Latest news with #BrandiHosack
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
AISD says expert teachers could improve failing schools
AUSTIN (KXAN) – In an effort to turn around low performing schools in Austin Independent School District, it is launching a campaign to hire the best teachers they can get. The district is looking for teachers who have track records of improving students' grades, and they want them in schools that are not meeting standards. The move comes after Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools are all facing a critical school year ahead where they must show signs of improvement or face a state intervention from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). 'We are going to be launching a campaign to recruit transformative teachers,' said Brandi Hosack, chief of talent strategy for AISD. 'We are looking for folks that have more than three years experience in the classroom, are certified and have proven highly effective.' The district said some teachers and staff could be removed from these failing schools, but some parents at Dobie worry about stability in a school that has seen turnover. 'When you bring strangers here to this community, what kind of teachers are we going to have? That is very concerning to us,' said Yessyka Velasquez, a parent from Dobie Middle School. Hosack said she knows stability is important, but tough decisions have to be made. Austin ISD receives C rating in 2023 A-F ratings 'When you take away certain supports that students have become accustomed to, and feel very safe in their campus, and those are the adults and the trusted individuals — that is very, very hard,' she said. The teachers AISD chooses to remove from their positions could then be placed in other AISD schools around the district. 'It is not about you are not doing your job and we are removing you,' Hosack said. 'The folks that have been at Dobie, Webb and Burnet have worked incredibly hard to support these students. This is simply a function of needing to ensure that we are, within the turnaround plan, have seasoned experts.' KXAN asked the district if the teachers who are removed from Dobie, Webb and Burnet will be fit to teach in other schools in AISD. 'There is a difference between highly effective, and you not being highly effective does not mean that you are ineffective, it simply means that you have not yet met those qualifications,' said Hosack. Hosack said a lot of teachers have left the profession and now there are a lot of novice teachers that need training. Keeping Dobie Middle School open could cost teachers their jobs 'There are incredible amount of novice teachers on these campuses because across the state, across the nation, campuses that have been historically undeserved they to tend to have a harder time hiring which means that they have a tendency to hire novice teachers,' Hosack said. The district will host a job fair for transformative teachers May 14 and 15 at AISD headquarters. These positions are eligible for up to $20,000 in stipends to support one of the three District-led Restart campuses. The district is hoping to hire about 100 transformative teachers before the start of the school year. In addition, certified core teachers are eligible to be designated under the Teacher Incentive Allotment and certified special education and certified bilingual teachers are eligible for $7,000 in stipends for support in those classrooms. Check how your school is doing here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AISD: Federal funding paused for program that helps refugees
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Federal funding for staff who helped international refugee students and families settle into Austin ISD schools is on pause. 'On Tuesday, February 11th, Finance/State and Federal Compliance was notified that funds from the Refugee School Impact were frozen, effective at 5 P.M. that same day,' said Austin ISD Chief of Talent Strategy, Brandi Hosack. Austin ISD has 427 refugee students in the district and this grant, which is now on pause, supports the International Welcome Center and currently funds 8 full time positions. The International Welcome Center, which is located at Webb Middle School,serves as a liaison for students and families from Pre-K to 12th grade helping to connect students and families to school and community resources. 'Members of senior leadership convened and made the decision to locally sustain the program and the associated staffing for an additional 30 days,' said Hosack.'Our Director of Elementary Multilingual Education met with the staff to inform them of this of these employees are an incredible asset to our district and will be supported by a member of the staffing department within Talent Strategy to secure an alternative position prior to the 30-day mark.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Austin ISD accepted into Teacher Incentive Allotment program
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Independent School District announced on Tuesday that the district was officially accepted into the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program through the Texas Education Agency. The press release said the Texas Legislature created TIA to provide a way for top-performing teachers to earn higher salaries and help districts recruit and retain 'highly effective' teachers. 'Our kids deserve the best teachers, and our teachers deserve to be compensated for the incredible work they do,' Austin ISD Chief Talent Strategy Officer Brandi Hosack said in the announcement. 'We're excited to be a part of the TIA system which encourages teachers to stay in the classroom. Our hope is they continue to do the best work of their careers in Austin ISD.' Austin ISD said eligible teachers in the program could earn between $3,000-$28,000 per year through TIA. The district said it would use a phased-in approach for implementation. For the first year, the district analyzed the 2023-24 appraisal and student growth data for general education roles in the following: K-3 Reading K-3 Math STAAR Math, Grades 4-8 STAAR Reading, Grades 4-8 STAAR Science, Grade 5 STAAR Science, Grade 8 STAAR Social Studies, Grade 8 STAAR EOC: English I STAAR EOC: English II STAAR EOC: Algebra I STAAR EOC: Biology STAAR EOC: U.S. History According to the district, more than 600 teachers representing 95% of campuses met the approved appraisal and student growth standards to be submitted for TIA designation. This school year, the district is working to capture data for special education teachers and content/dyslexia interventionist roles so that those roles can become TIA eligible in the 2025-2026 school year, Austin ISD added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
