Introducing our new Executive Director, Colin Swanson

Colin Swanson, Mainspring’s new Executive Director

To our wonderful Mainspring community, 

I’m pleased to announce that Colin Swanson will serve as the next Executive Director of Mainspring Schools. 

Colin has been part of the Mainspring community for nearly a decade, first as a parent and most recently on the leadership team as Managing Director. During the hiring process, the Board of Directors was drawn to Colin’s unique combination of personal experiences and professional background. 

Colin was a foster parent before adopting her son. Three of her foster children became Mainspring students. Like other Mainspring parents, Colin has navigated the social services and healthcare systems required to care for her family. 

Professionally, she brings decades of financial management experience and was instrumental in solidifying Mainspring’s processes and financial health. During her career, Colin has consulted with corporate and nonprofit organizations across the globe on financial data management, reporting and budget preparation. 

In addition to her business acumen, Colin is an award-winning and published creative writer. She has been a professor and lecturer at numerous universities, including The University of Texas, Southwestern University, and Texas State University. 

Colin has a B.A. from Smith College, an MFA from the University of Texas and an MBA from the College of William & Mary. 

As a trusted resource for Mainspring children, families, team members and partners, Colin will provide a seamless transition from outgoing Executive Director Jason Gindele, who will wrap up on Monday, December 19. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to welcome Colin to her well-deserved new role and look forward to her leadership of our 81-year-old community institution. 

Congratulations, Colin!

Sincerely, 
Tim Weston
Chair, Board of Directors

A Message from Jason Gindele, Executive Director

I am absolutely delighted that Colin Swanson has been named the next Executive Director of Mainspring Schools. 

Colin and I have known each other for nearly 10 years, and when I took this role in 2017, I quickly approached Colin about bringing her business acumen, lived experiences and huge heart to the staff. I was thrilled when she came aboard.  

The foundation of any good organization is financial stability, and Colin’s business background will ensure that the mission of Mainspring will continue to thrive. But as everyone who knows her will attest, she is so much more than that. Colin is thoughtful, thorough, communicative, trusted and passionate about the work being done every day at Mainspring. And she’s a downright good person. 

The little school doing big things is in good hands. I look forward to seeing Colin and the entire Mainspring community (including me!) continue this wonderful work for years to come. 

Sincerely,
Jason

The Business of Mainspring: 2022-23 Fiscal Year

Mainspring turns 81 years old next month. To be one of the oldest nonprofits in Texas, it requires a community to prioritize this mission and encourage the work, year after year. That community is you.

Part of running a community institution is transparency, so as we have done in the past, we want to share how we operate as a business. Below is a summary of our 2022-23 fiscal year budget, which began on September 1, 2022.

INCOME

Mainspring works hard to diversify its income to ensure that if any one source goes away — our in-person fundraising event was canceled when the pandemic began, for example — our work can continue. That means welcoming some full tuition families to attend Mainspring, developing a pre-K partnership with Austin ISD, adding Early Head Start funding and building out a robust fundraising program.

EXPENSES

As always, we are a people organization, and attracting and retaining good teachers, social workers and other team members is critical to the high-impact work that we do with our children and families. As a result, we prioritize taking care of our team as much as possible, which is why 80.9% of our expenses go toward compensation.

THE INVESTMENT IN HIGH QUALITY

With an overall budget of $2,713,245, Mainspring invests $2,232 in each child every month, or $114 per day per child.

More than 75% of our students receive need-based tuition subsidies or scholarships, but state and federal reimbursements through programs like Early Head Start and the Texas Workforce Commission cover less than half of that amount.

Our community supporters provide funds so that we can deliver high-quality teaching, trauma-informed care, child nutrition and wrap-around family services because we know that those build a truly solid foundation for success in school and life. Unlike many corporations, we view spending more (on the right things) as an accomplishment.

And as a testament to that approach, here is another accomplishment: In 2022, 100% of Mainspring's graduating 5-year-olds entered kindergarten at or above Texas' school readiness standards. The statewide average hovers at just 30-45% for low-income children.

If you ever have questions or ideas about how Mainspring operates financially, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jason Gindele (Executive Director) or Colin Swanson (Managing Director). We are always looking for ways to improve!

