In front of small crowd, the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees welcomed two people Monday who have a tough job ahead of them.
Jamie Morris and Henry Boening are the assigned management team in charge of three low-performing schools: Johnston High, Reagan High and Pearce Middle School. Their task is to help the schools rise up to academic acceptance.
The TEA threatened to close Johnston down this summer but gave them another chance.
"We'll be visiting the campuses, talking with administration and staff, talking with central office folks. I tend to look at this as though our job is to help these schools improve," Morris said.
The pair work for the Texas Education Agency. For the next few months, possibly longer, they'll look at how each school is run and if they feel the need, they'll make changes.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
State enforcement
Jamie Morris and Henry Boening are in charge of three low-performing schools.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
"We would have the authority to be able to request or ask the district to make certain changes and they would be obligated to do that," Morris said.
Legally, the TEA can close Johnston whenever they want.
It's been academically unacceptable four years in a row.
"Johnston is in danger right now. They have to have a good year," Ron Rowell of the TEA said.
AISD foots the bill for the team. Each gets paid almost $500 a day.
The process could take a few months to more than a year to
complete.
