On Tuesday, October 1st , 2013 The Austin American-Statesman published an editorial titled "Empty Desks, Unhappy Customers".  The article examines the possible reasons as to why there's a decrease in enrollment in AISD schools despite the increase in population in the city of Austin. The author puts the majority of the fault upon AISD officials’ experimental decisions and the reaction of district parents. Even though I agree with the authors’ standpoint, I'm not totally convinced by their argument.

This piece was apparently written by the "editorial board" of the Austin American Statesman. Who that is exactly, I cannot say. I also can't say whether or not this person (or persons) is qualified to address issues in this field. I am particularly wary since there's a lot of spouting of data, but not a whole lot of references. The one reference they do make is from some past article posted by their own paper, The Austin American-Statesman, but they don't even mention the title. It feels like this cocksure author's priority isn't to get all the facts from a variety of reliable sources, but rather from his/her like-minded coworkers. I have no idea if the Austin American Statesman is a biased paper or not, but as a stranger walking into this editorial, I'm a little put off by the shallow treatment.

Despite the nervous stomach, I still ate everything it fed me. I was moderately convinced by all of the author’s points concerning the decrease in enrollment. They spoke about how AISD failed attempts at improving schools which led to abandoned buildings where functioning schools once stood. Also, the increasing percentage of parents who send their kids to charter and private schools because they are looking for more adequate education options seemed reasonable.  The editorial also touches on the rising cost of living in Austin which in itself is having an effect on AISD enrollment.  More people just can’t afford to live here. But then again, my agreement with this author is strictly based on the pre-processed information that they submitted. I have no way of knowing, based strictly off of this article, whether or not the information is even accurate.

What is clear, though, is that this author disapproves of AISD's approach to reform. This is something I can full-heartedly agree with. Changes in education are going to need a lot of time, money, and consistency - three things that Texas isn't renowned for in regards to our educational systems. I think these botched, experimental projects that the AISD leadership have promoted is really just wasting a lot of energy and putting a strain on the AISD families’ trust and patience with their school district.