The Mainspring Difference

As a nonprofit organization, Mainspring Schools is on a mission to provide underserved children and their families with a community for high-quality early education and holistic support. Our vision goes beyond the traditional bounds of child care by creating a comprehensive foundation for every child and every family to thrive.

To this end, we offer therapy services, food resources, supplies for basic needs, home libraries, and music and dance classes—all at no cost to families.

Mr. Anthony leads a sing-along with the Mockingbirds (3- and 4-year-olds).

Special programs at Mainspring include:

Therapy & Case Management: Play therapists come in for one-on-one sessions with our kids. Family therapists provide services for children alongside their parents & caregivers. A full-time onsite social worker focuses on whole-child and whole-family development. Referrals are provided for specialized interventions.

Wellness & Nutrition: Mainspring sends home healthy, heat-and-eat meals for everyone in the household upon request. We also maintain a well-stocked food and supply pantry. We partner with the Austin Diaper Bank and collect clothes and toys so everyone can access extra resources. At Family Suppers and Family Support Groups, parents & caregivers practice new skills, talk through parenting challenges, and celebrate joyful moments together.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Thanks to a generous donor, every Mainspring child is enrolled in the Imagination Library. This book gifting program mails free, brand-new books to children every month from birth until they turn 5 years old.

Music: Mainspring's beloved music teacher, Anthony Basini, specializes in therapeutic musical education. Every Wednesday morning, he leads singing and music-making activities for our 2-to-5-year-olds.

Creative Movement: Forklift Danceworks' Leaps & Bounds program comes to Mainspring every Friday. Children engage their imaginations, solve problems, build self-esteem, and express themselves freely by engaging in dance and movement.

A Supporter's Story: RSM US LLP

RSM US LLP was the Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 Mainspring Fling.

From Kevin Fincher and Jennifer Van Cleave, RSM US LLP.

MAINSPRING AND RSM – SUPPORTING INCLUSION AND EQUALITY TOGETHER

Joe Adams, RSM’s CEO, says, “Inclusion is central to who I am and how I work, as I have always believed that when people feel like they are part of the team, it leads to better outcomes. I have been fortunate to have a tremendous career at RSM, and part of that is because I had leaders who were willing to listen to and understand me. That is the environment I want to create for all people who work for and with RSM.”

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY

Building a truly inclusive workplace requires every RSM professional to be committed to doing their part to advance diversity and inclusion across the firm and within our communities. RSM is home to thousands of professionals whose experiences are as varied as the world around us, and more than half have engaged in our employee network groups to help build and actively participate in a culture of inclusion.

While changing behaviors takes time, building a culture of inclusion starts with listening and understanding one another’s experiences. Through our inclusive programs and practices, we have cultivated a workplace that celebrates and values the varied perspectives that each of our people brings to the firm. We call it the power of being you. Each member of our team brings unique personalities, insights and perspectives on inclusion in the communities where we live and work.

Kevin Fincher (right), a partner at RSM’s Austin office, at the 2022 Mainspring Fling. Kevin has served on the Mainspring Schools Board of Directors since 2020.

A NATIONAL APPROACH TO DRIVING LOCAL IMPACT

RSM’s commitment to inclusion flows well beyond the boundaries of our firm and our work. We have partnered with dedicated organizations, both local and national, to give back to and create positive change in the communities where we live and work. Kevin Fincher, an Austin Tax and Advisory Partner, first became involved with Mainspring when a client recruited him for a fundraising event.

“I really had no idea what Mainspring was other than a nonprofit daycare but agreed to support our client’s request to help out. It was at a luncheon event that I learned the importance of early childhood education, and that using the term “daycare” was an injustice to those involved in the early development of children,” said Kevin. “My wife and I were expecting our first child and my eyes were opened to an issue I hadn’t really thought much about before. I knew this was where I wanted to be and make a difference in the lives of not only the children, but their families, which is exactly what Mainspring does.”

