More Than a Test Score: Why Dobie Deserves a Future
A Moment of Hope in a Time of Uncertainty
At the 2025 Save Texas Schools Rally, Dobie Middle School Mariachi students stood on the steps of the Texas State Capitol and sang De Colores—a joyful, layered song celebrating unity. They had just learned their school might close at the end of the academic year.
And still, they sang.
It stopped me in my tracks: students showing up with beauty, hope, and pride in the face of deep uncertainty. For them—and all of us at Dobie—this school is so much more than a test score.
A School Full of Heart, Culture, and Growth
As the STEM Instructional Coach at Dobie, I witness something remarkable daily: a community of students, families, and educators creating something beautiful despite challenges that don’t always show up in data.
Yes, Dobie faces obstacles. But it’s also where creativity thrives, culture is honored, and academic progress is growing quietly. Dismissing that progress due to outdated metrics or political pressure is deeply demoralizing.
Dobie is not a failing school — Dobie has been failed by an accountability system that refuses to see the full story of our students and community.
The Threat of Closure—and What We Stand to Lose
Dobie is at risk of closure as part of the district’s response to state accountability pressure. If it’s Dobie today, who’s next?
We know what happens when schools like ours are closed: displacing students and redirecting promised bond funds won’t fix systemic issues. It will dismantle a thriving fine arts program, destabilize students already facing housing and language barriers, and erase gains made through consistent leadership and community investment.
We’re not asking for special treatment—we’re asking for a fair chance. Protecting Dobie is about protecting all schools at risk.
The Takeover Narrative: What’s Really at Stake?
Some argue that closure is necessary to avoid a Texas Education Agency (TEA) takeover due to Dobie’s multi-year “F” rating. That pressure is real. But what’s the cost?
State law allows a district takeover after five consecutive “unacceptable” ratings—but these accountability systems haven’t adapted to post-pandemic realities or the needs of high-mobility, multilingual campuses like ours.
Accountability matters. But it should be about supporting students — not punishing schools for the challenges their communities face.
Alternatives to Closure Exist
Other Texas districts have met TEA requirements without closing schools—and without relinquishing local control. Proven options include:
Partnering with trusted local organizations
High-quality community-based transformation plans
Sustained interventions under consistent leadership
These models demonstrate that meaningful turnaround is possible when districts invest in support, not abandonment.
What Closure Doesn’t Solve
Closure may sidestep a state-level problem—but it inflicts real harm. It disrupts students—many refugees or new arrivals—and breaks trust between families and schools.
Research shows closures rarely improve academic outcomes. Instead, they often lead to drops in test scores, graduation rates, and long-term earnings—especially in marginalized communities.
Leadership Decisions: What Questions Must Be Asked?
🔹 Where was our Plan B? AISD was aware of the lawsuit to delay A–F ratings for years but didn’t appear to plan for the lawsuit’s failure. Where was the proactive strategy?
🔹 Where’s the accountability for failed support? Years of leadership turnover, external monitoring, and district-designed improvement plans didn’t deliver. Why should Dobie students bear that burden?
🔹 Why no backup beyond the LASO grant? Was Dobie’s future dependent on winning one highly competitive grant after the lawsuits were already in motion? Where’s the long-term vision for sustainability?
🔹 What happened to the 2022 Bond funds? Voters approved Dobie’s major modernization. The groundbreaking community ceremony was scheduled for this week—then abruptly canceled. Where is that money going, and how will AISD remain accountable?
A Campus in Transition—and on the Rise
Many of our students transition from dual-language elementary schools into English-only testing environments. Dobie has a 55% mobility rate, with over 250 new students arriving mid-year. Still, this year brought more consistent leadership and shared vision than we've seen in years. Progress is happening—but it takes time.
We are a community. We are educators, parents, students, and neighbors. Closing Dobie won’t fix inequities — it will deepen them. Our students deserve investment, not abandonment.
This is bigger than Dobie.
Schools across Texas — and the country — are facing the same harmful policies. But right now, we are fighting for our school, our students, and our community. What’s happening reflects a larger pattern across Austin ISD — and raises an important question for all of us: What kind of district do we want to be?
AISD’s own 2023 Equity Assessment confirmed what many in St. John, Rundberg, and North East Austin have known for years: Schools serving Black, Brown, immigrant, and working-class students have faced chronic underinvestment — despite navigating the greatest challenges.
That same report warned: that closing or taking over schools in historically marginalized communities risks deepening harm — especially without meaningful community engagement.
And yet here we are.
