On Monday, the AISD Board of Trustees declared winners in three of the six board places up for election on May 4. The unopposed candidates — Cheryl Bradley, Place 1; Doyle Valdez, Place 8; and John Fitzpatrick, Place 9 — were declared elected, thereby eliminating the need for an election in those three seats. Places 4, 6, and 7 remain contested, and will appear on the ballot.
Also at the meeting, Supt. Pat Forgione presented his “Austin Blueprint to Leave No Child Behind,” a plan to “close the achievement gap” for minority students at the district’s low-performing schools. Under the plan, schools designated as “Blueprint Schools” will be given achievement goals and will adopt special curricula in mathematics and language arts. Teachers will be required to take part in additional (paid) staff development, and a written compact among principals, teachers, and the district will underwrite the “proven curriculum” for the chosen schools. Moreover, Forgione said, new teachers hired at the designated schools will not be “rookies,” but will be trained, certified in their subject area, and have at least two years of experience.
The board approved Forgione’s recommendation of Hart Elementary School Principal Claudia Tousek as a “master principal” in charge of the Blueprint program. Forgione said the Blueprint schools will be designated later this month, and that he will meet with community groups over the next three weeks to promote the plan as “a way for this entire community to wrap its arms around our schools.”
This article appears in April 5 • 2002.