RSM continued to financially support Mainspring’s fundraising efforts for several more years until the opportunity arose for Kevin to join the Board of Directors. “I knew I had to join as I wanted to lean in even further and provide additional support beyond just financial, and I wanted to spread that passion to our entire office,” Kevin said. The RSM Austin office soon adopted the “little school doing big things” and has since built a passionate support system for Mainspring.

“Each spring we educate our incoming interns about Mainspring and the school’s support of economically disadvantaged families and then challenge them to come up with creative ways to support the school. Past fundraising events have included a hot wing eating contest and ‘save the intern’ auction where one generous intern went so far as to have his head shaved. Through our Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion (CDI) Impact Fund we were able to get Mainspring designated as a priority organization and subsequently get matching donations from the RSM US Foundation,” Kevin said.

The CDI Impact Fund was created to attract and support underrepresented populations for careers in public accounting, technology or business, and to support organizations committed to providing stable foundations for youth to help them excel in education. In 2022, the foundation provided Mainspring Schools with a $9,468 grant from the CDI Impact Fund.

“We’ve had a lot of fun getting our staff involved and behind Mainspring, but also educating our team members about the mission of Mainspring and the impact they and the school have in the community. It is truly a wonderful partnership,” Kevin concluded.

“We’ve had a lot of fun getting our staff involved and behind Mainspring, but also educating our team members about the mission of Mainspring and the impact they and the school have in the community. It is truly a wonderful partnership.”

ABOUT RSM

RSM US LLP, the nation’s leading provider of accounting, tax and business consulting to the middle market, has been on a journey to advance culture, diversity and inclusion (CDI). ‘The power of being understood’ is our firm’s purpose, and understanding and valuing diverse perspectives is core to our brand, and at the root of diversity and inclusion. At RSM, we believe everyone in our firm plays a meaningful role in shaping our commitment.

The Business of Mainspring

Mainspring is a community institution, and it’s important to us that we are transparent about the work that we do and the financials that go into it. To that end, we’d like to share a high-level overview of the projected income and expenses in our 2021-22 fiscal year, which began on September 1, 2021.

INCOME

Decades ago, the pie chart below would have shown that the vast majority of Mainspring’s revenue was made up of child tuition subsidies from the Texas Workforce Commission. We have worked hard to diversify our income to both increase available funds and mitigate the loss of any single source. That includes allowing some full tuition families to attend Mainspring, developing a pre-K partnership with Austin ISD, adding Early Head Start funding and building out a proper fundraising program.

EXPENSES

We are a people organization, and attracting and retaining good teachers, social workers and other staff members is critical to the respected work that we do with our children, families, partners and community supporters. As a result, we prioritize taking care of our staff as much as possible, which is why 83.2% of our expenses go toward compensation.

THE INVESTMENT IN HIGH QUALITY

With an overall budget of $2,257,849, Mainspring invests $1,946 in each child every month, or $101 per day per child.

More than 75% of our students receive need-based tuition subsidies or scholarships, but state and federal reimbursements through programs like Early Head Start and the Texas Workforce Commission cover less than half of that amount.

We raise more and spend more so that we can deliver high-quality teaching, trauma-informed care, child nutrition and wrap-around family services because we know that those build a truly solid foundation for success in school and life. And the numbers don't lie: In 2021, 94% of Mainspring's graduating 5-year-olds entered kindergarten at or above Texas' school readiness standards. The statewide average hovers at just 30-45% for low-income children.

If you ever have questions or ideas about how Mainspring operates financially, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jason Gindele (Executive Director) or Colin Swanson (Business Manager). We are always looking for ways to improve!

Our 2020-23 strategic plan

This post was originally supposed to be published earlier and be a bit shorter, sharing our new 2020-23 strategic plan so that you, as a member of the Mainspring Schools community, know what we hope to accomplish over the next several years.

Then last week's storm hit, throwing our families, our staff, and all of us in Texas into a chaotic, uncertain situation.

Our family services director, Colleen Maher Turner, was one of the only team members with power, and she jumped into action, reaching out to every family to check on their well being, sharing information about community resources for warmth and basic necessities, and collecting food, water, household items and money -- much of it from you, our relentless, compassionate community -- so that we could help our families as soon as the situation allowed.

