Arati Singh AISD Trustee Interview
2025.11.4 Grace Chimene, Arati Singh, Susan Hart
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization. We never support or oppose political candidates or parties, but we do advocate on issues that we have studied and adopted. The Advocacy Committee of the Austin Area League visits local elected officials to share information about the League and its positions as well as to learn more about what our local region's elected officials see as key issues and priorities.
This interview with AISD School Board Trustee Arati Singh is part of a series of interviews with local elected officials during 2025 and 2026.
Interview with AISD School Board Trustee Arati Singh
School Board Trustees represent residents of the school district and have the following responsibilities:
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Adopt goals and priorities and monitor progress
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Adopt policies and review for effectiveness
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Hire and evaluate the superintendent
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Adopt a budget and set a tax rate
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Communicate with the community
Arati Singh was first elected to the Austin ISD Board of Trustees as an at-large trustee in 2018 and re-elected in 2022; she served as Board President from 2022-2024. A former bilingual fourth-grade teacher and PTA leader at Oak Hill Elementary, Singh is passionate about providing equitable learning opportunities to all children. Professionally, she is a program evaluator specializing in NASA and National Science Foundation grants through her company, Raise Achievement; work that has helped her understand what students and families need to thrive. Singh’s own two daughters graduated from Austin HS and says, “Both of them went to their dream colleges and are pursuing careers that they first learned about as Austin High Maroons!”
Q&A
What first motivated you to seek a position on the AISD Board?
Singh’s path to public service started as a bilingual teacher and getting involved in the PTA at Oak Hill Elementary. As the PTA president, she brought together native Spanish-speaking families and English-speaking families to build intentional outreach to create an inclusive environment. This resulted in monthly Spanish-only meetings, a new cultural liaison executive board position, and direct access to the principal — so all families could participate. The Oak Hill Elementary PTA became the first school in AISD to receive a PTA National School of Excellence designation.
“That work helped me understand how important it was to make personal connections and offer sincere invitations to families that don’t usually get asked to participate,” she recalls. “At the same time, she served on the state PTA advocacy committee, where she routinely testified on behalf of Texas PTA against vouchers, greater charter school oversight, and for student mental health. People noticed, and eventually they encouraged me to run for the school board.” When an open seat appeared, she ran and won, becoming the first Asian-American to serve on the AISD school board
What would you like voters to better understand about public education in Texas?
Singh is clear that public education is under attack. She highlights four major concerns:
1. Defunding.
The state’s basic allotment has not increased in six years, despite rising inflation and higher student needs. “We’re asked to do more with less, especially after COVID,” she says. “It’s not sustainable.” She mentioned a recent Rice University study showing that over 70% of Texas school districts are operating under a deficit budget. Many school districts, including AISD, have had to close schools to help free up funds to support students more equitably. She says, “It is heartbreaking to break up beloved school communities. At the same time, when you have 23% of our seats being unused, we have to be fiscally responsible and adapt to the pressures that exist.”
2. Ideological pressure.
She points to the state-developed “Bluebonnet Curriculum,” which includes religious references. The State is promoting it by offering additional funding to school districts that adopt it. AISD has rejected it so far, but Singh worries about the pressure put on districts to accept it because of financial strain. The State Board of Education is currently on a path to create a more narrow social studies curriculum, and TEA is expected to soon unveil a list of required reading for public school students.
3. Privatization and vouchers.
“The adoption of vouchers, which have no STAAR or special education requirements, and the expansion of charter schools, which have no elected oversight, pose serious risks,” she notes. She is concerned that private equity is infiltrating public education, following a parallel with the private equity consolidation in healthcare.
4. Overemphasis on standardized tests and State takeovers
Singh supports assessment when it is used to help educators, but she is critical of the structure of the STAAR test. “It is one test on one day: it doesn’t actually measure a child’s learning in a valid way,” she explains. Singh invites the public not to be tricked or confused by school ratings that are mostly based on the STAAR tests, and notes that at least one of AISD’s F-rated campuses has a long waiting list because of its strong community and innovative teaching methods. She notes that AISD teachers work with a high-needs student population, including recent immigrant families. “A student can be in the country one week and still be required to take the STAAR in English,” she says, explaining how accountability ratings can penalize districts that welcome all learners.
Singh expresses deep concern about State takeovers of local school districts, like Houston, based on the STAAR tests. “AISD is working hard on turnaround plans to avoid that fate, but the rules don’t account for progress. A school can be improving significantly and still trigger state action.” She urges community members to talk with friends and family across Texas, especially in rural areas, about resisting expanded state takeover authority. “No matter your political beliefs, nobody wants their local schools run by the state,” she says.
What can families and community members do to support their local public schools?
Singh is direct: “Number one: send your kids to public school.” She cautions families not to rely on simplistic school ratings, which reflect the impacts of generational trauma and poverty more than school quality. She add, “These are the very schools that need more investment and stability, not less.”
She encourages residents—whether or not they have children in AISD—to:
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Join a PTA or serve on a Campus Advisory Council, which includes community member seats.
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Support the Austin Education Fund, which invests in literacy, innovation, and essential student needs.
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Stay informed through school board meeting summaries published by the Austin Council of PTAs
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Vote thoughtfully in school board elections. “It’s better not to vote than to vote without doing your homework,” she says.
How can voters stay engaged with school board trustees?
Singh emphasizes the value of communication:
“Transparency matters to us,” she says. “Hold us accountable.”
What gives you hope?
Singh appreciates AISD efforts to get students ready to vote. Working with the Travis County Clerk’s office, AISD has expanded student involvement in Election Day poll-worker programs and ensures every high school student receives voter registration opportunities. “Registration is high, but turnout is not,” she says. “We need families to help their kids take that final step.”
Despite challenges, Singh sees strong reasons for optimism: more AISD schools earning A ratings, major improvements in teacher retention, significant progress in special education compliance, and strong teamwork among trustees and Superintendent Matias Segura. Despite all the pressures, AISD has substantially decreased administrative costs and has received the highest fiscal responsibility rating the state offers.
“Our board works well together, and our educators are extraordinary,” she says. “AISD still offers something really special—an education centered on the whole child, engagement, and empowerment. We value community support.”