Claudia, Pflugerville ISD Trustee, Place 4

09/03/2026

This is a timely read as we navigate changes to employee healthcare here in PfISD.

Healthcare costs are rising sharply for employers across the country, and school districts are not immune. This article looks at the difficult choices employers are making to manage those increases, including narrower provider networks and other changes that can reduce costs but can also mean very real disruption for employees and their families.

I share this not to minimize those impacts. I have heard concerns from our own teachers and staff about access to trusted physicians and specialists, continuity of care, and what these changes may mean for their families. Those concerns matter.

But I do think the broader context matters, too. Rising healthcare costs are putting enormous pressure on employers nationwide and on school district budgets in particular. For public schools, every additional dollar required for healthcare has to be considered alongside teacher compensation, classrooms, programs and all the other needs we are responsible for funding.

Healthcare is compensation. Maintaining benefits that are both financially sustainable and valuable to employees is increasingly difficult.

That is also why I was at the Texas Capitol this week calling attention to this issue and advocating for better statewide data on public school employee healthcare. Trustees should have meaningful, comparable information about cost, affordability and access so we can better understand the tradeoffs we are making and make the best possible decisions for both our employees and taxpayers.

This is a much bigger challenge than any one school district, but its impact is deeply personal for the people we serve.⬇

A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.

09/01/2026

This past Saturday, Mindy McGarry with the Pflugerville Interfaith Council, joined me at my monthly St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church Guadalupana Society rosary to invite our members to take part in a very special community service project. 💙

On September 12, the Pflugerville Interfaith Council and the Austin Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are bringing neighbors together for a 9/11 Day of Service at Copperfield Elementary, to turn remembrance into service and creating something lasting for students, teachers, and families.

When asked about the “why” behind this effort, Mindy shared something really meaningful: at a time when there is so much hate in the world, we need opportunities to build bridges in our own community. I couldn’t agree more.

The project will include landscaping, tree trimming, new benches, support for students, and the creation of a new food pantry. And right now, one of the biggest needs is food donations through the Amazon wish list so that pantry can be fully stocked and ready to serve Copperfield families.

Copperfield is a truly special school. More than 90% of its students are identified as economically disadvantaged, yet the campus continues to stand out in PfISD. It has earned distinctions across nearly every accountability category for four years running. That speaks volumes about the students, educators, families, and community surrounding this campus.

If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to give back, this is a wonderful opportunity to honor the past by serving our future. ❤️🇺🇸

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
📍 Copperfield Elementary School
12135 Thompkins Dr., Austin

You can volunteer, bring a donation, or help stock the new food pantry through the Amazon wish list using the QR codes on the flyer.

When we serve together, we strengthen our community and we build the bridges our world needs more of.

08/29/2026

Ace Ventura PfISD canine and our PfISD Police Department were out yesterday at River Oaks and Dearing Elementary for their “Shining Star” recognitions, celebrating students who stand out for the things that matter so much in a school community: kindness, positivity, and being a good example to others.

I loved getting to be there as students were recognized for exactly that. What a wonderful way to reinforce that how we treat one another matters and to make a student feel seen for the good they bring to their school.

Congratulations to this month’s Shining Stars! ⭐️ And thank you to our PfISD Police officers — and Ace, of course 🐾 — for helping celebrate our students for leading with kindness. ❤️

08/28/2026

This is another important piece of education data that deserves attention.

According to an investigative analysis of TEA data, more than 54% of full-time teachers in Texas charter schools were uncertified last school year, that's nearly 7 times the rate in traditional public school districts. 7 times!

Certification alone does not define whether someone can be an excellent teacher. But preparation, training and experience DO matter and the research cited in the story raises important questions about student outcomes.

Also of note is the difference in state policy. Texas is moving toward requiring teachers of core subjects in traditional public school districts to be certified by the 2029–30 school year, but that requirement doesn't apply to charter schools.

Earlier this week, I shared another report highlighting differences in administrative spending between charter schools and traditional public school districts, and raised the importance of ensuring charters are included in state audits and financial scrutiny.