Last week created extreme hardship for families. We have spent the past few days doing everything we can to help them because that's what the Mainspring community does. We may be a school by name, but we are in it for the entire family.

And in a nutshell, that's our strategic plan: To help families.

In this new plan, you'll see we have a lot of goals: Taking care of teachers, general improvements in program, facilities, financial stability and advocacy, and even opening a second campus.

But it all comes down to helping families in need here in Austin, however we can. That is Mainspring.

Thank you for being at the heart of this effort, whether it's giving young children a foundation for success or helping families recover from an unprecedented winter storm. And thank you for making this work and this strategic plan possible. We will work hard to live up to your confidence in this mission.

Sincerely,
Jason Gindele
Executive Director

Mainspring Schools COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard

For everyone in the Mainspring community, we want to reopen as soon as possible. Safety is crucial, though, and the state of COVID-19 in Austin will dictate when we open our doors.

To that end, we are monitoring two key dashboards by public health experts to determine when to reopen. When both indicate an acceptable level of risk, and we are comfortable with any new information that has come out, we will consider opening Mainspring.

We will update this dashboard weekly, at minimum, and encourage you to check back regularly.

Last updated: August 24, 2020

Metric 1: COVID-19 Risk Based Guidelines for Austin-Travis County

Metric 2: Cases per 100,000 people (7-Day Moving Average) in Travis County

Status: Mainspring will open on Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

The goal for Metric 1 has not been reached as of August 24, but the key indicator (hospitalizations) has been in the goal range since July 31, so we have made the decision to reopen Mainspring.

Reopening will be considered when both metrics have reached their goals, at which point we will make an immediate announcement to the Mainspring community. Please expect Mainspring to open approximately 2 weeks after an announcement.

Thanks for your patience and understanding as we prioritize the health and safety of everyone during this unprecedented situation.

Stay safe, social distance, wear facemasks and let us know how we can help!

Click here for various COVID-19 metrics for Travis County.

Black Lives Matter at Mainspring

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Dear Mainspring Community,

We’re going through an unsettling, uncharted time. The long history of targeted violence and injustice towards black communities and communities of color are condemnable, reprehensible, and unconscionable. As a result, we are a community in pain, with these specific communities bearing the disquieting and unbearable load. Change is long overdue. We at Mainspring Schools acknowledge that, stand for it, support it and will fight for it within our walls and out in our communities, as well. 

To our black children, families, and team members, we see you, we hear you, we are committed to being active allies here for you. We admit, we don’t know exactly what to say in this situation and in the all-too-common series of situations like this, and we say this from a relative position of privilege in our own community. 

The history of the United States, as it is lived and taught, is a white supremacist history. We have been a nation that held slaves, that segregated our communities (and still does), that disproportionately incarcerates black people and people of color, and disproportionately targets them in policing and extrajudicial violence, as well as in a wide array of other injustices. 

On our end, we are taking a good, hard and long overdue look at ourselves and our own practices to unpack the levels at which we may be complicit, and will move forward to make adjustments that will aid in being part of the solutions required for a more equitable, compassionate future -- in the early childhood and family services space, in our community, in our country, and right here at Mainspring. We must work to end these practices, admit our faults and our continued failings, own up to the darkness in our history, and work to make amends and inroads both in our own backyard, and at the national level.

We need to be a community that stands for equality, justice, liberty and dignity for everyone. We must dismantle the racist hierarchy at every turn, in every way, to exactly the extent that we are individually and collectively capable to do so. We need to be compassionate, unbiased, unprejudiced and unflinching in our commitment to rectify past and current wrongs, and unwavering in our efforts to prevent wrongs in the future.

White Americans, in particular, must roundly reject their own privilege and the system that upholds it, and declare in one unified voice that this is morally repugnant. There can be no true functioning multiracial civil society or social construct without first doing this work, and that work starts from within. We must critically examine how we present information to our young, to our masses, to our leaders. Only then can we see American history and the human fabric for what it was, is, and has been to date: A history of violence.

