The 2018-2019 school year will bring 19 new staff members to LASA, including 17 professional staff members, who are teachers and counselors, and two classified staff members, who are librarians and security. The new staff was hired to accommodate the growing student population. According to principal Stacia Crescenzi, the new staff will help reduce class sizes. However, due to limited space, there will be a lot of moving classrooms.

“It’s not the best situation but I don’t want class sizes to get any larger,” Crescenzi said. “It’s what we have to do in order to make sure that class sizes stay reasonable and that we can offer all of the different electives and not core content classes.”

Crescenzi said she enjoyed the hiring process. It began in April, when staff members indicated to administration that they would be leaving LASA. From there, Crescenzi and a select group of teachers reviewed applicants’ resumes and began interviews to fill the vacancy. After the interviews, they will make a reference check for the final applicants.

“It’s sometimes nerve wracking because it feels like a monumental responsibility to hire,” Crescenzi said. “You want the perfect person for the subject and for LASA students. So, finding the right skill set both in terms of knowledge based, but also in terms of personality.”

According to Crescenzi, there aren’t specific qualifications that applicants must have, because keeping requirements open allows for a unique demographic mix of new staff members.

“This year we have quite the mix,” Crescenzi said. “Some have worked in other schools in Texas; some have worked in schools out of state. I’m never opposed to giving a brand new teacher a shot. If they are the right person and fit, then I want them and I am happy to work with them, provid[ing] the mentoring and professional development they need to grow.”

In order to bring new staff members together, Crescenzi gave them a tour of Austin. She said the tour let them see what it means to teach at a school where students come from everywhere in the city. They traveled through different neighborhoods to meet students and parents. LASA ambassadors and parents helped new teachers learn their expectations and how they could cater to each student’s needs.

“I want them to have that experience so that they can be more empathetic to the students and that they can recognize that when they look out to their students,”Crescenzi said. “They can’t have preconceived notions about where their kids come from because they don’t know.”

Crescenzi said she hopes that LASA will feel like a family for them. She advised them to not be afraid to ask questions and get to know more about the students, staff and fellow teachers.

“I’m looking forward in getting to know them,” Crescenzi said. “They’re a really interesting group of people, so I can’t wait to be in their classrooms seeing how they interact with the students and the content but also getting to know them as people.”