I think this will give some insight into how the TEA is thinking about its takeover strategy now.
Instability has defined Fort Worth schools for more than a decade, former and current city leaders say.
Immediately after the state moved to replace Fort Worth ISD’s nine elected trustees, business leaders, parents and educators called for stability — and, in many cases, for Superintendent Karen Molinar to stay and use her nearly 30 years of experience working in the district to build it better.
They argued the fastest way to help students is keeping classrooms focused and leadership consistent while Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath installs a conservator, selects a board of managers and searches for a superintendent.
Molinar took the job in March after five months acting as interim. District mother Neisha Lomax hasn’t agreed with every decision the short-time superintendent has made.
For example, she pointed to the closure of her two daughters’ school, Edward J. Briscoe Elementary, and the district’s adoption of Bluebonnet Learning, state-endorsed reading lessons for kindergarten through fifth grade that incorporate Bible stories.
Regardless, Lomax said, the superintendent deserves a chance to see her plans through.
“She’s brought structure to the classrooms,” Lomax said. “My daughter is finally achieving well in math and science where she wasn’t before.”
Constant change would undo progress teachers and students have made, Lomax said. Her message to state leaders: Let the families and communities have more of a say.
“Don’t just take it over and change everything,” she said.
Fort Worth ISD has cycled through four superintendents and two interim superintendents in 10 years. Priorities shifted as each leader had their own ideas on how to run a large, urban school system. Inconsistency contributed to students falling behind peers across the state.
Students don’t have time to waste, said Melody Johnson, a former FWISD superintendent from 2005 to 2011 who wants Molinar to stay.
“The No. 1 thing we need is stability, direction, intense focus and doing the right thing every single day for kids,” said Johnson, who promoted Molinar to principal of Oakhurst Elementary in 2007 and has known and mentored her for two decades. “We’re looking at 13 years of low performance and changes in superintendents.”
[…]
Molinar supporters want Morath to understand what she’s accomplished in just seven months. Since March, Molinar has restructured academic leadership, closed underenrolled campuses to better distribute resources and formulated a districtwide turnaround plan focused on students and literacy.
Decisions on school closures and Bluebonnet Learning drew criticism. However, Molinar said they ultimately were in the best interest of students.
Johnson posed a question about the district’s next leader: “What is going to be brought in that’s substantively different from what she is trying to put in place right now?”
See here for some background. FWISD Superintendent Molinar seems to have broad support in the community – Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare are both quoted in favor of her continuing to serve – and the overall vibe seems to be one of wanting to work with the TEA on the issues that district has faced rather than fighting against it. Maybe that will work for them, I have no idea. For obvious reasons, I’m not inclined to give the TEA the benefit of the doubt. But as I say, this may be an indicator of how this is going to play out. If Mike Morath gives the community’s input some weight and sticks with Superintendent Molinar, that will say something. Then we’ll see if that’s a one off or a sign for the future. I’m very interested to see what happens.