Through my lens as a successful entrepreneur and CEO, I view the Eanes school district the same way I view a business: the parents and taxpayers are the customers who deserve the highest quality product - an excellent and market-read education. If we are going to take Eanes to the Next Level of Excellence, we must ensure our Board of Trustees works with our customers in a way that is collaborative, open, honest and transparent.
If I am elected, I’ll make sure Eanes treats the parental and taxpayer relationship with great reverence at all times. This means the needs, wants, and standards established at home by parents should be the highest priority for the Board of Trustees and all Eanes teachers and administrators. Taxpayers without children cannot be used or taken for granted as a giant ATM machine. When the school district makes a mistake – an apology is due. We should avoid conflict, reduce tensions and always try to do the right thing, even when it is difficult or school lawyers are posturing for a fight.
Eanes ISD - A School District Built on the Needs of Parents
Robert Eanes built our first schoolhouse circa 1890 to provide an educational opportunity for the impoverished children of the Cedar Chopper families living throughout the local Texas hill country. [Hear the History of Eanes from WLHS’ 1st graduate Jeffrey Dochen on my podcast.] The little school grew and the older kids were shipped to Austin ISD in the back of pickup trucks into the 1940s and 50s. When Travis County decided to get out of the business of education in 1958, parents and taxpayers had to make a choice and Eanes ISD was formed on April 12th that year. Growth continued and in the late 1960s Eanes ISD was notified by Austin ISD there were too many kids being shipped to their middle and high schools and the Eanes community (now a town called Westlake) had yet another choice: annexation into the City of Austin or go their own separate way. In 1968 our community raised its first bond and built Westlake High School and shortly thereafter Hill Country Middle School. The rest is history.
This independent Eanes / Westlake spirit focused on the needs of our parents, first. Cedar Chopper parents wanted to make sure their children were educated in our own way and in our special community. They rejected big city ways and in that same spirit today, the Lost Creek community is likely voting to separate from Austin after many years of hard-fought advocacy.
It’s time we re-center the relationship between Eanes ISD and its parents. It’s time we get reacquainted about our legacy in order to successfully face a modern world. The greatness of Eanes can only be realized if we forge stronger partnerships with parents. As Trustee I will be committed to this end.
Parental Partnership Advisory Committee
In recent years, it’s hard for parents not to feel like our schools have become a place where our kids are not just bringing back homework and special projects, but moral and political ideas that did not originate at home. The Board of Trustees should be committed to reinforcing parental standards established at home (while at school), and should never do anything to disturb, disrupt, or otherwise undermine the function of any individual family unit. A student’s moral, religious and ethical upbringing belongs to parents first and foremost, not the school district, its teachers or administrators.
The Eanes Board has the authority to create advisory committees that not only involve, but include Eanes parents and taxpayers. For example, a few years ago the DEI Advisory Committee was created and this has had a very positive impact on the relationship that many parents have with Eanes today. Let’s now extend our hand further so more parents can be seen, heard and included in the conversation. Superintendent Dr. Arnett’s CAFE series is also a good example of healthy one-on-one communication but we need more engagement in a group setting to rebuild community-level trust.
Policy Proposal
I will advocate for the formation of a Parental Partnership Advisory Committee to ensure that the Board of Trustees is collaborating with parents to create policies for Eanes:
that compliment, not supplant, parental guidance instilled at home;
to monitor and recommend curriculum, policy and advocacy;
where two-way dialogue occurs to give parents a voice and seat at the table;
where low-level grievances can be heard and discussed – avoiding formal conflict.
Where teachers, administrators and other personnel can be recognized, lauded and appreciated publicly by parents.
Eanes parents and taxpayers that have expertise in conflict resolution or specialize in moderating group discussions should have seats and/or participate in this committee, which would remain in open and ongoing dialogue with the Board.
Teaching Students How to Think, Not What to Think
School resources should be laser focused on education above all else. All non-educational distractions should be minimized or eliminated on Eanes campuses. This puts teachers and administrators in the position of having their time, attention, and skills focused toward the core mission of the district: educating children and preparing them to go out into the workplace. Many teachers report leaving Eanes because they are asked to do too much that isn’t “what they signed up for.” They’re asked to be teachers, counselors, mental health experts, political activists, etc. all the while being charged with life and death responsibilities to protect our children in a critical incident. Enough is enough. Let’s get back to basics.
Policy Proposals
I will stand for diminishing all moral, social, and political advocacy activities at the edge of campus. Mom and Dad are exclusively privileged to teach this information.
I remain 100% against the idea of “banning books” in America. Any parent should have the right to buy for their children any book on the planet at any time.
I will recommend improvements to Dr. Arnett’s administrative library book policy that is now successfully putting parents in more control of their child’s access to disputed materials. A great win-win-win compromise between all sides of the library book issue can be negotiated and Eanes can lead by setting an example for Texas and the United States.
I will support teachers by not putting them in a compromising position of presenting materials they do not feel comfortable teaching to young children and encourage them to engage parents to help make those decisions collaboratively.
I will never allow the district to implement policies (written or otherwise) that keep parents in the dark about disciplinary, psychological or medical issues related to their children unless it is legally necessary to protect the child.
By acknowledging the vital role of parents in the education of their children, addressing concerns regarding specific curricula, and establishing a Parental Partnership Advisory Committee, we can foster collaboration, transparency, and an education system that values and supports the active involvement of parents.
With your help and your vote on May 4th, I will lead the Eanes Board of Trustees on these issues in order to take Eanes ISD to the Next Level of Excellence.
Aaron M. Silva
Candidate for Place 5
Eanes Board of Trustees
Quick References:
Early Voting: April 22–30;
Election Day: May 4
Click here: Schedule a private meeting with Aaron
Click here: Join the Campaign
Click here: Listen to the Eanes Parents Unite Podcast (available on all major platforms )