School Inequities Project

The School Inequities Project is a student research project that highlights disparities in AISD public high schools with regard to preparation for higher education; the ideal being that these inequities can and will be addressed and eliminated. The project was initiated by two Youth Mobilizers from Garza High School: Angelo McHorse and Alice Geaccone. These two students were struck by the differences in schools in wealthy neighborhoods and those in less wealthy neighborhoods. If AISD gives equitable funding, why does it seem that resources are not the same across the city?

Two interns from the University of Texas, Amanda Aguirre, a Sociology major, and Laura Avila, an Anthropology major, came on board with Austin Voices for Education and Youth at the beginning of the Spring 2008 semester to tackle the issue of equity in our public school system. The Project Manager of the School Inequities Project is Austin Voices Youth Consultant, Ariel Kay. Ariel has been accepted into Bryn Mawr College and will be majoring in Anthropology.

Students in the Youth Advisory Council, Stand Up Clubs, Youth Action for Educational Change class at Garza High School, and students from the four high schools that were focused on, all contributed to the project.

To view the PowerPoint presentation click HERE.

Stay tuned for more to come from the School Inequities Project.

Youth Led School Board Candidate Forum

The evening of Tuesday, March 25th students were the teachers as they informed AISD Board of Trustees candidates of the issues most important to them. The student-run forum is hosted by the Youth Action Network. Candidates took questions ranging from how they utilize student input in their decision making, how to enhance student to teacher relationships and how current AISD students will be brought into the selection process for choosing a new Superintendent. Following the forum, youth attendees participated in a straw poll to select the candidates they felt will best represent their interests. To view the results click here.

All candidates running in the May 10th AISD Board of Trustees election were in attendance. Youth, community members, teachers, and parents gained valuable insight on how to vote in the election by hearing how the candidates answered students' challenging questions.

For more information please contact Tim Eubanks at 512-450-1880.