To me, these issues are connected.

If traditional public schools and charter schools BOTH receive public education dollars, then policymakers should be willing to ask whether they are being held to comparable standards for teacher qualifications, financial stewardship, transparency and accountability.

The rules do not have to be identical in every respect. But the public should be able to clearly see where the standards differ, understand why, and evaluate the results.

Sometimes transparency is the first step toward better policy. If we are going to follow the money, we should also follow the standards AND the outcomes for students.

Worth a read. ⬇️

More than half of charter school teachers in Texas working last school year were uncertified, according to KSAT Investigates’ analysis of data from the Texas Education Agency.

08/26/2026

I appreciate Pflugerville ISD's quick action today to discontinue its use of Flock Safety cameras and remove the cameras from district property.

Our community has raised serious questions about this technology, privacy, data access, and public trust. We are listening. I am grateful that our District listened as well and acted promptly in response to those concerns.

Removal of the cameras is an important step. As a Trustee, I am also asking follow-up questions to make sure we have done everything reasonably possible to close the loop, like confirming that the system and outside access have been fully decommissioned, understanding what happens to previously collected data, and confirming the capabilities of the specific equipment the District used.

Those questions are particularly important given what our City has recently learned about the difference between who was believed to have access to its Flock data and what activity records ultimately showed.

Public safety matters deeply. So do privacy, transparency, responsible stewardship of technology, and community trust. Good governance requires us to consider all of them.

Thank you to the community members (many of them friends) who have researched, asked questions, spoken up, and helped bring greater attention to this issue, and thank you to PfISD leadership and our Police Department for responding quickly to our community's concerns.

Pflugerville ISD is suspending the use of the Flock Safety camera system on district property, effective immediately.

08/26/2026

I was very sad to learn of Dolly Parton’s passing today. She was one of my earliest inspirations. I loved that unmistakable voice, her humor, her larger-than-life style, and yes, I’m pretty sure my lifelong appreciation for fringe can be traced back to Dolly. 😊

But as I grew older, I came to admire something even more important about her: the way she used her success to serve others, especially children.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she made a simple but powerful investment in childhood literacy, putting books directly into the hands and homes of children, regardless of their family’s circumstances, expanding its bilingual English-Spanish option to serve even more families. What an extraordinary legacy for someone who understood that opening a book can open a whole world for a child.💖

She entertained generations, made us laugh, gave us songs that somehow became more relatable the older we got (looking at you, 9 to 5 🥴), and then used her platform to make life better for millions of children.

Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for the music, the laughter, the books, and maybe a little bit for the fringe, too. 💫📚

08/25/2026

As a former auditor, I’m supportive of following the data and following the money.

One finding that caught my attention (aside from the really low manager to staff ratios at the Texas Education Agency): statewide data shows charter schools spending 10.3% of operating expenditures on central administration, compared with 6.8% for traditional public schools. That's over 50% more and that deserves scrutiny too.

As the State Comptroller reviews administrative spending in public school districts, I hope charter schools receive comparable review. Transparency and accountability should apply consistently wherever public education dollars are spent.

Sometimes the policy we can achieve is not immediately more funding, but better transparency that allows taxpayers and policymakers to see where the money is going. That is how the audit of TEA came about in the first place. When resources are scarce, that matters.

If public schools won't get more funding, we can at least follow the money and make sure the data helps inform what comes next. Numbers don't lie. Our Schools Our Democracy
https://osod.org/our-schools-our-democracy-calls-for-governor-abbott-to-include-charter-schools-in-audit-of-texas-school-spending/

08/24/2026

Worth a read for anyone following the implementation of Texas’ new Education Freedom Account/voucher program.

The state’s first report provides a clearer picture of who is participating: more than 85,000 students have accepted vouchers, with a large share of recipients coming from lower-income households and about one-quarter qualifying as students with disabilities. But important questions remain, including how many participants were previously enrolled in public schools and, for many communities, exactly which public school districts students are leaving.

