and doing math on an elementary level?
    We continue to send African American students not reading on grade level from elementary right on to high school. We are expecting middle school and high school teachers to enact miracles. Research the third and sixth grade data (reading and math) and tell me we need more money to solve this problem. We are waiting for the return on our investment from prior property tax elections.
    Elementary schools are the foundational support leading to academic success for students. Our students should leave fifth grade reading to learn and not learning to read. We had a term in our community, “benign neglect.” The enrollment of African American students falls below 4500 (pre-K thru 12th) in Austin ISD, it’s no longer “benign neglect”; our students are being ignored.
    Why should we as a community support a property tax increase, when Austin ISD does not support our students?