This year we are celebrating 5 years of being RootEd. 5 years of advocating for our neighborhood schools. 5 years of fighting for good public education legislation. 5 years of wonderful partnerships. Being a part of the education community has been an honor and we cannot wait to see what the next 5 years bring!!

We want to thank everyone who has helped us along the way. RootEd would not be who we are today without the relationships we have formed.

Starting with the original creators of RootEd: Cristy Burguete, Genevieve Sugalski, Terri Pease, Cameron Vickrey, Jeff Jackson and Trisa Jackson.

Thank you to the RootEd Board for your constant support.

Thanks to our 9 amazing school districts and the coordinators and superintendents we work with: NEISD, NISD, Harlandale ISD, ECISD, SWISD, Southside ISD, AHISD, Floresville ISD, Austin ISD. Huge shout-out to Superintendents Dr. Brian Gottardy, Dr. Brian Woods and Dr. Maika for giving us space to dream up our plans in your schools.

Thank you to Deb Caldwell, Naomi Miller and Kelly Rasti for constantly educating and supporting us.

We are so grateful to the partnerships we have with Lisa Jackson and GoPublic, Sophie Torres and Raise Your Hand Texas, Laura Yeager and Just Fund It & Texas Educators Vote, Friends of Texas Public Schools and Pastors for Texas Children.

Thank you to the school board trustees who have been with us from the beginning.

Thanks to all of our sideline cheerleaders: our families, friends and general neighborhood school supporters who have stuck a Proudly RootEd sign in their yard and shared the stories.

Thank you to our RootEd schools, Principals and staff who have welcomed us with opened arms, have embraced our ideas and cheered us on.

The biggest thanks of all goes to our amazing RootEd Reps who dove in from the beginning and never stopped fighting for their schools. They are the people who work with the schools to implement our ideas and share the awesome stories of what’s going on at their neighborhood schools. To them, we are most grateful.

#RootEd

The 88th Legislative session is beginning and we are ready to advocate for good public education legislation. Below is our legislative priorities for this session.

On Feb. 16, join The Texas Tribune at 8 a.m. Central in Austin for a conversation with Laura Colangelo, the executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association; Scott Muri, the superintendent of Ector County Independent School District; Michelle Smith, the executive director of Raise Your Hand Texas; and Randan Steinhauser, a partner with Steinhauser Strategies.

The discussion will be moderated by Brian Lopez, public education reporter for The Texas Tribune.

School choice proponents say parents’ voices aren't being heard in public school districts across the state, so families should have the option to use state money to fund their children's education outside the public school system. But the idea still faces opposition from some rural Republicans and other public education advocates. They cite the lack of access to non-public schools in rural communities and the fact that public education is largely a hub of employment in many less-populated areas. Join us for a conversation about the education system and what can be done for the betterment of Texas students.

Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Tribune’s Studio 919, 919 Congress Ave., Sixth Floor, in Austin. The hourlong conversation takes place at 8:00 a.m. Central. Refreshments will be provided.

Parking will not be provided. Street and garage parking as well as ride-sharing are recommended.

This in-person event at the Tribune’s Studio 919 will be simultaneously streamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand afterward at texastribune.org/events.

RSVP here.

Dellview Elementary in NEISD had their night at the UTSA Ladies Basketball Game a few weeks ago. The Dellview choir and danceteam got to show off their skills as their families and staff filled the stands! Through a partnership with @wegopublic @utsa @rootedtexas Neighborhood schools are invited to be a part of the excitement! #RootEdDellview

If you'd like to donate to ease the financial burden of an outstanding high school senior, you can donate here: https://proudlyrooted.com/support.

What would you do with $1,000 for life after high school??

High School Counselors and Principals: Our scholarship application is OPEN! Please share with your seniors: RootEd Scholarship – RootEd (proudlyrooted.com)

We are so excited about our upcoming Social, March 3rd at Chuy's on I-10 in San Antonio after work! All are welcome to gather with us and chat neighborhood schools. Any donations we receive at the Social this month will go to our scholarship fund!

Ready to dive into some podcasts that may get you fired up about public education? Or want to be in the know about our legislative priorities and what's going on in public education in Texas?

Check us out. Click on the graphic below for links.

Our favorite podcasts this past year!

We are very lucky to have a partnership with Go Public. Click on their logo to find out more about what all they do for public education!!

Go Public Night with the San Antonio Spurs! – Saturday, March 4th 7PM vs Houston Rockets

Celebrating San Antonio-area’s Independent School Districts. Show your support for your school district and win a chance at fan experiences! All tickets sold through the Go Public link below will receive a 50th Anniversary Tim Duncan Bobblehead!

The night also serves as a fundraiser for the area ISDs’ education foundations.

Tickets: https://bit.ly/RootEdSpurs

Many of our Reps helped organize Kinder Round Ups at our RootEd schools this year. Here, one of our Board Members, Mike Farringer, spoke about RootEd (and wore the mascot uniform) at Oak Meadow's Kinder Round Up.

RootEd is a parent-led, grassroots organization that promotes neighborhood public schools through storytelling, advocacy, and education. We believe a strong public school system for all children creates a robust economy and well-connected community. RootEd is a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

For past newsletters: https://www.smore.com/u/rooted

Email: info@proudlyrooted.com
Website: www.proudlyrooted.com
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Phone: (210) 617-0824
Facebook: facebook.com/RootEdTexas
Twitter: @RootEdSA

Instagram: @rootedtexas