We can create a nation based on natural rights, equitable access to funding and services, compassionate justice under the law, truth in information and institutions. We can create a true common good. We can be egalitarian and not exceptionalist. We need to look ourselves in the eye so we can look our brethren in the eye not in fear, or in hate, or in shame … but in a communion so desperately deserved and so rarely, fleetingly achieved. There is so much work that still needs to be done. 

Enclosed are links to help you find support as we collectively grieve and reflect, as well as resources to further educate you to hold constructive and vital conversations with your families, friends, coworkers and communities … along with ways to get involved and lend support to those closest to this struggle.

Locally, here’s a list of links for those looking to help: 

For those feeling especially in pain, looking for necessary support, here is a list of services here for mental health, community healing. 

This is a time to come together, to listen, and humble ourselves while ramping up our curiosity and abilities to take action. We will do that ourselves, lead by example, and provide any help that we can, creating an actionable plan to implement in our school, and working in partnership with other education entities as they do the same.

Family resources during COVID-19

These are strange days. Everyone is dealing with new challenges while the COVID-19 quarantine is in place and Mainspring is closed. Thankfully, there are places to get help.

Below is a list of resources for various challenges, from health to employment to food and more. Bookmark this page — we will update it as we learn about new options. And as always, let us know if we can help!

NEED HELP? START HERE

There are two fairly comprehensive resource lists that you should check out first:

COVID-19

HEALTH

FOOD

MONEY

JOBS

OTHER LINKS

PARENTING

Update on COVID-19

Update on Monday, March 16, 2020

Dear Mainspring families,

We have been closely monitoring COVID-19 information at the local, state and federal levels. Out of an abundance of caution for the health of our children, families, staff and the larger community: 

Mainspring Schools will be closed beginning Wednesday, March 18. 

We will remain closed until the severity of the COVID-19 threat has lessened, and local and federal recommendations for social distancing and closures have changed. Unfortunately, at this time, we do not know how long this closure will last, but will communicate updates regularly.

In a very limited capacity, we will be open tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, beginning at 8:30 a.m., to give families time to make arrangements. This means:

  • ONLY families whose financial livelihood is at stake if their child remains home will attend. Everyone else is asked to keep their child home tomorrow.

  • We will assume children that did not attend school today will also not attend tomorrow. If this is not the case, please let us know immediately. We will be staffing our classrooms based on the assumption that attendance tomorrow will be lower than it is today. 

  • If your child has a health condition that leaves them more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, they will not be allowed to enter the school. This is mandatory. These conditions include asthma and heart conditions. 

  • Temperatures will be monitored at arrival. Any child or staff member with a temperature above 100 degrees will be sent home. 

  • Any child showing illness symptoms -- including cough, difficulty breathing, runny nose or a sore throat -- will be sent home.

The safety of you, your child, our staff and the rest of our community will always be our top priority. We do not take this decision lightly, as we understand the tremendous impact that this will have on our community. 

While Mainspring is closed, we will continue to be available through email and Brightwheel messaging for support, questions and any resources that we can provide to lessen the burden of this closure. MJ will send a follow-up email with tips and resources. Please continue to keep us updated on the status of your family. 

We will be in consistent communication with you as the situation evolves. We fully expect Mainspring to re-open in the near future and provide the same level of care that we have since 1941. 

Thank you for your understanding during this unique situation. Stay safe and healthy!

Sincerely,
Jason Gindele
Executive Director
Mainspring Schools 

Update on Sunday, March 15, 2020

Dear Mainspring families,

We hope you have enjoyed your weekend, despite the challenges of this present moment. At Mainspring, we have been deliberating how to proceed, balancing the health and safety of everyone in our community with other factors. Social distancing is important, so we are moving forward with that as a top consideration. 

Mainspring will operate at a reduced capacity starting Monday, March 16. Here’s what that means:

  • We are reducing staffing each day at Mainspring to limit overall contact. 

  • If you can care for your child at home, please do so. If you have no care options at home and if missing work jeopardizes your wages or employment, your child can attend. 

  • If your child has health issues that put them at higher risk if they contract COVID-19, please stay home. 

  • If you have had any risk of exposure, stay at home. This is mandatory. 

  • Mainspring doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. Breakfast will be served until 9 a.m. Children must arrive by 9:30 a.m.

