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| College Prep student Me'Aisha joins me in demonstrating The Power of Us! |
Yesterday, it was my great pleasure to attend the dedication of IDEA Allan, AISD's new in-district charter school dedicated to preparing students for success in college, career and citizenship.
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| The Aguilar family stands by the bur oak planted to dedicate IDEA Allan. |
My afternoon at the Allan campus began with the same warm welcome I remember from my last visit — with a firm handshake and eye contact from the Academy and College Prep students greeting guests at the door. Teaching good manners and self-discipline is a core value at IDEA Allan, where character education is woven into every lesson and activity. You can learn more about the culture and climate at IDEA Allan in an earlier post from my tour of the district on the second day of school.
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| When you visit IDEA Allan, you can expect a polite, friendly greeting from everyone you meet. Here, students welcome KIPP Austin Public Schools CEO Kathrin Brewer (right) and IDEA Allan PTA Secretary Shannon Demski. |
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| Executive Director of IDEA Austin Larkin Tackett (far left) proudly supervises the welcoming party of Academy and College Prep students. |
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| Welcome to IDEA Allan! |
One of the highlights of the community celebration was a speech written and delivered by College Prep student Me'Aisha, who told us she chose IDEA Allan because she dreams of one day attending Harvard, just like her aunt. She also has her eye on Yale, Princeton and Georgetown. After hearing Me'Aisha speak and visiting with her for some time after the program, I can say with confidence that any of those fine universities would be lucky to have her on campus. Good luck, Me'Aisha — with hard work and your great attitude, you can achieve any goal you set for yourself!
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| Me'Aisha, a College Prep student, gave a heartfelt speech about why she chose IDEA Allan. |
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| Trustee Sam Guzman (left) played a key role in crafting the district's partnership with IDEA Public Schools. Here, we see him chatting with AISD Community Education Specialist James Salas. |
AISD Trustee Sam Guzman said a few words at the dedication. He modestly downplayed his role in bringing IDEA Public Schools to Austin, focusing instead on what the partnership means to the Eastside community, and the pride he and others feel in what these students have already accomplished — and the great achievements that await them in college and beyond.
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| IDEA founder and CEO Tom Torkelson talks about the transformational change that's possible when we all work together. |
IDEA founder and CEO Tom Torkelson used an African proverb to illustrate the power of the partnership between his organization and AISD. If you want to go fast, he said, go by yourself; if you want to go far, go together. We do have a long way to go, but this partnership is off to a flying start. As Mr. Torkelson reminded us, when IDEA Allan opened last month, its enrollment was the largest for any charter school in Austin history. The 550 students on campus, including 58 former students who returned to the district just to take advantage of this opportunity, are a testament to the power of the vision we hold in common — that every student can graduate on time and complete college.
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| Community leader Pete Montoya was instrumental in helping the Board of Trustees reach a decision about partnering with IDEA public schools. He also has fine taste in vintage cars -- check out that 1929 Model A! |
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| IDEA Allan PTA President Brandee Davis (center) enjoys Me'Aisha's moving speech, along with PTA Secretary Shannon Demski and other parents and community supporters. |
I have no doubt this partnership will improve the lives of the children who attend IDEA Allan, while at the same time strengthening the surrounding community and inspiring others to new heights. IDEA and AISD are working together to build something special and unique. This historic partnership supports our Board's commitment to deliver academic programs that prepare all students for college, career and life. It even goes a step further, because IDEA's commitment to students does not end when they finish high school — it continues right through college graduation.
I'm so excited to be partnering with an organization that shares the district's goal of ensuring that all students graduate on time and go to college. IDEA provides another option in AISD’s portfolio of choices for families, students and staff. AISD is committed to raising the achievement of all students, and this collaboration will benefit all of our students, whether they attend district or charter public schools.
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| The Allan campus is literally full of great ideas -- here are just a couple you'll see walking down the halls. |
I'd like to thank everyone at IDEA Allan for welcoming me back on campus to celebrate this momentous occasion. The sky's the limit with this partnership, and I can't wait to see what we can achieve together!
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| Even though less than a month has passed since my last visit on the second day of school, it's always great to see Principal Angie Arismendi and all the staff at IDEA Allan doing such a great job teaching our kids. |
