I agree that AISD is fucked. Only way out is fixing recapture and that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. They are being set up for a state takeover and that will speed up the decline in enrollment, especially at the higher end schools that can take advantage of vouchers. The lower end will continue to get whittled away by charters.
I feel the district has been dealt the most unfair hand of any district in the state. However, that does not absolve the district of terrible leadership over the last 10 years. Cruz had no idea how to put large scale systems in place. Elizalde was the nail in the coffin by running off most of the competent, long-term staff then bouncing to Dallas. They had to hire a home grown guy just to try to salvage what staff was left.
They are good at hiring west Austin principals who work with their involved communities. No clue how to run the other 2/3rds of schools.
Not really my main focus with work right now but my company does own, manage and operate charters in other states. Would be hilariously ironic to come back to AISD to run 20 of their schools as charters and give no fucks about what their clown show administration wants.