On Friday we celebrated the kick-off of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Akins Mariachis came to our central office and played beautiful music for us. We also had a potluck that included some of the best mole I’ve ever had.

This week includes lots of events and planning meetings. We will have our regular Board Voting Meeting on Thursday where we will continue our conversation around TEA’s Proposed Order.

Where I’ll be and who I’ll meet

Monday, September 18
This morning I’ll start off meeting with Trustee Dr. Foster, who represents District 3 and serves as our Board Vice President. Having one-on-one time with trustees gives me an opportunity to get feedback and learn how we can better serve our students. I’ll then meet with my Senior Staff where we’ll spend some time reviewing key performance indicators within each department. In the afternoon I’ll meet with President Singh and then after I’ll meet Dean Martinez from the UT College of Education. In the evening I’ll meet with E3 Alliance, which is an education collaborative that helps districts with systemic improvement efforts.

Tuesday, September 19
On Tuesday morning I will start my day at a few campuses to check in, say hi, and visit with staff and students. I’ll head to the office for our first Data/Com kick-off. Data/Com is an initiative that centers our historically underserved schools at the table so that district leaders can understand how to best support each campus. We’ll also meet with the team to discuss our Inspire the Future luncheon on October 30th. After that, I’ll attend the District Advisory Council. I’ll end the day at the Band Jamboree at Burger Stadium with bands from all over Austin ISD. I’m so excited to jam with them.

Wednesday, September 20
Today begins with the board Special Education Ad Hoc Committee where we’ll discuss our ongoing work to improve Special Education. I’ll then have my one-on-one with Trustee Zapata, who represents District 2.

From there I’ll head to City Hall to meet with Council Member Alter. We are meeting to discuss how Austin ISD and the City of Austin can develop robust Pre-k and childcare options for Austin's families. I’ll end the day meeting with Mario Piña from Raise Your Hand Texas. Raise Your Hand Texas is a non-partisan nonprofit organization supporting public policy solutions that invest in Texas’s 5.4 million public school students.

Thursday, September 21
Today begins the UpClose Class of 2024 and I’ll start my day welcoming this year’s cohort. UpClose is an amazing program where we invite our community learn about the district's infrastructure, programs, and services, as well as our challenges and opportunities for growth. I’ll then head over to the University of Texas to present to the Cooperative Superintendency Program (CSP). In the afternoon, I’ll prepare for this evening’s board meeting and I’ve built in some review time to prepare for the week ahead.

Friday, September 22
Today I’ll head to the Council of Great City Schools meeting in Dallas. While there, I get to spend time with other Superintendents from across the country. This learning opportunity allows me to hear some promising practices and bring new ideas back to share with my team and determine how they might work in Austin ISD.

El mensaje semanal de Matias

El viernes celebramos el inicio del Mes de la Herencia Hispana. El Mariachi de Akins vino a nuestras oficinas centrales y tocó una música hermosa para nosotros. También tuvimos una comida a la canasta que incluyó uno de los mejores moles que he comido.

Esta semana incluye muchos eventos y juntas de planificación. Tendremos nuestra junta ordinaria de votación el jueves, donde continuaremos nuestra conversación sobre la orden propuesta por la TEA.

Dónde estaré y con quién me reuniré

Monday, September 18
This morning I’ll start off meeting with Trustee Dr. Foster, who represents District 3 and serves as our Board Vice President. Having one-on-one time with trustees gives me an opportunity to get feedback and learn how we can better serve our students. I’ll then meet with my Senior Staff where we’ll spend some time reviewing key performance indicators within each department. In the afternoon I’ll meet with President Singh and then after I’ll meet Dean Martinez from the UT College of Education. In the evening I’ll meet with E3 Alliance, which is an education collaborative that helps districts with systemic improvement efforts.

Tuesday, September 1
On Tuesday morning I will start my day at a few campuses to check in, say hi, and visit with staff and students. I’ll head to the office for our first Data/Com kick-off. Data/Com is an initiative that centers our historically underserved schools at the table so that district leaders can understand how to best support each campus. We’ll also meet with the team to discuss our Inspire the Future luncheon on October 30th. After that, I’ll attend the District Advisory Council. I’ll end the day at the Band Jamboree at Burger Stadium with bands from all over Austin ISD. I’m so excited to jam with them.

Wednesday, September 20
Today begins with the board Special Education Ad Hoc Committee where we’ll discuss our ongoing work to improve Special Education. I’ll then have my one-on-one with Trustee Zapata, who represents District 2From there I’ll head to City Hall to meet with Council Member Alter. We are meeting to discuss how Austin ISD and the City of Austin can develop robust Pre-k and childcare options for Austin's families. I’ll end the day meeting with Mario Piña from Raise Your Hand Texas. Raise Your Hand Texas is a non-partisan nonprofit organization supporting public policy solutions that invest in Texas’s 5.4 million public school students.

Thursday, September 21
Today begins the UpClose Class of 2024 and I’ll start my day welcoming this year’s cohort. UpClose is an amazing program where we invite our community learn about the district's infrastructure, programs, and services, as well as our challenges and opportunities for growth. I’ll then head over to the University of Texas to present to the Cooperative Superintendency Program (CSP). In the afternoon, I’ll prepare for this evening’s board meeting and I’ve built in some review time to prepare for the week ahead.

Friday, September 22
Today I’ll head to the Council of Great City Schools meeting in Dallas. While there, I get to spend time with other Superintendents from across the country. This learning opportunity allows me to hear some promising practices and bring new ideas back to share with my team and determine how they might work in Austin ISD.

Síganme en X @Matias_AISD. #EscuelasFuertesParaUnAustinFuerte