Parents and teachers across Fort Worth ISD are reacting to news that the Texas Education Agency will take control of the district — a move that’s leaving many educators uneasy but giving some parents hope for change.
Longtime Fort Worth ISD teacher Kelsey De La Torre said the announcement immediately brought her to tears.
“Honestly, I read it today. I got the notification on my phone, and I glanced at it, and I got tears in my eyes,” De La Torre said. “Because it delivers a sense of insecurity and a sense of uncertainty in an environment where you need to be secure and certain.”
State plans leadership overhaul
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the state will appoint a new board of trustees and begin a nationwide search for a new superintendent.
De La Torre worries that leadership changes at the top will trickle down to classrooms.
“The people who are basically giving us our materials, our instruction, our strategies, our resources — that will inevitably impact each and every one of us,” she said.
Parents see opportunity for change
While some teachers fear the change, others in the community see it as a much-needed reset.
Fort Worth parent Adrienne Alexander Haynes said she felt relieved when the news broke.
“I feel like we’ve been stuck in this position of asking for a bare minimum,” Haynes said. “With the state takeover, it’s almost as though we’re finally being rescued out of this hamster wheel that we’ve been in, in our education system.”
Other parents echoed that optimism.
“I’m excited for the future,” said Kathy Kessler, another Fort Worth ISD parent. “I’m excited that there are opportunities to try and make things better, where our kids are being more productive in school.”
Concerns about deeper systemic issues
Still, De La Torre — who also has three children in the district — said the state’s intervention doesn’t address the real barriers students face.
“We’re still going to have an issue with poverty. We’re still going to have an issue with students who are homeless. We’re still going to have an issue with kids who go home and don’t have any food,” she said. “When are we going to fix those issues? Because that’s what’s keeping kids from growing.”
Support for current superintendent
Both parents and teachers agreed on one thing — they want Superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar to stay in her role. Many believe she’s made significant progress in the short time she’s led the district.