Travis County Commissioners Court
June 2, 2009,
Item 2
Number item number 2 is to approve proclamation recognizing the first graduating class of the new tech academy at akins high school.
and if those here on this would please come forward.
i see dr.
akins there.
and dr.
forgione.
dr.
forgione, you still with aisd?
>> 20 more days, judge, not that I'm counting.
>> should I read the proclamation?
>> sure.
>> it reads, whereas the best medicine to combat suffering, crime and other other woes of mankind is wisdom.
we all know that if we teach a student to read, write and acquire a markable skill we have given him the great keys to wisdom.
whereas Austin independent school district's akins high school was named in honor of dr.
william chairmans akins, a resident of Austin, Travis County, part of the Austin public schools system, community leader, teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent with the Austin independent school district.
whereas the concept for a local tech academy derived from meetings of business leaders who were frustrated by the lack of skills of -- of skilled local employees, students frustrated as they came out of school unprepared for jobs in a technologically advanced marketplace.
and the community frustrated with the quality of education in general.
however, out of these frustrations came inspiration and new technology high school was born.
whereas the new tech academy, a three-year program, opened in 2006 on the campus of akins high school, and was designed to simulate real life and prepare students for real work, students learned of self-sufficiency and time management and participated in what the school's founders termed a community of trust.
whereas the new tech academy model incorporates project-based learning, small school size, one computer for every student, and an environment in which students are responsible for their learning, each graduate mastered performance measure criteria including writing, critical thinking, application and originality.
and we're getting close to the end of this, y'all.
>> [ laughter ] and it is appropriate that we gather today to recognize the first graduating class of the new tech academy and extend best wishes for a successful new beginning.
now therefore be it resolved that we the members of the Travis County Commissioners court do here by proclaim June 6, 2009 as akins new technology academy day in Travis County, Texas and urge all residents of Travis County to join us in saluting the 2009 graduates and extending best wishes to the students, faculty, administrators and supporters, and I move approval.
>> second.
>> morning.
>> morning.
>> judge Biscoe and Commissioners, as I prepare to retire as superintendent after a decade of service to the children and sit ens of this community, I'm very grateful to have this opportunity to come and say thank you to each of you.
you have been dedicated friends to the children and families of Travis County, and our school district could not do what we do without your help.
you know, our community really believes in public education, and that's a unique asset in this time.
because urban districts have many needs and we must have strong economic development, and at the heart of that is quality public education.
but I want you to know that your support has been both inspiring and essential to our success today.
today we're honoring the first graduates of a model that we are finding to be truly successful in our very challenging urban public education system.
we must bring all children to high levels of success.
we must prepare them for work in the 21st century.
these students have gone through a rigorous program and that program is required them working in teams, has required them to learn technology, to take on the most difficult of assignments.
i saw one where they had to design a golf course.
and I think trent jones would have been threatened by the talent of these students to put together the geometry and the algebra and the english to communicate and present.
that's the world you live in and that's the world our students must be ready for.
so I thank you very much for your willingness to recognize them today.
i'm proud to say that this fall at east side memorial we will open up two new, new tech high schools, one for global studies and one for the green tech.
because we believe in green.
we think it's an asset and it would be economically effective in the future for Austin.
in the future we expect that both the pearce and the reagan vertical teams will move towards this model because you will see today it has transformed these students.
and old dogs like the superintendent after 40 something years, when you see this kind of inspiration, you know we're doing something right.
so thank you for honoring the children and thank you for honoring the teachers and the administrators.
and of course we've got our guardian angel here, dr.
akins, who we named the school after the year I came.
ron, you remember.
it was a wonderful thing to have a living legend be your sponsor.
and dr.
akins and all the administration, I say thank you on behalf of our school board and trustees who want me to extend to you a thanks for your investing in those after school programs, those extra needs that our families have.
so thank you very much.
>> thank you, dr.
forgione.
>> [ applause ]
>> any comments from the graduates?
not to put you on the hot seat.
>> [ laughter ]
>> I would like to thank the administrators for helping us all.
they do a wonderful job everyday.
they put up with us.
and at first we just didn't understand what they were trying to teach us.
and over time we learned working with each other, this brought us closer and it really did build the family of trust.
so thanks again.
>> thank you.
>> graduates?
