This month, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath didn’t mince words: Fort Worth ISD’s uptick in scores isn’t enough.
“Fort Worth has significant academic challenges; its level of grade level proficiency is materially lower than Dallas, even though demographically they are not any different,” he said as he released accountability scores.
Soon, Morath will be in Fort Worth touring different campuses as he plans the district’s next step, which could include replacing the school board and the superintendent despite the improvement seen recently.
A group of parents, clergy, and educators say they’re fighting back. Resisting Morath’s possible takeover, trying to get him to see that change is already in place, and more change would just make matters worse.
“Hearing the bluntness of his words is something that took me aback,” Zach Leonard, an organizer of the group, said of Morath’s comments.
“You give this situation an opportunity to play out, so that, if you have to use your nuclear option, that you can fully say with 100% confidence that we, as the people who are in oversight, have allowed the local people to give it their best shot opportunity,” said Jonathan Morrison, a community member.
The district faces state takeover because the Leadership Academy at Forrest Oak failed its accountability measures five years in a row.
“Fort Worth has reached that milestone at one of its campuses; in fact, many of its campuses have reached that milestone for several, several years,” said Morath.
This group said the community has already stepped up, and they need Morath to see it. They’re calling on parents, teachers, and anyone who cares to get active and involved and show that the community has had a wake-up call.
“You have the community rallying around this superintendent, I would say new leader, but it’s not a new leader, because she’s been around, right, but somebody who has now been empowered to put forth a strategic plan that’s really long term, and I’m gonna add to it, that’s actually starting to work,” Allison Lanza, pastor of Be The Neighbor, said.