Mandatory intervention required by Texas authorities toward Fort Worth Independent School District due to repeated failures at a closed school
Revamped Content:
, Texas, Trouble Ahead for Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD)
Stuck in a rut, FWISD is now looking at some serious consequences following the state's school intervention law activation. A school closure doesn't shake off the looming shadow - the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, although defunct, has triggered the Texas Education Code's intervention requirements.
In the midst of it all, FWISD's Superintendent Karen Molinar and President Roxanne Martinez received a blunt message from Mike Morath, the Texas Education Commissioner. The district's subpar accountability ratings have set off a state law that demands Morath to intervene.
The problem: Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade has flat-out failed to meet state standards across five consecutive years. This consecutive failure ultimately leads to either campus shutdown or, worse, the appointment of an overseer board to govern FWISD as a whole.
But wait, isn't the school gone? Well, the campus may be history, but its dismal academic record doesn't magically vanish, according to Morath's letter.
"Since the campus earned its fifth consecutive unacceptable academic rating in that year, the school's subsequent closure has no bearing on, and does not abrogate, the compulsory action the statute requires the commissioner to take," he wrote.
The Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, once known as Glencrest Sixth Grade, shut its doors at the end of the 2023-24 school year. It was merged with Forest Oak Middle School as part of a TEA-approved consolidation plan. The school's presence, however, remains marked as "obsolete" in the state's directory.
The delayed release of the 2023 academic accountability ratings, due to a lawsuit, revealed the school earned an F that year. This abysmal grade, coupled with failures in 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2017, pushed the district over the five-year failure threshold.
For the record, the 2020 and 2021 ratings were absent due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state policy modifications. Morath stated that these "Not Rated" years do not interrupt the chain of failure.
The district officials previously told the Fort Worth Report they believe FWISD is not under threat of takeover. They argue that the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade's closure and subsequent consolidation already addressed the problem - and that academic performance has improved.
"We are proud of the growth we have seen in Forest Oak Middle School since the expansion and consolidation to one 6-8 grade campus," Molinar wrote in an April 24 community letter.
In his letter, Morath made it clear that he is bound by the law.
"Commissioner action under this section of the (Texas Education Code) is compulsory. The commissioner does not have discretion whether to act under this provision."
Morath is planning to make a decision later this summer after the ratings are finalized. If the district chooses to appeal the preliminary rating for the now-closed campus, the process will wrap up in August.
FWISD plans to appeal the rating, stating their focus remains on improving student outcomes. The district also shared their plans to adopt a new strategic plan and literacy resolution to guide their efforts.
"Together as a team, we are committed to equipping teachers with the resources they need and ensuring students receive consistent, high-impact instruction that accelerates learning and academic growth," district officials stated.
Moreover, Morath hinted at a broader review of FWISD's leadership.
"It is critical that district leadership take aggressive action to improve the academic lives of students in Fort Worth ISD, immediately," he wrote.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker lauded Superintendent Molinar for already making progress towards improving outcomes. Despite the grim results, with Fort Worth ISD receiving a D overall and having 77 campuses with either a D or F grades, Parker believes Molinar is on the right track.
"Dr. Molinar has already taken substantial steps - prior to this letter - to improve outcomes, leading with transparency and urgency to turn the district around," Parker stated.
- The community of Fort Worth may find the news about the potential intervention for the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) sobering, as the district's Superintendent Karen Molinar and President Roxanne Martinez are confronted with the Texas Education Commissioner's intervention due to the district's subpar accountability ratings.
- Education-and-self-development and politics often intertwine, such as in the case of FWISD, where the district's performance is closely watched not only by education officials but also politicians like Mike Morath, the Texas Education Commissioner.
- The content window for FWISD's improvement seems narrow, as the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade's five consecutive years of failing to meet state standards has put the district at risk, potentially leading to either campus shutdown or the appointment of an overseer board.
- The future of FWISD, specifically its leadership, is under review, as Mike Morath, the Texas Education Commissioner, hinted at a broader examination of FWISD's leadership in his letter, emphasizing the need for immediate action to improve student outcomes.
- In the face of these challenges, the district, led by Superintendent Karen Molinar, is adamant about their focus on education, with a new strategic plan and literacy resolution aimed at equipping teachers and ensuring students receive high-impact instruction, ultimately working towards better student outcomes.
