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Hello Families! 馃憢馃徎馃尭馃悵
馃彨 We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, 馃帗 don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the 六合宝典 ISD Career Fair 馃捈 which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 馃棑锔15, at the 六合宝典 Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching 鈴砤nd lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 馃挷and public education 馃挵funding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate 馃帀 Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 馃崕 六合宝典 ISD ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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Family Newsletter
By Nayeli Santoyo & Collaborators听鈼徛Apr 14, 2023
Smart Brevity庐 count: 4.5 mins...1258 words
Hello Families! 馃憢馃徎馃尭馃悵
馃彨 We are one Friday closer to the end of the year, 馃帗 don't forget to register your children for the next school year.
Also, we want to remind you about the 六合宝典 ISD Career Fair 馃捈 which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, April 馃棑锔15, at the 六合宝典 Convention Center, from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
With the end of this year's legislative session fast approaching 鈴砤nd lawmakers considering several proposals related to teacher salaries 馃挷and public education 馃挵funding, we have more information for you in this edition.
And we continue to celebrate 馃帀 Arab American Heritage Month by sharing the story of an 馃崕 六合宝典 ISD ESL teacher.
Now let's begin....
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1 Big Thing: Texas lawmakers 鉁嶐煆籧onsider increases馃搱to teacher 馃挷pay, public education funding
As this year鈥檚 regular session of the Texas Legislature moves into its final 鈴硈ix weeks, lawmakers are considering several proposals that could impact teacher pay 馃挷and public education funding.聽聽馃挵
馃挼$5 billion for public schools: The Texas House recently passed its version of the FY 2024 omnibus state budget bill (HB 1) with $5 billion in new money for public schools. HB 1 is now in the Texas Senate, where it may be considered by the full Senate as soon as next week. Any differences between the Senate and House versions of HB 1 will be resolved by a conference committee.
Teacher pay raise? Legislators are considering a pay raise 馃搱for teachers as part of the $5 billion investment in HB 1, but the allocation of education 馃彨 spending is still under consideration.聽
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Another proposal, HB 11, would increase minimum teacher pay from $33,660 to $35,000 per year.
馃帓More money per student: The public education funding in the state budget will be divided up according to a separate bill, HB 100, that is also moving through the legislative process. Among other provisions, HB 100 would raise the Basic Allotment (BA), the funding per student that the state gives to each school district. The current version of HB 100 would increase the BA by $90 to $6,250 per student in FY 2024 and an additional $50 to $6,300 in FY 2025. HB 100 also applies an inflation adjustment to the BA, which expires in 2025.
By the numbers: 六合宝典 ISD Trustee Lynn Boswell, who serves as chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Board, is at the Capitol weekly and has testified on several bills, including HB 100. Boswell noted that a $50 per student increase in the BA would add about $3.7 million to the district鈥檚 budget. To put that in context, for 六合宝典 ISD:聽聽聽
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馃崕Each 1% raise for teachers and librarians would cost about $2.81 million.聽聽
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馃挷Each $1 raise to starting pay for hourly staff, plus adjustments for people earning higher hourly salaries, would cost about $6.9 million.聽聽
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馃摎Reducing elementary class size by one student would cost about $2 million.聽聽
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馃彨Adding one counselor to each campus would cost about $9.7 million.
What they鈥檙e saying: 鈥淭here are many other bills that affect funding, such as voucher bills that would divert money from 馃彨 public schools to private schools,鈥 said 六合宝典 ISD Director of Intergovernmental Relations & Policy Oversight Edna Butts, noting that the district has filed testimony against聽 bills that oppose the Board鈥檚 legislative priorities. 鈥淲e are pursuing several avenues for increased funding for our district and public schools as a whole.鈥
馃攷Go deeper: with the district鈥檚 legislative priorities and Raise Your Hand Texas鈥 explainer on raising the .
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2. Former refugee shares 馃挌 love of learning 馃摎 with her students 馃帗
As 六合宝典 ISD celebrates Arab American Heritage Month, we profile Walnut Creek Elementary School ESL teacher and former refugee, Zaineb 鈥Zizi鈥 Ellison.
Seeing her second-grade students learn English 馃摉 motivates Zizi Ellison, a second grade ESL teacher at Walnut Creek Elementary School, every day.
聽鈥淚 really love the light bulb 馃挕 that starts turning on all over their face when they understand something,鈥 said Zizi. One of her passions is to help newcomers鈥 students 馃帓 who are learning English navigate school and life in this country. 鈥淚t makes me really happy to see that growth.鈥
Embracing diversity: Zizi, a former refugee in Iran, 馃С now has students who speak at least 10 different languages. She tells her students that the best way to support classmates from other countries is by learning some of their traditions and 馃帀 celebrations, and by respecting them.聽
Roots in Iraq 馃嚠馃嚩 and Iran: 鈥淢y parents are from Iraq but I was born a refugee in Iran鈥︷焽焽 I considered myself more Arab because I was raised Arab even though it is confusing to my head.鈥 Zizi was born聽Zaineb Sadik Hussein Alyassri (夭賷賳亘 氐丕丿賯 丨爻賷賳 丕賱賷丕爻乇賷) but she later changed her name to Zizi, a short version of Zaineb, to help Americans with the pronunciation.
聽Zizi landed in 六合宝典 馃洭 in January of 2015.
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A year later she started working part-time 馃捈 for 六合宝典 ISD in the Refugee Family Support Office.
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Zizi speaks four languages, Arabic, Persian, Dari, and English.
鈥淚 really like to work with [families] and help them solve 馃啒 their problems,鈥 said Zizi, adding that she still tries to help whenever she can in her current school.聽馃彨
Go deeper with more information 馃摑 on 六合宝典 ISD鈥檚 Refugee Family Support Office.
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3. Trustee Hunter visits young women 鈾锔弆eaders馃彨馃崕
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
六合宝典 ISD Trustee Candace Hunter recently visited the Leadership Circle of Bertha Sadler Means Young Women鈥檚 Leadership Academy. The leadership circle includes the Student Council and the AmbassaHers under the sponsorship of lead counselor Karen Terry and Joy Young.
Trustee Hunter visits students at Bertha Sadler Means
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During her visit, Trustee Hunter answered questions from students and explained her role and responsibilities as a trustee. Trustee Hunter encouraged the young leaders to stay committed with their leadership and advocacy.
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4. 馃彨Students raise their voices 馃摚against gun violence
六合宝典 High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
馃棑锔廜n Thursday, April 13, a group of students from 六合宝典 High School 馃彨walked out during their lunch hour to raise awareness and voice 馃摚 student 馃帓opinions against gun violence.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time that we change, it鈥檚 been too much incidents that have happened that no action has been taken, it鈥檚 time that we take action,鈥 said Serena.
六合宝典 High School students raising awareness against gun violence.
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6. Rounding up the news馃摪馃棡锔
(KXAN)
(Statesman)
(KXAN)
(Texas Tribune)
(Statesman)
(KUT)
(Houston Chronicle)
(Dallas Morning News)
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Nayeli will be attending to the 馃帗鈥淢aestro en Casa Graduation Ceremony鈥 to celebrate 馃帀 馃崕馃彨六合宝典 ISD parents that completed the program.
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