Travis County Commssioners Court
March 30, 2004
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next, and one citizen did sign in. La Ron knells I believe is who this is. This gives citizens up to three minutes to address the court on any matter not on the agenda. Mr. Nellis.
>> Commissioners, judge. I’m here as one of your many mentors from allen elementary, and I’m here to give you an update on some very exciting news, the third graders in all of the Austin independent school district took their reading test and I’m pleased to tell you that allen elementary and pickle elementary both had the greatest percent of improvement in their third grade reading. And I want to thank you for all of your support that you've given to Travis County employees who are mentoring in all schools in aisd. I'd like to take just a couple of seconds and show what kind of impact is one of -- that some of these mentors were making. Some of us took second grade classes to u.t. Explore on March the 6th in order to instill a desire in these second graders to attend college. I can tell you that those second graders were very excited, their parents went, several of them wrote thank you notes for going to the university. This 62nd grader says, this field trip means a lot to me because I want to go to college. We are definitely making an impact on those students. In another class activity. They write I have a dream. These are second grader. These happen to be from allison, elementary. They are saying I have a dream that everybody will go to college. They will never drop off school or be good to people. Another one wrote, I have a dream everyone in the universe will go to college, even the people in heaven. We are definitely making an impression on those second grade student. I'd like to just quote one other study that has recently come out of princeton, woodrow wilson graduate school of public affairs. In that study that was quoted last month, the researchers identified an urgent need to develop strategies to cultivate college orientation in elementary school, particularly for hispanic students who exhibit the lowest college-going rates despite their raped growth as a share of Texas pop -- rape pid growth as a share of Texas population. Allen and allison elementary exceed 50% hispanic students. I believe with your continued support of the mentoring program, we will see substantial increases in the number of those children going to college. Thank you.
>> thank you. We appreciate your working in that program also. And I guess the invitations are still out for other mentors to help.
>> right. Anyone that could spare one hour per week can call 41 414-4512 to volunteer to be a mentor in any of the Austin independent school district 110 different schools. Thank you.
>> thank you. Anybody else for citizens communication whether you signed in or not?
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 10:27 AM