Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker has called for a complete revamping of Fort Worth ISD as the school system continues to be a serious cause for concern.
The district has come under fire for being a disaster zone, with only 32% of its students scoring at grade level on the STAAR exam during the 2021-2022 school year, much worse than the 41% logged by Dallas ISD.
In a letter to the Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees, Parker said the district has “not kept pace with our city’s rapid ascent.”
“The data tells a sobering story: our district has consistently lagged behind other large Texas school systems,” Parker wrote. “In Spring 2024, our students trailed 11 percentage points behind Dallas ISD, 14 behind Houston ISD, and 18 behind Brownsville ISD. Furthermore, when we look at the 24 public school systems serving more than 20,000 students in Texas with a similar student population, Fort Worth ISD is ranked third from the bottom at number 22 out of 24 districts, a 25 percentage point gap from the top of the list.”
The mayor called the results unacceptable, noting that they will have significant long-term consequences for the children in Fort Worth ISD and the city’s future workforce, economic development, and levels of poverty.
Parker, alongside 40 community stakeholders and other leaders who signed the letter, called on Fort Worth ISD to “urgently” adopt a complete remodeling of its current strategy.
The letter included a list of bullet points, detailing action items for the school district to implement:
- Develop clear and ambitious goals focused on student achievement.
- Align the goals with budget priorities informed by a thorough audit.
- Implement high-quality instruction across every classroom.
- Prioritize academic interventions for students who are falling behind.
- Conduct a comprehensive personnel audit, implement targeted evaluation plans, and develop compensation programs that support and retain top educators.
- Pause any further bond expenditure until a thoughtful district facilities plan is developed that enhances teacher capacity and student resources.
“Those undersigned, and countless others, stand ready to continue to provide the resources necessary to see that flagship school district is the best urban school district in Texas, and ultimately the nation,” Parker wrote. “Together, we can create a future where our city continues to thrive, and every Fort Worth family can confidently choose our public schools, knowing their children will receive a world-class education.”
Other major urban school districts, such as Houston ISD, have undergone transformations after seeing dangerously low academic achievement comparable to Fort Worth ISD.
Houston ISD has seen remarkable growth in every grade level and subject after Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles, appointed by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, worked alongside other appointed board members to turn around the district after years of mismanagement.