KUT News
Kindergarten teacher Ginger Bolen teaches a hybrid of in-person and virtual students from her classroom at Boone Elementary School in South Austin.
The Austin Independent School District s board of trustees on Thursday unanimously approved $1,000 bonuses for all full-time and part-time staff as a way to thank them for their work during the pandemic.
Most trustees at the board meeting mentioned they wished they could give staff more, but were excited the district found a way to give some sort of additional compensation. It really is about focusing on how we can demonstrate our appreciation in this small way, board member Noelita Lugo said.
North Clackamas hires school district leader from within
Internal candidate Shay James to replace current Superintendent Matt Utterback
School board members have chosen Dr. Shay James to replace retiring North Clackamas Superintendent Matt Utterback starting July 1.
James, currently assistant superintendent of education fo
r the North Clackamas School District, joined NCSD as its executive director of high school programs in 2016, when she earned an annual salary of $130,803. As superintendent, she will make a $230,000 annual base salary, and Utterback s annual base salary was $207,500 starting in 2018-19.
Two other finalists for the position included recruits from Nevada or Minnesota: assistant superintendents Debbie Brockett and Timothy Gadson.
KUT
Students sit separated with masks on during a class at Boone Elementary School in South Austin. A few children attend school in person, while their classmates participate via Zoom from home.
Meagan Campos’ eldest child is a third-grader at Boone Elementary in the Austin Independent School District. This is the first year Charlotte will be required to take the state assessment, or STAAR, test. How that will happen during a pandemic is raising questions.
Typically, students take the test during the course of the school day, with teachers acting as proctors. But Charlotte has been learning remotely, and the Texas Education Agency says students cannot take the assessment at home, if only their parents are monitoring them.
Introduction
Greetings, Longhorn Nation! I’m Jay Hartzell, and since last September, I’ve had the incredible honor of serving as the 30
th president of The University of Texas at Austin. Each year, the president reports to the faculty on the state of the university. For me, in my first year in the role, it’s a chance to talk about my vision for UT and what it means to be a Longhorn. In a normal year, I would give this message in person. But as you know, this past year has been anything but normal. So, we’re doing this a different way just as we’ve been adapting and adjusting for several months now.
1,146 4 minutes read
Local, state, and national officials are lying to Texas communities about COVID in schools. As part of their forced economic “reopening,” officials and administrators are scrapping safety plans, distorting statistics, intimidating teachers, holding funding hostage, and ignoring the science of COVID spread in order to send as many children back into school buildings as possible. The effect has been predictably devastating, especially to vulnerable working-class communities, as COVID cases continue to surge.
Where is the state’s reaction?
Texas is one of 49 states currently in what the CDC calls “unchecked community spread” and in the “highest risk.” The state is currently ranked 3rd in the country for most deaths and most cases. An average of 316 people are dying of COVID in the state every single day, and the number is still rising.