  • Only one person per child will be allowed to drop off or pick up. (Please avoid asking adults who are elderly or have health issues to do this.) 

  • Therapists, volunteers, contractors and all other visitors will be prohibited from entering the school.  

  • This reduced capacity will continue indefinitely. 

We will continue to exercise extreme caution both inside and outside of Mainspring, consistent with the message that we sent out on Friday. 

While much of our community will be dispersed and at home, we want to continue to be helpful. Our staff will be available to answer questions and provide guidance for all situations, so please do not hesitate to call or email MJ, Brendan, Colin, or Jason. 

For those in need of meals, AISD is offering daily, pick-up food service for families with children. Learn more at https://www.kut.org/post/austin-isd-offers-curbside-lunches-students-after-schools-are-canceled-due-covid-19.

Thank you for your understanding. Moving to limited service is a difficult decision but we want to do our best to balance the health and needs of everyone in our community.

We will actively communicate any updates, so please keep your contact information up-to-date on Brightwheel and monitor your messages. 

Sincerely,
Jason Gindele
Executive Director
Mainspring Schools 

Update on Friday, May 13, 2020:

Dear Mainspring families,

Across the world, COVID-19 is top of mind, and that is no different at Mainspring. Our doors are open but we are monitoring the spread of the coronavirus, taking necessary precautions, and collecting information from partners and experts. I want to share where we stand today so that we, as a Mainspring community, are prepared and vigilant: 

Safety

The safety of you, your child, and our staff will always be our top priority. 

What we are doing:

  • Instituting regular and thorough handwashing by all children and adults

  • Encouraging the use of hand sanitizer

  • Sanitizing kitchenware, water bottles, and classroom toys daily

  • Isolating children in the office and calling for pickup at the earliest sign of any COVID-19 symptoms

  • Maintaining janitorial best practices, including sanitizing door handles

  • Continuing a regular, facility-wide treatment to ensure that all areas of the school are disinfected, antimicrobial coated, and expert certified

What you can do: 

  • Update your contact information in Brightwheel so that we can quickly and easily reach you

  • Wash your hands diligently, with soap, and use hand sanitizer when you enter and exit Mainspring

  • Avoid close contact with those who are sick

  • Stay home if you or your child are experiencing any illness symptoms

  • Stay home for up to 14 days if you travel by air, train, or cruise ship or have had any risk of COVID-19 exposure. This is absolutely imperative. 

  • If possible, refrain from asking elderly family members or those with respiratory issues to pick up or drop off your child

  • Notify Mainspring immediately if you, your family, close friends, or colleagues have contracted COVID-19

Potential for Closure

We remain open and intend to continue operating unless there is a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 by a member of our community or closing is necessary for reasonable prevention. We are monitoring updates from local and federal officials and health experts. We will follow recommendations that we receive from these sources.

Financial Stability

I want to assure you that I expect Mainspring to remain in financial good standing throughout the current situation, as we have since 1941. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. We have savings that we can tap into if any of our partners half funding, which is still unclear at this moment. We are actively monitoring the situation and preparing for all scenarios. 

We will be proactive about communicating with you regularly throughout this situation. We encourage you to do the same. 

Thank you for your vigilance and understanding as we navigate these unique circumstances. Stay safe and healthy!

Sincerely,
Jason Gindele
Executive Director
Mainspring Schools 

94% of our graduates are kindergarten ready!

Our recent graduates have started their elementary school journey and we are thrilled to announce that 94% of them are kindergarten ready!

That’s a huge accomplishment. To put it into perspective, according to public data from E3 Alliance:

  • In 2018-19, 51% of all students in Central Texas were ready for kindergarten

  • Only 40% of all low-income students were deemed school ready

What does being kindergarten-ready mean for a child? Simply put: They have a significantly higher chance of succeeding in school and life. According to The Pew Charitable Trusts:

Children who attend high-quality programs are less likely to be held back a grade, less likely to need special education, and more likely to graduate from high school. They also have higher earnings as adults and are less likely to become dependent on welfare or involved with law enforcement.

