February 13, 2023

BIG news for BIG and Little KIPPsters!

KIPP Texas Families,

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and I want to share my LOVE and gratitude for you! We have Persisted with Purpose together!

Earlier this month, Winter Storm Mara brought ice and frigid cold across the state, but impacted our Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio regions most. Austin experienced power outages at several schools and damage from ice and fallen trees. While many of our schools and the homes of our KIPP Texas – Austin families and teammates didn’t have power, our facilities team continued to work tirelessly through the weekend after the storm to ensure our Little KIPPsters returned to school safely and warm to continue joyful learning.

Thank you to all of our KIPP Texas Facilities team members for the swift cleanup at our schools affected by Winter Storm Mara! It is because of you that we were able to dive right back into learning this week .

Now that we are back to our joyful learning, the ONE HUNDREDTH day of school celebrations are happening across our KIPP Texas schools! I am so proud of all we have accomplished within these 100 joyful days! Time flies by when you are having fun 😀. Thank you, Big KIPPsters, for doing all you can, showing up every day, engaging our KIPPsters with love, and changing lives. These last 100 days were impactful because of you in partnership with our KIPP Texas families.

Proud KIPP Alegría Primary School parents Adiletha and Neftali Vallejo cheer on their Little KIPPster Matthew for tackling 100 days of school!

Thank you for making 100 days of education for our Little KIPPsters possible.

KIPP Texas Celebrates Black History Month

Throughout KIPP Texas, our schools are celebrating and learning more about Black History. Read more about the Lift Every Voice theme in our blog here and share what this month means to you in the comments!

KIPP Sharpstown KIPPsters held a Black History fashion show

Welcome Guadalupe Diaz as KTX San Antonio’s next Regional Superintendent

Earlier this school year, Allen Smith, KIPP Texas San Antonio’s Regional Superintendent made the difficult decision to transition out of his role at the end of this school year. I appreciate all that Allen has done for our San Antonio KIPPsters. We have seen so many achievements during his time as the Regional Superintendent, and he will forever be a part of the fabric of KIPP Texas-San Antonio and will continue to lead his work until the end of this school year.

After months of searching, we have found the perfect fit for a new Regional Superintendent in San Antonio. Please join me in congratulating our new Big KIPPster, Guadalupe Diaz!

The KIPP Texas board and the T2 team unanimously gave two thumbs up to Guadalupe’s candidacy for Regional Superintendent. Guadalupe will join KIPP Texas with 20+ years in education encompassing community relationships, staff development, student achievement, and school leadership. She has a background in transforming school culture and academics, leading to an “A-Rated” school, and is recognized for her ability to lead and coach staff for high performance.

Guadalupe is the proud daughter of immigrant parents from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. Her father had a 4th-grade education, and her mother had a 6th-grade education. With them as inspiration, she became a first-generation college graduate.

She started her journey as a bilingual teacher educating students on the West side of San Antonio. After teaching, she became a campus instructional coordinator and coached and managed PK-8th grade teachers. She then became an assistant principal, coached teachers, and managed all school operations.

Soon, Guadalupe was promoted to principal of IDEA Carver Academy. In three years, she and her team were able to move the entire body of K-5 readers from 26% to 77% reading on and above grade level. She has also led the region’s lowest-performing school to become top-rated, receiving an “A” rated state distinctions and the campus of the year.

Her start date is March 1, the first day of Women’s History Month. Until the end of the semester, current San Antonio Regional Superintendent Allen Smith and Guadalupe will work together to onboard and ensure a smooth transition into her role. I am thankful that Allen will remain in his role to see us through to the finish line of the school year. I appreciate Allen abundantly, particularly now, for what he has done and will continue to do for the San Antonio region. He will forever be a part of the fabric of KIPP Texas-San Antonio.

I am grateful for Guadalupe’s deep experience managing schools, drive to Chase Excellence, unwavering commitment to creating brave and belonging spaces, and outstanding instructional expertise. She will continue to lead San Antonio’s schools to even greater heights alongside you, delivering on our sacred promise to KIPPsters.

The 2023-24 Academic School Calendar

The Academic Calendar Committee is working steadily on completing the details of the 2023-24 academic calendar, and we hope to share a full draft calendar next month. In the meantime, so that you can plan accordingly, we are sharing some key dates* and changes below:

First Day of School: Monday, August 14, 2023
Last Day of School: Friday, May 24, 2024
Thanksgiving Break: November 20-24, 2023
Winter Holiday: December 22, 2023 – January 7, 2024
Spring Break: March 11-15, 2024

More details about the Academic Calendar and bell schedules are coming this month.

*Calendar dates are tentative until the KIPP Texas Board approval.

Student Application Deadline for Lottery Friday, February 17!

The student application deadline for new-to-KIPP families to participate in the student lottery is this Friday, February 17. All applications received after the deadline will be placed on a waitlist in the order they are received. Don’t wait to submit your application today!

Legislative Corner

We continue to stay engaged with lawmakers about the issues that matter to our big and little KIPPsters. This week, I want to highlight a few ways that citizens in Texas can keep a pulse on our state government!

Check out bills relating to public charter schools like KIPP Texas and track their progress in real-time here.
Find out who represents YOU in the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives here. Our Community Impact team recommends saving their contact information in your phone so you have handy access when you are ready to share input on issues that matter to you. Consider following them on social media and signing up to receive their newsletters as well – it is so important that we pay attention to how our leaders are representing us.
SAVE THE DATE for an opportunity to travel with other KIPP Texas families and team members to meet with lawmakers at the Texas Capitol on Thursday, April 13th. Limited spots will be available, and we will be sending out more information about how to sign up soon!

As always, our Community Impact team is available if you have any questions about how to stay involved. We are to Lift Your Voice!

This week is sweet and short because of our upcoming Rest and Renew day on Friday, February 17. We are also closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day, so please enjoy your four-day-weekend!