Eastside High School (Austin, Texas)

Albert S. Johnston High School. 2011 changed to Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus
Address
1012 Arthur Stiles Rd Austin , Texas 78721
Information
School type	High School
Motto	Pride of the East Side
School board	Austin Independent School District
Area trustee	District 2
Principal	David Kernwein // 2012: Bryan Miller
Grades	9 - 12
Language	English. Many languages spoken on campus. Blue
Area	Austin, Texas
Color(s)	Red and Columbian Blue // 2008: Black & Silver
Mascot	Ram // 2008: Black Panther
Website	http://www.austinschools.org/campus/johnston/

Albert S. Johnston High School is located in Austin, Texas, United States.

History

• 1960, the new Johnston High School was opened in East Austin (the predominately Mexican-American section of Austin).
• 1980 a district wide busing plan was imposed by a federal judge to integrate Austin's public schools and equalize the quality of education. Students from the predominantly Anglo northwest area of the city (and the racially mixed Far South were bused to Johnston in the southeast area of the city.
• 1990, a citizen-led attempt to rename Johnston High School, named for Albert Sidney Johnston, a Confederate Army general, was defeated. The Austin school board voted to keep the name.
• 2007 Johnston High School became the second forced school closure in the state following the state legislature giving the education commissioner the power to order school shutdowns in 2006.
• 2008 State Education Commissioner said that he made a cursory review of the Austin school district's plan for the Johnston High School campus and was happy with what he saw, in effect quashing speculation that he might allow a nonprofit group to manage the Johnston Campus.
• 2008 August: The re-done campus was renamed Eastside Memorial High Schools at the Johnston Campus, and opened in August 2008 with remaining Johnston Students and new Students from across AISD.
• 2009 Austin ISD Board of Trustees split the student-body into two separate schools with two Principals: Moises Ortiz for Eastside Global Tech (grades 9-10 only) and Connor Grady for Eastside Green Tech (9-12, includes remaining Johnston students).
• 2010 In the Spring, Green Tech was the only eligible HS in AISD to DECLINE to take the grading "curve" on their TAKS scores. And by a very narrow margin, was labeled as the only HS in AISD to be "Academically Unacceptable". Everyone in Green Tech worked VERY hard and in 2011, the next year Green Tech passed in ALL categories. Global did not. (The TEA had discontinued the "curve"; and that year several AISD "AA" schools "inexplicably plunged" to "AU".) The victory of Green Tech was buried by the low scores of others.
• 2011 April: Rumors circulate that the two schools will be re-merged into one; with one Principal. Eastside Students start a petition drive to support the Green Tech Principal, Connor Grady, for the ONE Principal position. More than 400 Students from both sides sign, and hundreds more from the staff and community sign the petition. It is turned into AISD at the end of April.
• 2011 May: Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved the merger of Global Tech and Green Tech back into one campus. Under the now "Academically Acceptable" umbrella of Green Tech. Pending approval by the TEA of YET ANOTHER AISD campus re-purposing plan.
• 2011 June: AISD hires an out of town applicant as the new Eastside Principal, Joseph Coburn. Connor Grady, becomes a Vice-Principal. Approximately 100 students transfer away from Eastside Memorial HS; away from AISD's disrespect and turmoil.
• 2011 October 20: AISD Superintendent Meria Carstarphen shocks the families of east Austin by announcing that Eastside Memorial HS and Allan ES, and maybe other east side schools, will have the "pleasure" of being consumed by a south Texas charter school company, IDEA. Until then, the public discussion was about bringing in additional tutors and mentors.
• 2011 October 20: The community of east Austin chooses to fight back. They begin to re-build the East Austin Community. Everyone understood that the Superintendent had just FIRED all AISD Staff in East Austin. It is commonly known that IDEA schools are staffed by very inexperienced/cheapest teachers and that all of the area's schools were in danger.
• 2011 December 1: Eastside Memorial HS Principal Coburn abruptly resigns his position, effective at the winter break. Interim Principal will be Bryan Miller, from another AISD HS.
• 2011 Dec 12th: In the presence of huge crowds of protesters (and with a block of blue IDEA shirts in reserved seats), the AISD Board of Trustees postpones a planned vote to approve the IDEA partnership.
• 2011 Dec 19-20th: After Midnight, Austin ISD Board of Trustees approved the proposal to contract with IDEA Charter School to manage Allan Elementary School and Eastside Memorial High School. Community opposition to the charter school contract led to an extended public hearing and protests outside of school offices. Enraged, the Community organizes into a tenacious group determined to keep fighting.
• 2012 March: Bryan Miller verified as newest Principal at Eastside Memorial HS.
• 2012 June: Community members continue speaking against IDEA at almost every "Public Comment" period during the monthly Regular Meetings of the Austin ISD Board of Trustees.
• 2012 December: AISD Board of Trustees cancels contract with IDEA Charter School for management of Eastside Memorial High School and all feeder schools.

Johnston Principals

• Dr. Gordon A. Bailey (1960–1972)
• Leroy Fenstemaker (1973–1974)
• Adan C. Salgado (1975–1986)
• Irma Novoa (1987–1991)
• Hector Montenegro (1992–1995)
• Phil Rambikur (interim 1996)
• James Wilson (1999)
• Alejandro Mindiz-Melton (2000) resigned following arrest
• James Richardson (2000) resigned after being injured
• Sal Cavazos (2000) resigned to take position with Southwest Keys
• Darell Baker (interim 2001)

The Confederate yearbook reports that JHS had 7 principals in 10 years. (2002)

• Dr. Donna Calzada (interim 2003)
• Tabita Gutierrez (2004–2005)
• Dr. Celina Estrada-Thomas (2006–2008)

Focused Academy Directors

• Director of the Liberal Arts Academy at Johnston High School, Dr. Paula Tyler (1987–2002)
• Director of the Academy of Arts and Humanities, Jacquelyn Robertson (2005–2009)
• Director of the Academy of Scientific Inquiry and Design, Jonathan Harris (2005–2009)
• Director of Academy of Technology, Scott Lipton (2005–2007)
• Director of Twilight School, Wilia Bailey (2008)
• STEM Academy Director Connor Grady (2011–2012)
• Principal International High School, Leticia Vega (2008–2011)
• Principal International High School, Susan Galvan (2012)

Principals of Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus

• Dr. David Kernwein (2008–2009)
• Connor Grady Green Tech High School (2008–2011)
• Moises Ortiz Global Tech High School (2008–2011)
• Joseph Coburn, Eastside Memorial High School at the Johnston Campus (2011–2012)
• Bryan Miller, (2012-___)

External links

• Albert S. Johnston High School