…

Children who enter school behind their peers often stay behind. For example, children who do not recognize the letters of the alphabet when they enter kindergarten demonstrate significantly lower reading skills at the end of first grade. Eighty-eight percent of children who are poor readers in first grade will still be poor readers by fourth grade. Seventy-four percent of children who are poor readers in third grade remain poor readers when they start high school.

This is how you break generational cycles of poverty in a family.

In both 2017 and 2018, 100% of our graduates were deemed kindergarten ready by Teaching Strategies GOLD, a Texas Education Agency-sanctioned assessment platform.

Why are Mainspring graduates prepared at a higher level than the general population? We believe firmly in developing social, emotional and executive function skills in young children. These skills build the foundation necessary for learning and future success — and they are evident in every child at Mainspring.

This is your school. Thank you for making these amazing outcomes possible for each of these individual, full-of-potential young children! Together, we are changing the future of Austin.

Four new Board members join Mainspring

Press Release: July 25, 2019

The Board of Directors of leading local nonprofit preschool and family services provider Mainspring Schools unanimously voted to add 4 proven Austin leaders to its governing body.

Mainspring Schools, a South Austin nonprofit preschool and family services provider serving nearly 100 children and their families, has added 4 new members to its Board of Directors: Elle Beecher, Kelly Grooms, Amy Hurt and Caroline Page. Their 3-year terms begin August 24, 2019.

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ABOUT ELLE BEECHER

Elle Beecher joins the Mainspring Board after taking a prominent role in their school record-setting Amplify Austin fundraising efforts in 2019. She handles nonprofit accounts at Facebook, and has been a fierce and frequent advocate for Mainspring in the past year. She brings a creative presence and marketing savvy, and joins the school as one of the youngest Board members in the organization’s 78-year history.


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ABOUT KELLY GROOMS

Kelly Grooms is a technologist and entrepreneur who leads Austin-based firm Live Earth as Chief Operating Officer. Based on his vast experience and desire to serve this school, Kelly is expected to contribute in a number of areas. He brings an entrepreneurial spirit, proven leadership, history of philanthropic generosity and passion for emerging technology.

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ABOUT AMY HURT

Amy Hurt recently completed her standout term as president of The Junior League of Austin. While in the position, she spearheaded a Junior League-driven effort to provide shoes for all Mainspring students. She quickly fell in love with the school. With her strong advertising background in brand campaign execution and commercial production, including a lengthy stint at internationally-acclaimed GSD&M, she brings a passion for driving awareness and increasing Mainspring’s already strong position in the early childhood sector.

 

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ABOUT CAROLINE PAGE

Introduced to Mainspring by significant influencers in Austin's nonprofit community, Caroline Page currently leads development and marketing efforts for Friends of the Children Austin. She is the former Executive Director at A Legacy of Giving and has held positions at multiple forward-thinking organizations in her career, including the Robin Hood Foundation. She brings outside-the-box thinking, a sparkling track record of compassionate leadership and proven process-centric innovation in the nonprofit space both locally and globally.

Our 2017-18 Annual Report

Click the cover image above to view the Annual Report.

Click the cover image above to view the Annual Report.

The last year was a great one at Mainspring Schools, and we are pleased to present our 2018 Annual Report.

In it you’ll find information and updates about our model, impact, stories and financials — along with some great pictures of our kids!

We hope you enjoy reading about your school. This is a community effort and the work being done to help kids and families here in Austin couldn’t happen without you. Please feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested!

Special thanks to our business manager Colin Swanson for leading this project, with a content assist from John Gorman. The beautiful design was done by one of our parents, William Blacklock.

We have earned NAEYC accreditation!

We are proud to announce that we have earned accreditation from The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Only 8% of all early education programs in the U.S. meet these rigorous standards and, following a review by NAEYC that took the better part of the last year, we are thrilled to extend our accreditation for another five years.

