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Hello Families! 鳶賅
We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the 熱えapp Career Fair which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 儭15, at the Austin Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching 豉nd lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 淮nd public education 逆unding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 熱えapp ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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Family Newsletter
By Nayeli Santoyo & Collaborators泭Apr 14, 2023
Smart Brevity簧 count: 4.5 mins...1258 words
Hello Families! 鳶賅
We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the 熱えapp Career Fair which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 儭15, at the Austin Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching 豉nd lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 淮nd public education 逆unding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 熱えapp ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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1 Big Thing: Texas lawmakers 蓊onsider increasesto teacher 犁ay, public education funding
As this years regular session of the Texas Legislature moves into its final 連ix weeks, lawmakers are considering several proposals that could impact teacher pay 淮nd public education funding.
$5 billion for public schools: The Texas House recently passed its version of the FY 2024 omnibus state budget bill (HB 1) with $5 billion in new money for public schools. HB 1 is now in the Texas Senate, where it may be considered by the full Senate as soon as next week. Any differences between the Senate and House versions of HB 1 will be resolved by a conference committee.
Teacher pay raise? Legislators are considering a pay raise for teachers as part of the $5 billion investment in HB 1, but the allocation of education spending is still under consideration.
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Another proposal, HB 11, would increase minimum teacher pay from $33,660 to $35,000 per year.
More money per student: The public education funding in the state budget will be divided up according to a separate bill, HB 100, that is also moving through the legislative process. Among other provisions, HB 100 would raise the Basic Allotment (BA), the funding per student that the state gives to each school district. The current version of HB 100 would increase the BA by $90 to $6,250 per student in FY 2024 and an additional $50 to $6,300 in FY 2025. HB 100 also applies an inflation adjustment to the BA, which expires in 2025.
By the numbers: 熱えapp Trustee Lynn Boswell, who serves as chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Board, is at the Capitol weekly and has testified on several bills, including HB 100. Boswell noted that a $50 per student increase in the BA would add about $3.7 million to the districts budget. To put that in context, for 熱えapp:
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Each 1% raise for teachers and librarians would cost about $2.81 million.
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淳ach $1 raise to starting pay for hourly staff, plus adjustments for people earning higher hourly salaries, would cost about $6.9 million.
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Reducing elementary class size by one student would cost about $2 million.
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隹dding one counselor to each campus would cost about $9.7 million.
What theyre saying: There are many other bills that affect funding, such as voucher bills that would divert money from public schools to private schools, said 熱えapp Director of Intergovernmental Relations & Policy Oversight Edna Butts, noting that the district has filed testimony against bills that oppose the Boards legislative priorities. We are pursuing several avenues for increased funding for our district and public schools as a whole.
Go deeper: with the districts legislative priorities and Raise Your Hand Texas explainer on raising the .
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2. Former refugee shares love of learning with her students
As 熱えapp celebrates Arab American Heritage Month, we profile Walnut Creek Elementary School ESL teacher and former refugee, Zaineb Zizi Ellison.
Seeing her second-grade students learn English motivates Zizi Ellison, a second grade ESL teacher at Walnut Creek Elementary School, every day.
I really love the light bulb that starts turning on all over their face when they understand something, said Zizi. One of her passions is to help newcomers students who are learning English navigate school and life in this country. It makes me really happy to see that growth.
Embracing diversity: Zizi, a former refugee in Iran, 妊 now has students who speak at least 10 different languages. She tells her students that the best way to support classmates from other countries is by learning some of their traditions and celebrations, and by respecting them.
Roots in Iraq 氣 and Iran: My parents are from Iraq but I was born a refugee in Iran佞氣 I considered myself more Arab because I was raised Arab even though it is confusing to my head. Zizi was bornZaineb Sadik Hussein Alyassri (堬堥 媯塈堹 堶堻 塈塈堻堭) but she later changed her name to Zizi, a short version of Zaineb, to help Americans with the pronunciation.
Zizi landed in Austin in January of 2015.
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A year later she started working part-time for 熱えapp in the Refugee Family Support Office.
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Zizi speaks four languages, Arabic, Persian, Dari, and English.
I really like to work with [families] and help them solve their problems, said Zizi, adding that she still tries to help whenever she can in her current school.
Go deeper with more information on 熱えapps Refugee Family Support Office.
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3. Trustee Hunter visits young women 儭leaders恫
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
熱えapp Trustee Candace Hunter recently visited the Leadership Circle of Bertha Sadler Means Young Womens Leadership Academy. The leadership circle includes the Student Council and the AmbassaHers under the sponsorship of lead counselor Karen Terry and Joy Young.
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
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During her visit, Trustee Hunter answered questions from students and explained her role and responsibilities as a trustee. Trustee Hunter encouraged the young leaders to stay committed with their leadership and advocacy.
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4. 俟tudents raise their voices ζgainst gun violence
Austin High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
儭On Thursday, April 13, a group of students from Austin High School 咸alked out during their lunch hour to raise awareness and voice student opinions against gun violence.
Its time that we change, its been too much incidents that have happened that no action has been taken, its time that we take action, said Serena.
Austin High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
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6. Rounding up the news埠儭
(KXAN)
(Statesman)
(KXAN)
(Texas Tribune)
(Statesman)
(KUT)
(Houston Chronicle)
(Dallas Morning News)
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Nayeli will be attending to the Maestro en Casa Graduation Ceremony to celebrate 姨鶳柑pp parents that completed the program.
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