That missing information matters for traditional public school districts like Pflugerville ISD. Enrollment drives funding, staffing, class sizes, facilities planning, transportation and many other operational decisions. Districts need timely, reliable data to understand enrollment shifts and responsibly plan for the students who remain in our public schools.

Whatever one’s perspective on school choice, transparency about the program’s actual impact will be important as Texas evaluates this first year and considers future funding and policy decisions.

Good data helps policymakers, families and public school districts make better decisions for Texas students.

Read the Houston Chronicle article:

08/20/2026

What an exciting night welcoming the newest and returning cohorts of PfISD Early College High School students and families! 🎓💙💛

One message from Dr. Quintin Shepherd especially stayed with me: these students made a choice. They are choosing to become the authors of their own futures and take on an extraordinary challenge in the years ahead. Impressive for high school freshmen!

And they really will be college students soon — official ACC Riverbats! 🦇

Students and families heard about the tremendous resources available to help them succeed: tutoring, library services (including access to an actual human librarian 24/7!), computer labs, accessibility services, and mental health support. I appreciated the reminder that when accommodations may be needed, it is far better to have the support in place and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The advice about motivation was equally important: there will be days when you are tired, frustrated, overwhelmed or simply don’t feel like doing the work. Do it anyway. Remember your “why.”

And when things become difficult, ask for help. There are so many people: family, teachers, counselors, administrators and this entire Pfamily invested in these students’ success. As I tell my own kids: pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. You don’t have to struggle alone.

What awaits these students if they stay the course is remarkable: the opportunity to earn an associate degree from Austin Community College at the same time they earn their high school diploma, with college tuition at no cost to their families. 🎓🎓

That is opportunity. That is access. And that can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.

Congratulations to our newest ECHS students and families. The work won’t always be easy, but remember why you started. We are rooting for you! 💙



¡Qué noche tan emocion ante dar la bienvenida a las cohortes más nuevas y que regresan de estudiantes y familias de PfISD Early College High School! 🎓💙💛

Un mensaje del Dr. Quintin Shepherd se quedó especialmente conmigo: estos estudiantes hicieron una elección. Están eligiendo convertirse en los autores de su propio futuro y asumir un desafío extraordinario en los próximos años. ¡Impresionante para los estudiantes de primer año de secundaria!

Y realmente serán estudiantes universitarios pronto, ¡ACC Riverbats oficiales! 🦇

Los estudiantes y las familias se enteraron de los tremendos recursos disponibles para ayudarles a tener éxito: tutoría, servicios de biblioteca (¡incluido el acceso a un bibliotecario humano real las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana!), laboratorios de computación, servicios de accesibilidad y apoyo a la salud mental. Agradecí el recordatorio de que cuando se necesiten adaptaciones, es mucho mejor tener el apoyo en su lugar y no necesitarlo que necesitarlo y no tenerlo.

El consejo sobre la motivación fue igualmente importante: habrá días en los que estés cansado, frustrado, abrumado o simplemente no tengas ganas de hacer el trabajo. Hazlo de todos modos. Recuerda tu "por qué".

Y cuando las cosas se vuelvan difíciles, pide ayuda. Hay tantas personas: familia, maestros, consejeros, administradores y toda esta familia involucrada en el éxito de estos estudiantes. Como les digo a mis propios hijos: el dolor es inevitable; el sufrimiento es opcional. No tienes que luchar solo.

Lo que les espera a estos estudiantes si se quedan en el curso es notable: la oportunidad de obtener un título de asociado de Austin Community College al mismo tiempo que obtienen su diploma de escuela secundaria, con matrícula universitaria sin costo para sus familias. 🎓🎓

Esa es una oportunidad. Eso es acceso. Y eso puede cambiar la trayectoria de la vida de un joven.

Felicitaciones a nuestros nuevos estudiantes y familias de ECHS. El trabajo no siempre será fácil, pero recuerda por qué empezaste. ¡Te apoyamos! 💙