Message From the Superintendent, March 8, 2021

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Dear Aldine Community,

As you know, Governor Greg Abbott has lifted the state mask mandate, effective this Wednesday, March 10. However, the order left public health guidelines and mandates for public schools to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).  In guidance issued on March 3, TEA is requiring face masks unless the school board modifies or eliminates this requirement. The safety of our students and staff continues to be a priority for the Aldine ISD leadership team. For this reason, we will continue to go as fast as we need, yet as slow as we must, relying heavily on guidance members of the medical and scientific communities as well as TEA. This means we will continue to keep in place all safety protocols, including mask-wearing and social distancing.

The Aldine ISD leadership team will provide an update on Governor Abbott’s order and TEA guidance to the Board of Trustees this evening relating to the continuation of these safety measures. As always, we will continue to monitor the situation, with any and all next steps developed out of an abundance of caution and formed by expert recommendations.
  
An update on school funding
Many of you are aware that public school funding is dependent on student attendance. The pandemic has affected school attendance across the country, and because of this, Governor Greg Abbott and TEA declared the following: 

“…funding will be made available to school systems in Texas that have seen enrollment and attendance declines because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as long as they maintain or increase current levels of on-campus attendance. Districts will be funded on attendance in line with projections made prior to the public health crisis. This will ensure that school systems in Texas can retain their teachers for the 2020-21 school year for whom they originally budgeted.”

While this is great news for Aldine ISD, we ask that you please continue to encourage your students to be curious, ask questions, and find ways to learn that make them excited. We know it can be difficult, but it is important that all students — whether learning at home or on campus — engage with their lessons and complete assignments, quizzes, and projects. If you do not have a Home Access Center (HAC) account, please sign up via the Home Access Center website.

Happening This Week

• Aldine ISD has announced the six 2020-2021 District Teacher of the Year finalists. Join us in a virtual celebration this Friday, March 12!
• This Friday, March 12, is a Remote Learning Day and the last day before Spring Break. We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing break!

REMINDER: School Meals Available
Free curbside meals/weekend meal bundles are available for all children 18 and younger.  We also offer free evening meals to students at all middle schools, ninth grade schools, and high schools. It’s not easy to learn on an empty stomach — we encourage all of our families who need this program to take advantage of it. Please contact your campus for more information.

Student and Family Engagement
Families are invited to the following training sessions led by the FACE Department this month:

Wednesday, March 10
Topic: Get a Jump Start on College
English Session at 9:00 a.m. http://bit.ly/2MswlSj
Spanish Session at 11:00 a.m. http://bit.ly/3aXZy16

District Teacher of the Year Announcement 
Please join us virtually at 10 a.m. on March 12 to watch the district Teacher of the Year Announcement LIVE on our Aldine ISD Facebook page. During the ceremony, we will name the 2021 District Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year. Additionally, we will recognize our Campus Teachers of the Year, Principals of the Year, Rookie Principal of the Year, Rookie Teachers of the Year, and the Teacher of the Year Finalists.

Recruitment Season
Choice Schools Application is Now Open! — Families and their children can choose from Aldine’s various unique academic programs — preschool through Grade 11 — known as Choice Schools from throughout the district. Why choose Choice Schools? All children are unique. Each learns in different ways, has aspirations for different careers, and is interested in different subjects. The more options there are that better suit a student’s interests, the better for the student. The district believes that if all students can attend a high-quality school that matches their interests, they will achieve their academic potential. Students do not need to be zoned to Choice Schools, but they must apply. Due to these programs’ popularity and limited seating, the district selects students through an electronic lottery system. This year, the Choice Schools Application deadline is March 26, 2021. The first virtual lottery for Choice Schools will be on April 3. Click here to apply.

AISD is Looking for Amazing, Talented, Caring Teachers! — The district will host a Virtual Teacher Recruitment Expo on Thursday, April 1, 2021. During the one-hour session, prospective teachers will learn about the district, the application process, and how school principals can interview potential educators. For information about job positions and to apply, visit the Human Resources webpage. Interested candidates can register to attend one of the Expo sessions.

Session 1 at 10 a.m.: Click here to register
Session 2 at 12 p.m.: Click here to register
Session 3 at 4 p.m.: Click here to register

Aldine ISD COVID-19 Updates

• COVID-19 Vaccinations: We are thrilled to announce that school staff members are now part of vaccination Group 1C. We will share additional information with staff as soon as we receive it. We are diligently working with the county and local organizations to see how we can get vaccines to employees as well as more vaccines and information to our surrounding community. 
• This Week’s Overview: We are continually monitoring cases in our community and have plans in place should there be a substantial increase or outbreak. I encourage everyone to continue doing their part: let’s wear a mask, wash our hands, and watch our distance.  
• District Dashboard: Families can always check the COVID-19 dashboard for an overview of the active cases by school. 
• Testing Sites in Aldine Area: Drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing is available for all Aldine ISD students and staff learning and teaching on-campus at the M.B. Sonny Donaldson Child Nutrition Services Building, 1802 Aldine Bender Rd., Houston, TX 77032. Online registration is required by clicking here.

I wish you a safe and restful spring break. 

With Aldine Pride,

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney
Superintendent