No News is Good News [AISD Update]

At Monday night's meeting Austin School Board members opted to not vote on a proposal that would offer financial incentives for teacher resignations. While this plan seems to have had some success in Dallas, AISD is in a unique position, having already informed teachers of their impending lay-off. Offering a pay-out to already RIF'd teachers opens up the potential for double-dipping (taking the incentive and applying for unemployment benefits as well) and could end up costing AISD more than it would save. And, by the way, RIF'd (laid off due to a Reduction in Force) is quite the euphemism for what is looking to be a teacher massacre here in Austin.

Board members also reiterated that none of the nine proposed school closures would happen...next year. The facilities master plan is a 10 year, multi-step plan that will not be implemented immediately. The understanding throughout AISD has always been that any school slated for closure would have at least one "grace year"... one Mad Max Thunderdome-type year in which student enrollment would plummet and teachers would be scrambling for new positions... Welcome to AISD. The rules are simple. Get to the weapons, use them any way you can. I know you won't break the rules . . . there aren't any. Gallows humor aside, staff, parents, kids and concerned community members remain in suspense for the future of our schools.

The Board is scheduled to vote on the Facilities Master Plan on March 28th.