Austin ISD may revise IDEA contract Dec. 17

Board President Vincent Torres said he had welcomed the opportunity to discuss IDEA because of misconceptions in the community and some incorrect information discussed during the campaign season.

To aid the board in its discussion, Mathias created a report tracing the development of the IDEA contract, summarizing what he called the narratives that developed around it and including data about IDEA Allan.

"It's important to get down to the facts," he said.

Trustee Lori Moya said that a few years ago, the board changed its policy on charter schools. She said charter schools, school vouchers and school choice were becoming more popular throughout the state and more supported in state government.

She said she was not a fan of charter schools and that if charters do not partner with school districts, it creates an "us vs. them" environment.

The board had tightened its policies, making it more difficult for charters to join the district. She said AISD needed to find a way to coexist with charters.

"If we don't, the only people who get hurt are our kids," she said.

After being heavily criticized for how it engaged the community and incorporated feedback prior to contracting with IDEA, the board debated the best ways to listen going forward.

Trustees discussed whether to talk with IDEA Allan parents prior to implementing the compromise posed by Mathias.

Moya said that if the board voted to end the IDEA contract entirely without engaging the community, the board would be open to the same criticism it received when it signed the contract.

Several IDEA officials, including President/CEO Tom Torkelson, were present at the meeting. Representatives shared statistics about IDEA Allan, which opened this fall at the former site of Allan Elementary School in East Austin.

Tina Fernandez, IDEA Public Schools board of directors member, said she is steadfastly committed to public schools in Austin.

She said changing the contract in the span of two weeks sounded like another rash decision.