Superintendent buyout during TEA takeover
https://x.com/texasobserver/status/2089004381035180460?s=46&t=eCOfVS2egw\_pQJUjO97WzA
The fact that the Austin ISD Board of Trustees extended Matias Segura’s contract under the guise of “stability during a TEA takeover” is both infuriating and unnecessarily expensive for Austin taxpayers.
It is WELL KNOWN that during a State takeover, TEA replaces the superintendent along with the Board of Trustees. So essentially all this decision has done is potentially put Austin Taxpayers on the hook for even more money to release Matias from his contract.
It has been under HIS leadership that the budget has exploded, the number of staff we employee is essentially the same as it was 13,000 students ago, and we have the highest number of failing schools in the entire State of Texas.
I have entrusted my kids to Austin ISD and watched the district do everything BUT take responsibility. We didn’t have to move straight to cutting planning periods, reduce busing, or even discuss reducing librarians if the adults were willing to manage our resources effectively. We kept every teacher and staff member from every single one of the school closures. We have the most bloated central admin staff I’ve ever seen in an urban school district.
And despite having this many administrators, teachers and staff, we apparently don’t have a comprehensive academic strategic plan. That is literally their job! We are failing more kids that will never have the opportunity to make up this time.
But the thing that probably upsets me more than anything is that the community outrage hasn’t been directed at the failure to properly educate students for literally YEARS. This takeover didn’t sneak up on us. The time for urgency was when the failure first manifested.
And before anyone says it’s the STAAR test (which I’m not at all a fan of), look how the district is patting itself on the back for the A & B ratings. If the D & F ratings are wrong, then why aren’t they ALL wrong?? You can’t pick and choose when you like the outcomes.
And yes recapture sucks and Austin is and has been penalized for years. But Austin ISD also cannot seem to manage taxpayer dollars appropriately. Both things can be true.
We need to hold ALL of them accountable and frankly that’s the job they asked for. Our kids deserve better.