If your memories of high school involve something along the lines of Ben Stein intoning, "Bueller ... Bueller ..." into a slack-jawed vacuum, you'll probably agree that most high schools could use an overhaul. Enter high school redesign, Austin ISD's effort to make its high schools more relevant to real life – the basic idea is that if students appreciate what the Pythagorean theorem has done for them lately, they'll be more likely to succeed and graduate. It's a cool concept, and the district is putting a whole mess o' time into planning its tweaks, tinkers, and overhauls. The process wouldn't be quite the same, though, without Austin Voices for Education & Youth, a nonprofit based out of the already cutting-edge Garza High. The youth mobilizers of Austin Voices are working long and hard to get other kids (and adults) to weigh in on the process to make sure AISD's concept of "relevance" is actually relevant. If you've got some ideas for a high school that don't make you want to pass out in 31 Flavors, you can join AISD and the mobilizers in a series of forums throughout the coming year.
