All About ACE
News from the Spring ISD Advisory Committee on Education
2022-2023 Issue 3
Advisory Committee on Education Convened to Discuss Critical Topics
The district's Advisory Committee on Education (ACE) met on Wednesday, Nov. 30, to discuss important agenda items including the Spring ISD 2022 Bond Recap, the Spring ISD Educational Planning Guide (EPG), and discussions regarding the 2023-2024 school year calendar. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Lupita Hinojosa, began by setting the stage for the meeting, letting the ACE committee members know that their participation and feedback would be very important throughout the course of the meeting. Dr. Hinojosa encouraged each member to always keep the Spring ISD goal at the top of their minds, which is to increase the number of students who attend A & B campuses. Dr. Hinojosa mentioned to the committee that the accountability system is changing and how districts received an A or a B before, may be different. She continued by saying that it is truly important that mindsets are changed, not only with adults, but with students as well. She went on to say that she truly believes that Spring ISD can still achieve the number of A & B campuses that the district is aiming for and that Spring ISD will not have any D or F campuses.
Dr. Hinojosa continued this segment of the meeting by reminding the committee that the North Star Goal is what guides Spring ISD. By 2027, the goal is to increase the percentage of students in A/B schools from 27% to 50% and decrease the percentage of students in D/F schools from 46% to 0%. This means that the number of A/B schools will increase from 12 to 19 and the number of D/F schools will decrease from 16 to 0. In 2022, Spring ISD currently has 27 A/B schools.
"What we do as Team Spring ISD is governed by the mission and vision, which is set by the Board of Trustees," Dr. Hinojosa said. She went on to explain that Board constraints are what the Superintendent cannot allow to happen. A few examples included ensuring every report card and transcript is accurate and ensuring that teachers are teaching the Spring ISD curriculum with fidelity. She continued by reminding the committee that Spring ISD must have an aligned curriculum, which is part of the Spring ISD Theory of Action adopted back in 2016 and is still true today. The Theory of Action not only focuses on an aligned curriculum with corresponding progress measures, but differentiated professional development as well.
Bond Proposition Recap
Dr. Hinojosa provided the ACE committee with a bond recap, as well some potential next steps. She shared with the committee that she has met with the Board of Trustees, the Bond Steering committee, and now the ACE committee. She went on to congratulate the Spring ISD employees as well as to thank the community for trusting Spring ISD to do the right things for students. Dr. Hinojosa thanked the volunteers who helped at the polls on election day and shared a few memories of her time at the polls at Fallbrook Church and other polls/locations that had no volunteers. She also thanked the Political Action Committee (PAC), as well as the Spring ISD students who registered to vote.
Dr. Hinojosa went on to remind the committee that every campus received a one-page document, outlining what each campus will receive from the bond. She continued this portion of the meeting by sharing the project timeline and cash flow estimate information, which included a preliminary financing timetable. The timeline for initial cash estimates included a focus on safety and security, purchasing technology, maintenance, bus and white fleet, the design for Spring HS/EPIC, and the refresh of Westfield HS, Jenkins ES, and Reynolds ES, at an estimated cost of $100 million to begin in 2023.
More information can be found on the Spring ISD bond website here.
Curriculum & Educational Planning Guide (EPG)
Ms. Robyn Carrier, Director of Middle School Curriculum, opened by outlining for the committee, the Spring ISD Portrait of a Graduate Alignment. "A Spring ISD Graduate is a lifelong learner, critical thinker and responsible citizen who displays good character - ready to contribute, compete and lead in today's global society." She continued by stating that the EPG is in alignment with the Spring ISD strategic plan and the goal is to create opportunities and desirable outcomes for all students. The focus is to offer the best-in-class specialized programs, career pathway, dual-credit, pre-advanced placement and advanced placement offerings.
There were a few questions asked from the committee, specifically around the idea of offering sign language classes and cosmetology to students. A goal is to offer more foreign languages, however, one of the hurdles has been finding certified teachers in the many different areas. Cosmetology is a continued topic in Spring ISD. As a district, there are multiple factors to consider, one being the interest of the students, and another being the earning potential and job market in the Houston area. Additional languages and cosmetology will continue to be researched and discussed through the EPG committee.
For more information, the EPG guides can be found HERE
2023-2024 Calendar Development
Dr. Eric Tingle, Director of Strategic Innovation, provided the committee with 2 calendar options, a document outlining the differences between the 2 calendar options, and copies of calendars from surrounding school districts. The calendar options were drafted by the instructional calendar sub-committee, using recommendations and feedback from the general committee. The committee members were able to work in groups to analyze each of the calendars and provide another layer of feedback, prior to the calendar options being sent out to the community for a vote. The deadline to vote on the calendar options is January 4, 2023.
Make Your Voice Heard! Talk to Your ACE Representative
Every campus in the district has at least one ACE representative elected by the staff to serve in an advisory role to the Superintendent. Central office representatives are also elected to serve, as well as community members who are appointed by the Superintendent to serve on the ACE as another integral voice.
Over the next month, your ACE representatives will share meeting highlights such as those found in this newsletter as well as gather your input to bring to the next meeting. Be on the lookout for updates to be shared at your next faculty meeting (campuses) and or staff special call-meeting (district office). If you want to ensure your views are heard, reach out to your ACE representative. Click here to learn who represents you.
2022-2023 ACE Meeting Dates
Mark your calendar for the remaining ACE meetings of the 2022-2023 school year. Contact your representative and look for updates on key district decisions over the coming months.
The next ACE meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 25 @ 5:00 p.m.