Commission application number 35 submitted by Emily Adams on 06/06/2020
First Name | Emily |
Last Name | Adams |
Voter Unique Identification number | 1213044425 |
Ethnicity | White |
Gender | Female |
Age | 25-34 |
Education Level | Post-Graduate Degree |
Major Pursued | Education |
Submitted Address | |
City | Austin |
State | TX |
Zip | 78748 |
What is your occupation? | English Teacher |
Verified Address | |
City | Austin |
State | TX |
Zip | 78748 |
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? | Yes |
Spouse/Domestic Partner First Name | Nikita |
Spouse/Domestic Partner Last Name | Puzanenko |
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? | No |
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? | Yes |
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? | Yes |
Been appointed to a state or city office? | No |
Been elected to a state or city office? | No |
Been a candidate for a state or city office? | No |
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? | No |
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? | No |
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? | No |
A paid employee of the City of Austin? | No |
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? | No |
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? | No |
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? | No |
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? | Web advertisement |
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? | No |
Disclaimer Agreement | Checked |
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. | As an English language arts teacher I analyze texts and data on a daily basis. In order to teach students to read critically, I have to be meticulous myself in examining the nuance of language. Much of the work I do in preparing lessons requires me to analyze the text itself as well as the potential issues students might have in understanding the lessons. I also analyze testing/grading data to discover where my weaknesses are in my teaching. Each unit requires me to reflect on the student's scores and how I can change what I do in order to best assist the students in raising them. This is a problem solving process that is ever evolving. |
Please describe your ability to be impartial. | As a school teacher, I have to be impartial. I get kids in my classroom whose opinions are all over the spectrum. Their lives are filled with a myriad of challenges that I may not understand or have experienced. It's my job to concentrate on the work of building their skills and giving them fair, authentic feedback, regardless whether I agree with their opinions or ideas. This is especially relevant when we teach argument and research. Kids often write about topics that are charged, and even if I do not agree with their thesis, I grade their writing fairly because that is my job. |
Disclaimer Signature | Emily Adams |
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. | My favorite thing about Austin, and why I moved here in the first place, is how green it is for a major city. There is opportunity to experience natural beauty, while also enjoying the amenities of city life: bars, restaurants, live music. I worked as a substitute in AISD while I was completing my master's and I got to see how diverse Austin truly is. I loved hearing Spanish in the halls and watching kids from different backgrounds working and playing together. That's the Austin I hope to serve on this council. |
Please provide your employment history. | 2017-current: English Teacher at Westlake High School. WHS has given me some perspective on the inequalities facing the city, while also allowing me to hone my analytical and leadership skills. 2015-2017: Substitute teacher at AISD (and student taught at Covington Middle School) This experience is when I began to understand Austin as the place it actually is, not just the SXSW/ACL picture of it. 2012-2017: Server/bartender at Shady Grove, St. Philip, Hightower, Royal Fig Catering Shady taught me what Texas was about. As my first introduction to Austin (I had just moved here), I got to know and understand the restaurant industry. I also met many musicians and artists who were waiting tables to achieve their creative goals. From Shady, I moved on to other, fancier, restaurants that were indicative of the changes in Austin. Overall, I think my journey from newcomer server, to substitute teacher, to full time teacher and home owner positions me in a place to understand how to nurture the growth of the city while still preserving the things and people that make Austin, Austin. |
Please provide any other information you wish to be considered during the selection of the most qualified applicants for the Commission. | A diverse selection. |
District | District 5 |
Does this application qualify? | Yes |