Looking forward to meeting you!

My name is Kate Mason-Murphy and I am running for AISD School Board, District 6. 

I want to take a moment to introduce myself to you. For those of you who prefer to skim, I've highlighted text. There are lots of ways for us to connect.

• I was a Teacher for 11 years, 6 in AISD.
• I started my career with AISD at ACES on the backside of Becker’s campus.
• From there I moved to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and taught PE for the next 5 years.
• I was a great teacher in really good standing when I was RIFed and then re-hired at 67%.

That was like a punch to the gut, not to mention my family’s finances, as my husband was also a teacher with AISD at the time. We have 4 kids, 3 in AISD schools.

• My daughter attended Barton Hills Elementary from K-5th
• My stepson is at Zilker
• I have a Kindergartener at Joslin
• And I have a 3 year old in his 2nd year of a free grant funded dual language preschool at Foundation Communities

When the Facilities Master Plan proposal recommended all three of these schools be closed, I was truly horrified at the direction the district was taking.

• I am a graduate of the University of Texas, BS in Organizational Communication
• I earned my teaching certification through Region 4

This is a time of change in Austin…

• We are getting a new Superintendent (yay!)
• 4-5 new AISD School Board Members 
• New City Council
• We have a rapidly growing and changing population, as is evidenced by our traffic, smog and for many of us, a reduced quality of life.

Standing on this precipice, AISD can either soar to great heights or plummet. Our challenges aren’t unique (or new). We have some tough financial decisions to make, as a district.

However, it is also a time of opportunity.  

Opportunity to align vision and share resources with Imagine Austin, city planners and other public entities to create compact and connected communities, including safe routes to schools, a healthy and active population, creative artistic expression and affordable housing. 

I believe ALL children deserve a high quality education that develops their character and prepares them with the knowledge and skills to be successful in a changing world. 

Testing and spending a large portion of our limited resources on high stakes testing        is NOT the answer.  

Privatizing schools with public monies is NOT the answer. 

Schlepping our kids all over town on big yellow busses or in private vehicles for hours every day is NOT the answer.

• Rolling up our sleeves and getting to work IS the answer.
• Opening up our campuses for the community and the organizations that serve them IS the answer.
• Incentivizing teachers and staff to work in their own community schools IS the answer.
• Partnering schools that are masterful at building a support system in their communities (ie. fundraising for campus-based extras) with a sister school who hasn’t mastered that skill yet. That IS the answer.
• 3-year contracts for teachers IS the answer.
• Dual-language opportunities for ALL students IS the answer.
• Being a good neighbor IS the answer.
• Living in, working in, investing in our neighborhood schools IS the answer. 

It’s the only answer that makes sense to me.

We have the opportunity to be forward-thinking, world class. 

But we have to take care of our own, educate our own, raise our own. The Austin Independent School District’s collective “own”. The future of our city depends on it.

I am open-minded, creative, thoughtful and resourceful.

I don’t claim to have all of the answers or even all of the information, but I do bring a unique perspective. 

• Teacher
• Parent 
• Community gardener 
• Bike commuter 
• Activist 

I would love to meet you, discuss about any of these topics or others that are important to you, paint posters in your community, for your community, attend family-friendly bike rides or neighborhood park play dates. 

You are welcome to call or text me 512-351-5576, find me on FB or email me directly at Vote4KateAISD6@gmail.com