Donate to Julie Cowan For Austin Schools

Julie Cowan’s commitment to public education and to the schools within District 4 runs deep.

Always seeking to support student learning and family participation in her community, Julie willingly served as PTA president at Doss Elementary School, Murchison Middle School, and Anderson High School. At each school, Julie was passionate about enhancing parent education programming and strengthening communication among all school audiences. She served for multiple years on all three schools’ Campus Advisory Committees, giving her insight to the operations of local campuses.

Julie was the original chair for the Anderson vertical team’s Trojan Spirit Fest in September, 2009, now an annual tradition that celebrates the neighborhood’s strong public education system.  She also co-chaired the Anderson High School 40th Anniversary Celebration in October, 2014, featuring Dr. Charles Akins, the school’s first principal.

Before her children entered the public school system, Julie joined the St. David’s Foundation Alliance, quickly rising to the position of co-chair. Previously, she had been a tri-chair of the Foundation’s Focus on Our Youth lecture series that introduced Developmental Assets (positive values, relationships, skills, and experiences that help children and teens thrive) to the Austin community.  As a member of the Travis County Medical Alliance, she co-chaired a teen pregnancy prevention program placed in AISD middle schools and eventually served the TCMA as its president, receiving awards at the end of her term for philanthropic, legislative, and fundraising programs from both the Texas and American Medical Alliances.

Over the last decade, Julie has served on many of the school district’s most important committees. She was a member of the 2008 inaugural class of AISD Up-Close, a program instituted to educate community members about the district. Service on other significant district  committees includes the 2008 Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee, the 2007 and 2008 Budget Task Forces (Tri-chair in 2008), the 2009 Text Book Adoption Committee, and the 2008 Middle School Strategic Plan Task Force. As the School Improvement Facilitator at Anderson High School from 2010-12, Julie worked to enrich and improve career and technical education courses and career exploration for students.

Julie’s tenure as a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives from 1983-86 and again in 2013 gives her confidence to walk the Capitol halls and engage legislators and their staffs on the state’s most pressing public education issues, including the need to address Texas’ current inadequate funding structure and the misuse of standardized testing. This familiarity and confidence will be invaluable during the upcoming legislative session as she advocates for the needs of all AISD students.