Dobie Middle School — a trusted home for immigrant, multilingual, and working-class families — is now at risk of closure or charter takeover. Not because of a lack of talent or care. However because of a flawed accountability system that reduces students to test scores while ignoring real barriers like housing instability, language transitions, and high mobility.
This decision is unfolding with:
→ Little transparency about our choices
→ Rushed community engagement — all during STAAR testing
→ And a voter-approved modernization project for Dobie — with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for this week — suddenly canceled.
This isn’t just about Dobie’s future — it’s about trust, justice, and the kind of district our students deserve.
AISD’s own Equity Assessment called for more investment in community school models like Dobie — not less. These models work because they meet students and families where they are, providing real support, not punishment.
We believe there’s still a choice:
→ To honor commitments
→ To center community voice
→ To invest in students, not displace them
What We’re Asking For
We’re not asking to be excused. We’re asking to be seen—in full context, with care.
We ask for:
An equity-centered turnaround model that keeps Dobie public and partners with trusted community organizations (Austin Voices and ACE)
Transparency and community input on the 2022 Bond funds
A full accounting of whether closures truly help students—or simply relieve political pressure
Answers to the questions above (Leadership Decisions: What Questions Must Be Asked?)
Let’s Lead with Courage, Not Compliance
The question isn’t whether AISD is under pressure—it’s how we respond without abandoning our values or our most vulnerable students.
Dobie deserves investment, not erasure. If we get this right—not just for Dobie, but for any school under threat—we create a blueprint for ethical, community-centered transformation.
Just like our new Roadrunners football team, we’re building something great. They haven’t had time to develop fully—but the foundation is there. With support and consistency, they’ll improve.
You wouldn’t pull a team off the field in the first quarter. Don’t pull the plug on Dobie now.
This is bigger than Dobie.
This is about what kind of district we want to be.
Do we want to be a district that abandons schools facing the greatest challenges — or a district that invests in their success?
Dobie is ready to rise. Our students are ready to rise. We need leadership willing to rise with us.
#SaveDobie #SiSePuede #DobieStrong
These reflections are my own and do not represent the official stance of AISD.
📣 How You Can Help
🗓 Public Comment Opportunities:
Sign the Petition: https://chng.it/KfK6Lw7sVT
Board Info Session: Thurs, April 10
Sign up to speak or record a message by calling 512-414-0130
(April 9 from 3:30–4:45 p.m. or April 10 from 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)Community Meeting: Mon, April 14 at Dobie Middle School, 5:30 p.m.
Board Public Hearing: Thurs, April 24 at 5:30 p.m.
📧 Email the AISD Board of Trustees: trustees@austinisd.org
🔗 More info: austinisd.org/board/meetings
📚 Sources & Research for Further Reading
National Education Policy Center – Do School Closures Work?
University of Chicago – School Closures and Long-Term Student Outcomes
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) – Equity in Accountability
Houston Chronicle – Wheatley HS Turnaround Avoids Closure
2024 Austin ISD Equity Report: https://www.austinisd.org/organizational-transformation/equity-assessment
Research on the impact of school closures:
“The Effects of School Closures on Student Achievement” – A report by the National Bureau of Economic Research examining the long-term consequences of school closures on students' academic performance.
“The Economic and Social Impact of School Closures” – Brookings Institution, which discusses the broader effects of school closures, including educational and social costs.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability system:
Texas Education Agency, “Accountability Ratings” – Overview of the TEA's accountability ratings, including the policies that determine when a school is at risk of closure or state takeover.
“Understanding the Texas Accountability System” – Texas Education Agency resources explaining the accountability and rating system used to determine school performance.
Impacts on marginalized communities:
“School Closures, Segregation, and Equity” – American Educational Research Journal – Examines the disproportionate impact of school closures on marginalized communities and communities of color.
“Educational Inequality and School Closures in the U.S.” – The Century Foundation – Discusses how school closures exacerbate racial and socioeconomic inequalities.
Alternative school improvement models:
“Community Schools: A Strategy for Raising Student Achievement” – The Center for American Progress – A report on how community-based schools and partnerships can improve educational outcomes without resorting to closures.
“Community Schools and Transformative Education” – The Learning Policy Institute – Discusses models of community schools that have helped stabilize schools in high-need areas.
General reports on public education and its challenges:
“The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Education” – National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) – A comprehensive study on how the pandemic affected education, particularly in terms of achievement gaps.
“The State of Texas Public Education” – Texas Association of School Administrators – Provides insights into the challenges Texas schools face, including funding, leadership turnover, and the impact of accountability systems.
