Fix the Soil, Not the School: Why Sustainable Change Matters for Dobie
Texas Education Agency 2023 Accountability Ratings: Highlighting Austin ISD Schools Rated A and F
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and do not represent the views, policies, or positions of Austin ISD or any affiliated organizations.
These past three weeks — filled with the turmoil of Dobie facing a high risk of closure, constant and often conflicting updates, shifting policies, and urgent advocacy efforts — have been a hyperbolic example of what it’s like to work at Dobie, or at a school like ours: centering kids, even at the expense of your own well-being. Late nights. Early mornings. Busy weekends.
While I’ve been pouring into our students and community, I also have two young children at home who need their mom. They deserve quality time with me, too. And too often, I find myself giving them what’s left — not what they deserve.
With the TEA’s recent extension delaying the board’s decision on Dobie’s future by a few more months, I’ve had time to reflect — not just on these past few weeks, but on the past several years. And it’s led me to ask: what was the number one thing, as a coach, that truly impacted our classrooms at Dobie?
Here’s what I’ve realized: schools like ours cannot thrive under debilitating pressure. It’s like expecting a plant to flourish without healthy soil. Year after year, we look at our spring crop and wonder why our plants aren’t thriving.
The answer is simple: it’s not the plant. It’s the soil.
Dobie's challenges aren't isolated — they are part of a larger systemic issue rooted in Austin’s historic East-West education divide, where schools serving primarily Black, Brown, and low-income students have long been under-supported, as clearly reflected in the accountability map above.
This systemic inequity leads Eastside schools like Dobie, Webb, and Burnet to feel trapped under the crushing pressure of state accountability ratings. Adding more pressure to perform next year — say, moving from an F to a D — demands unsustainable, Herculean efforts. And even then, educators are left wondering: Is my school safe? Will it be enough?
Or worse: Am I enough?
In this kind of environment, few teachers or administrators feel safe enough to take real risks unless they know there’s room for mistakes and growth. Yet any healthy system needs that space. It’s the foundation of true coaching culture and a real growth mindset.
Over the years, I’ve watched some of our most talented instructors walk away from East Austin schools after receiving years of failing test scores, even after pouring in immense effort and heart. I’ve seen others break their backs to achieve minimal growth — working after hours, on weekends, sacrificing time with their families for the needs of their students.
And let’s not forget the toll this takes on our physical health. Chronic stress and illness are closely linked. I've lost count of how many educators I've seen burn the candle at both ends — especially during testing season, which now stretches from January to May — only to compromise their immune systems and end up sick. This leads to teachers missing work, others scrambling to cover an already under-resourced school, and resentment simmering beneath the surface.
That’s not a healthy culture.
But we don’t have time to be sick.
We don’t have time to rest.
We don’t have time to thrive.
This isn’t about fixing Dobie. It’s about fixing the soil — fixing the system.
Austin ISD’s 2023 Equity Report Summary clearly outlines bold actions, and this moment demands exactly that. Bold action means building sustainable schools for our most vulnerable students and leading with equity in every tough decision. Today, Austin ISD still distributes resources based on enrollment — not on student or community needs. This model doesn’t work for campuses like Dobie and other underperforming Eastside schools, and here’s why:
Many neighborhood students transfer to higher-ranked schools across town, often seeking better-resourced environments. This lowers enrollment numbers at Eastside campuses — and because funding and staffing are based on those numbers, it drains resources from the very schools that need them most.
When students transfer out, the student population that remains often has greater academic, social, and emotional needs. Without enough staffing or support, it becomes harder to meet those needs — and standardized test scores suffer, feeding a vicious cycle of disinvestment and blame.
High mobility rates make the problem even worse. Schools like Dobie can gain more than 250 new students in the middle of the year — many arriving after staffing is finalized in the fall. Yet no additional resources follow those students midyear, stretching teachers and support staff far too thin.
Expecting schools to succeed without adjusting for these realities is like asking a plant to grow without enough water, sunlight, or nutrients.
If we want true equity, we must fund schools based on what they need to thrive.
However, as a long-time East Austin educator, I know the most precious resource we need is unhurried time — time to build a sustainable school model and work toward a real legacy, not just another quick fix.
It may be hard to believe that something as simple as time is the key to such a complex puzzle. But it's not just about time itself — it's about the conditions that unhurried time creates. Time allows for critical thinking, thoughtful planning, playful learning environment, deep collaboration, and the building of a long-term vision. As Marie Beecham wisely says, Privilege isn’t the presence of perks and benefits. It’s the absence of obstacles and barriers. That’s a lot harder to notice. If you have a hard time recognizing your privileges, focus on what you don’t have to go through. Let that fuel your empathy and action.
In our context, the absence of constant crisis is a privilege. Schools need breathing room to thrive. One year isn’t enough to build a sustainable school environment. In my opinion, even two years isn’t enough under the current attacks on public education. The updated 2022–2023 STAAR test is harder and disproportionately impacts students who are already academically behind. Meanwhile, advocates are spending so much energy fighting to defend public education that we are in a state of survival, and there’s little time or space remaining to center making it better.
We need to reset the clock and start building toward a stronger, more sustainable future.
Dobie was in the middle of a stable year one before major disruption in the community occurred — ironically, two days before STAAR testing season. These last three weeks — marked by a rushed, high-pressure community engagement process — have been exhausting and harmful to the very community we serve.
When teachers are exhausted and scared, our students feel it too.
Our children deserve better. And so do the people who show up for them every day.
If we do not consistently lead with our values and vision, especially during challenging seasons, we risk ending up right back where we started, or worse: burning through the very talent we should be fighting to retain, eroding trust with our communities by reacting instead of responding, exhausting our teachers, and treating educators as disposable. High teacher turnover isn’t just bad for schools — it’s bad for kids.
I fear many of our most talented educators are already leaving. Even those who want to stay and fight alongside our community are reaching the same hard realization: I love my students. I love my campus community. I love my leaders. But I cannot thrive in a school with such high, unrelenting stakes — always living in fear of closure and job insecurity.
Please don’t get me wrong. I want our school open.
But if I had to choose between two more years of high-stakes survival or five more years of true sustainability, I would choose the latter — even if it means finding a temporary home for our students and teachers while we build a better Dobie. Because that’s what our school community truly deserves — not just another chance at survival, but a new, healthy soil where we can finally flourish.
Trust, talent, and stability are the roots of a thriving school.
I firmly believe we move at the speed of trust. And right now, what we need to rebuild trust is time — time to heal the soil and reimagine something better.
Our community deserves a future where teacher and student growth are prioritized, schools are sustainable, and students can truly thrive.
Together, we have the power — and the responsibility — to change the story for every student on both sides of I-35.
📣 Calls to Action:
✨ If this resonates with you, please share this story. Elevating educator voices matters.
📧 Contact the AISD Board of Trustees and ask them to prioritize sustainability like the actions listed in the Austin ISD 2023 Equity Report, not just accountability: trustees@austinisd.org
🗓️ Attend an upcoming AISD Board Meeting on Thursday, May 22nd at 6pm to advocate for long-term investment in historically underserved schools: Board Regular Voting Meeting | Austin ISD
🤝 Support organizations and leaders fighting for equitable, sustainable public education in Austin. Learn more and support Austin Voices for Education and Youth (AVEY).