>> when I grew up I wanted to be an artist, and I can take classes to teach me art, but new tech gives me the skills to make art into my living.
so they -- whether it's learning how to make a website to promote myself or giving me the proper skills to talk in front after crowd to try to express my feelings, not only with my art, but with my words, and I just think if it wasn't for new tech, I wouldn't really know where to go with my art after art classes.
and how to make it in the real world as an artist.
>> what medium do you work in?
>> well, I like to do traditional colored pencil and just anything on paper, but I also like to do like digital media, animation or movie making, editing, things like that.
and I just want to thank new tech for giving me the skills that I need for my future.
>> now, be sure and tell us your names.
>> my name is rex hamilton.
>> my name is mary miguel.
>> thank you.
>> my name is joey santa.
i guess with new tech it just helped me become a leader.
it helped me --
>> [inaudible - no mic].
i was actually proud of what we did at new tech.
and I'm actually giving tours to mr.
forgione and all the businesses to come over and let them know about new tech.
we're really proud of what we do.
that's not much to say.
thank you.
>> I'm (indiscernible), and new tech, it taught me a lot because I had no clue what I wanted to do when I was older or next year, I guess.
>> [ laughter ] but like because of new tech I know where I'm going to go in my life.
i know what I want to do.
i've got a track to follow.
and I've made some friends that I think will help me in the long run.
i think the teachers really trust you, so you learn to trust yourself and know that the work you're doing is good.
and it will help you in the long run.
>> and a final graduate.
>> my name is (indiscernible).
and new tech made me excited for college.
new tech has given me -- my sophomore and freshman career in high school I didn't know what I was going to do after high school.
i was always nervous.
but after new tech I want to do film and I want to do radio.
those are my two choices and I love both of them with a passion.
my teacher mr.
chesser and my principal mr.
grady, I wouldn't know where I was.
>> okay.
>> judge, I want to thank you and the Commissioners court for this recognition.
i've been here several times before and have been with various schools.
i must say today is the most gratifying to be here, to be recognized as a part of this outstanding school program at akins high school.
the time -- four years ago now, maybe five, I was visiting as they have invited me, and I enjoy doing, and principal dykey, an excellent principal, and now the principal now, and mr.
grady, the principal of high-tech there at akins at that time, he said I want to show you something.
i went up there on the second floor, and judge and members of the Commissioners court, I'm from the old school, of course.
i looked around and saw all those classrooms full of computers.
i said what are you going to do with this?
he said well, the kids are going to use them.
then they talked about looking at all of the courses and the curriculum.
they would be doing in their word using technology.
and I said wow.
i want to see about this.
and it has been successful.
as a matter of fact, the program is a model.
several school districts from across the country come in and visit periodically to see what we're doing.
and so I'm indeed proud.
i want to thank our superintendent, of course, for his insight, his energy and his visionary approach.
surely I want to thank principal dyke, dr.
dyke now and all the administrators and teachers and most especially the students.
and of course we have to say salute to our parents because they've been very supportive.
mr.
and mrs.
lee, we want to say thank you for -- because of their initiative, some good things have happened at our school.
and so we're blessed and we're thankful and we're grateful to you.
thank you very much.
>> thank you.
>> [ applause ]
>> dr.
akins, have a seat.
have a seat, dr.
akins.
>> you're getting on the hot seat.
>> [ laughter ]
>> dr.
forgione, dr.
akins, visiting tech graduating class, this has really been an inspiration.
we hear a lot of negatives in the community, and when you hear a positive as we heard today, it kind of balances things out.
you've mentioned earlier this model probably being expanded to the green area as far as skills and also the global area as far as skills.
as you know, we do have troubles.
we still have troubled schools here in this district, pearce, of course reagan, and of course lately johnston.
we still have troubled situations, so the task is a good beginning.
i think it will help in that direction.
and I'd like to again applaud each and every one of you and hopefully we can adopt these models and the other institutions share within the aisd district that -- where the students will have an opportunity to grow and do some very positive things in this community.
because we have some good kids in this community.
we really do.
and I'd like to reiterate that.
and dr.
akins, they were talking about you in the barbershop this weekend.
>> [ laughter ] but believe me, believe me, it was all good stuff.
i wouldn't let them talk bad about you.
>> [ laughter ]
>> Commissioner, thank you.
>> thank you and thanks to everybody with the staff.
dr.
forgione, all of you.
we appreciate you.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> [ applause ]
>> [ applause ]
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 2:00 PM