January 2012

A Major New Award for Extraordinary Teaching

Amazing teachers deserve more attention. That’s the idea behind the Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice, a major new award that honors extraordinary teachers.

Offered by TNTP, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that more students learn from excellent teachers, the $25,000 prize will be given to up to five teachers each year. Winning teachers will also have the opportunity to share their expertise with educators nationwide.

Austin ISD Board of Trustees to Hold Special Hearing on Annual District Report

Austin, TX—The Austin Independent School District's Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing Jan. 30. to discuss an annual report, which includes data from the Academic Excellence Indicator System, as well as information related to campus performance objectives, student violent and criminal incidents and postsecondary enrollment.

Who: AISD Board of Trustees

What: Presentation and special hearing on district's annual report for the 2010-11 school year.

When: 7:20 p.m., Monday, Jan. 30.

AISD Invites Community to Feria Para Aprender; Introduces Language Program for Parents

Austin, TX—Austin ISD's Department of Public Relations and Multicultural Outreach invites the community to attend the sixth annual Feria Para Aprender, a Spanish-language education fair that is expected to draw more than 10,000 parents and children. The Feria is designed to help Spanish-speaking parents become key leaders of their children's academic success. In AISD, three out of five students are Hispanic (60 percent) and at least 24,000 students speak Spanish at home.

Celebrate National School Counseling Week Feb. 6-10

National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, will be celebrated from Feb. 6-10, to build awareness about the crucial role and unique contributions of school counselors within public schools. The celebration provides an opportunity for staff, parents and the community to show their appreciation to AISD counselors for the tremendous impact they have in helping our students achieve school success and plan for a career.