Not only are we honored to continue our NAEYC accreditation, but we are pleased to have gotten such high marks following a stringent review. For example, with a required 70% in each category, here are our program standards scores:

Program Standard Adjusted Score
Relationships 100%
Curriculum 100%
Teaching 100%
Assessment of Child Progress 100%
Health 98%
Teachers 100%
Families and Community Relationships 100%
Physical Environment 100%
Leadership and Management 100%


MJ Korpela discussing mental health in early childhood at SXSW EDU 2019

Our wonderful director of family services, MJ Korpela, presented at SXSW EDU on March 6, 2019, as part of an expert panel on the importance of mental health intervention in early childhood. It's a topic of critical importance for young children and we are thrilled that MJ could address it in this forum.

Session: It's Never Too Early: Mental Health in Early Ed

Here’s a snippet of MJ:

Here’s the full video of the presentation:

And here’s the full audio of the presentation:

Mainspring Receives Top CLASS Scores

In the last year, in conjunction with the Austin Independent School District (AISD), we conducted a full CLASS assessment of our teaching staff. What does CLASS tell you? According to Teachstone:

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  • CLASS uses research-driven insights to improve how teachers interact with children every day to cultivate supportive, structured, and engaging classroom experiences.

  • CLASS is a flexible tool that focuses on the heart of great teaching: the teacher-student interactions proven to drive learning and development.

  • CLASS helps child-care providers nurture children's early learning while responding to their needs. As children enter preschool, their sense of themselves is grounded in, and dependent on, relationships. CLASS helps preschool teachers foster a secure, supportive base for learning and exploration.

This is an important marker of high-quality early childhood education and we are proud to share our results!

  Dimension 2017 National Head Start Program Mean Scores 2017 Mainspring Scores
Emotional Support Positive Climate 6.01 6.63
  Negative Climate 1.07 1.00
  Teacher Sensitivity 5.88 6.10
  Regard for Student Perspective 5.45 5.83
Classroom Organization Behavior Management 6.00 6.25
  Productivity 6.14 6.14
  Instructional Learning Framework 5.35 5.46
Instructional Support Concept Development 2.49 5.00
  Quality of Feedback 2.99 4.92
  Language Modeling 3.51 4.88

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS) “is the only observational teacher-assessment tool that captures teacher behaviors linked to students gains and that has been proven to work in tens of thousands of classrooms, from preschool to high school and beyond,” according to the University of Virginia.

Recommended reading: The science of adult capabilities

We highly recommend that you read this article from Harvard's Center on the Developing Child. It is a great summary of core capabilities -- falling primarily under the umbrellas of self regulation and executive function -- that everyone needs to truly succeed. And those capabilities are developed in a child's early years:

"The foundation is built in early childhood: By age 3, most children are already using executive function skills in simple ways (e.g., remembering and following simple rules). Ages 3-5 show a remarkable burst of improvement in the proficiency of these skills."

The article also talks about factors that can derail the development of these skills, including:

  • Serious early adversity and trauma
  • Chaotic, threatening, or unpredictable environments
  • Highly rewarding stimuli such as food or drugs
  • Poverty

It is great insight into the development of our kids and what we are striving to accomplish. 

Mainspring Schools Hosting First Annual Golf Scramble Benefiting the Rudi Andrus Scholarship Fund

Date: Sunday, November 12
Registration and Practice: 1-2:30 p.m.
Shotgun Start: 2:30 pm
Location: Falconhead Golf Club, 15201 Falcon Head Blvd., Austin, TX 78738
Price: $250/individual golfer, $1000/team of 4

Participate in a 9-hole golf scramble and help a child! Mainspring Schools’ first annual Golf Scramble will be held Sunday, October 15 at Falconhead Golf Club in Austin. Proceeds will go to the Rudi Andrus Scholarship Fund, which allows disadvantaged kids to stay in school by filling the gap when there is a temporary disruption in tuition funding.

Approximately 75% of children attending Mainspring School are from families living below the poverty level and receive tuition assistance from various sources. Without this scholarship fund, families would have to withdraw from Mainspring and children would not get the attention and nutrition needed to prepare them for kindergarten socially, emotionally and educationally.

Rudi Andrus, Executive Director of Mainspring from 2006-2017, never wanted a child to have to leave the school because of temporary financial difficulties. Because of her kindness, generosity, and dedication to the families of Mainspring, the Rudi Andrus Scholarship Fund was established in her honor upon her retirement.

Click here to register.