Fort Worth ISD Board Votes to Appeal State Takeover by TEA

Fort Worth ISD Appeals State Takeover

• 🗳️ The Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees voted 7-1 to appeal the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) decision to appoint a conservator and a board of managers.
• 🏛️ This appeal means the district will file a petition with the state office of administrative hearings, though it does not halt the takeover process.

TEA's Intervention and Takeover Process

• 🧑‍⚖️ TEA Commissioner Mike Morath has already appointed a conservator and the agency is accepting applications for a state-appointed board of managers, with applications closing Friday.
• 🔍 The TEA is also conducting a nationwide search for a new superintendent, with the current interim superintendent, Dr. Karen Mullen, still in consideration.

Reasons for Intervention

• 📉 The state's intervention was triggered by one Fort Worth ISD campus receiving five consecutive failing accountability ratings.
• ⚖️ Despite the district closing the underperforming school, Commissioner Morath stated that the law mandates intervention when a campus receives multiple unacceptable ratings.

Community Reaction and Potential Outcomes

• 😟 Parents have expressed concern and sought answers about the day-to-day implications of a state takeover, with some open to changes that improve academics and others left with more questions.
• ❓ Appointees to the board of managers do not necessarily need to reside in Fort Worth.
• 📈 Even with the appeal, a state takeover remains the most likely outcome, with the state retaining control until the district's struggling schools show improvement. Currently, 20 schools in Fort Worth ISD have multiple years of unacceptable ratings.