As a child growing up in Selma, Alabama, infamous for its role in the Voting Rights March of the 1960s, I was exposed very early on to the civil rights struggles of this country. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is the value of education in uplifting people. Education is the great equalizer and I feel that there is no higher calling than being an educator and ensuring that all children—regardless of race or class—receive a quality education.

As Superintendent, the most rewarding part of my job is seeing students graduate.Graduation is definitely the best part of my job. I personally shake the hand of each student who graduates in AISD. It is such an accomplishment, particularly when there are so many things that can derail even their best efforts. When you know how hard the students work, it is great to see them in their caps and gowns on graduation day. And in my job, the other part of the reward is seeing this reflected in the data. Our completion rate for the Class of 2009 was 88.2%, an increase of 2.4 percent, when compared to the previous year. For 2010 TEA State Accountability ratings, the District met the Recognized standard for completion rate.

That the Austin School District is a great district. AISD made gains on virtually every TAKS standard in school year 2009-10. Ninety-nine percent of our schools passed TAKS, and 95 percent of schools met the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard. More than one-third of our schools moved up one or two levels in the state accountability rankings and about half are now rated Exemplary and 36 rated Recognized! In addition to performing well on state assessments, six of our high schools earned America’s Best High Schools Designation. And our 8th graders outperformed the nation and large cities in math on the Nation’s Report Card! AISD was the 8th largest Green Power government purchaser in the U.S, the only school district on the Top 10 List. AISD also earned a Gold Leadership Circle Award for budget transparency, and a AAA bond rating by Moody's Investors Service. In August, Austin was named one of the nation's most "reform friendly" cities for education for AISD'S strong funding venues, quality-control metrics, reform and past and present superintendent leadership, according to a study released by the Fordham Institute. Our teachers are among the best in the nation. The Austin School District again leads the state in the number of National Board Certified Teachers. Our teachers rack up state and national honors all school year long, including two teachers who are state finalists for a Presidential Teaching Award. Further, AISD was recently chosen to receive the largest Teacher Incentive Fund grant in the country--$62.3 million. I have a dynamic staff of more than 12,500 employees -- dedicated teachers, principals, counselors, librarians, custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria workers – who all work very hard for the sake of our 86,000 students.

I always wish I had studied more languages. Knowing more languages would have helped me be better prepared for my career. A large part of my job is communicating and engaging with parents and communities. I would enjoy being able to communicate more the native languages of our communities and better understand their cultures, so that I can help them achieve the educational aspirations that they have for their children.

I love being able to go to the Friday night football games at House Park. House Park Stadium was built in 1937, serving Old Austin High School, now the Rio Grande campus of Austin Community College. I live near House Park, so I love sneaking over to a game and watching our talented students excel in athletics. I don't need to watch an episode of "Friday Night Lights," I can just stroll over to House Park to see some live Texas high school football to get my entertainment fix for the next week's work! House Park is heavily used by our football, soccer, and lacrosse teams, marching bands and drill teams, and for numerous community events. Recent renovations of the House Park field and stadium are part of AISD’s 2004 Apple At Work Bond Program.

My Blackberry, clearly. I use it not only for calls, but to check email, check my schedule and send text messages. But more importantly, it is my lifeline to the School District's social media platform. I love being able to send tweets from my Twitter account and to take pictures of campus visits and cool things happening in the District and post to my blog directly from my Blackberry. I encourage everyone in Austin to follow us! The link to my blog is: http://powerofusinaustinisd.blogspot.com/ and our Twitter link is: http://twitter.com/AustinISD .

I love eating in our AISD school cafeterias. Most people may not know this, but AISD has a chef! Austin school district chef, Steven Burke, has drawn local and national media attention, He has also developed more than 125 healthy and tasty recipes, including a handful of vegetarian dishes, such as black bean burgers and hummus, that are being served in our schools. One of my personal favorites among school cafeteria foods items is the taco bowl at Akins High School. (I even blogged about it.) And, the 2% percent chocolate milk we serve is just the right amount to wash down all that yummy goodness!