Apr
02
2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
With input from you, your children's former teachers, and administrators/counselors, the formal process of class placement will begin in the middle of April and will not be “officially” final until August. It is critical that we are purposeful and diligent as we create classes that are balanced and will lead to success for all stakeholders which includes your child, yourself, and the school.
As classes are formed we consider many criteria. First and foremost, we think about your child and vet the best teacher and environmental qualities to support him/her. Other considerations include learning style, temperament, health issues, general achievement levels, special programs, and services.
Completion of the form is optional—it is NOT required although I would highly recommend taking the time to complete the questionnaire ensuring an informed first school year together.
This electronic form will be available between Thursday, April 2, 2020 and Friday, April 17, 2020. The form will not be available after that date as the administrative team will begin the process of making placements immediately after April 17, 2020.
Final placement will not be complete until August 7, 2020 as some students leave and new students enroll. We will send home individual class placement information on or before August 7, 2020. We also have been in close contact with Kiker and Baranoff teams and they will provide their in-house placement information with the team at Southwest Elementary.
This will be your opportunity to provide input, as the school year looms closer and closer the leadership team will be focused on opening priorities so the intent is to have clear calendars as we go about the business of turning the sign from “UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to “OPEN!"
We will absolutely not take teacher requests. We are very proud of the staff we have assembled. As you provide information, we also request that you refrain from requesting friends. Each child has his/her own needs and will be placed as such. Please do not ask your child’s current, previous or possible future teacher to arrange a particular placement for your child. Likewise, do not ask a teacher to recommend another teacher.
It is essential to understand that with so few choices for student placement we may have to work together to address situations in the past that led to separation of students – this will be an opportunity to model and practice restorative approaches to fractured relationships as we reimagine and reinvent public education. Our building is built and designed for collaboration so all students in all classes in all grade levels will be interacting with each other almost on a daily basis, so just like ‘real life’ we are going to have to manage those interactions and understand that past concerns may need to be addressed.
If you completed a form prior to this year (at your child’s former school) outlining specific needs, do not assume the information/input from previous years will be reviewed – for example, if there is a separation request because of extraordinary circumstances this needs to be communicated each year.
Please also note that you must register your child online for the 2020 - 2021 school year – we cannot place children unless they are registered – if you have questions regarding this please contact me at david.crissey@austinisd.org.
One final word, I love making classes, it is one of the most important things I do as a principal – a good process sets everyone up for success – with that said I will not entertain class change requests in August – this is your opportunity to express your hopes, thoughts, and concerns.
Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
David Crissey
