At a recent breakfast, a Fort Worth ISD high school principal was asked to name their greatest challenge.
“The kids that come into ninth grade here can’t read,” the principal said.
Pete Geren, president and CEO of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, shared the anecdote during a Dec. 3 Fort Worth Report Candid Conversation event. The sentiment encapsulates the literacy crisis facing Fort Worth ISD — a challenge with repercussions for the entire city, he said.
During Tuesday night’s panel, education and city leaders agreed that turning the district around will require the collective effort of everyone in Fort Worth, outlining specific indicators the district should use to track progress.
Data underscore the urgency of addressing what interim Superintendent Karen Molinar called a “crisis.”
About 2 of every 3 students in the district did not meet grade level expectations in reading on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests from spring 2024, and, across all subjects, 3 of every 4 students did not meet grade level.
“We are definitely in a crisis. For me, it’s ‘do something now,’” Molinar, who entered the role in October following the resignation of Superintendent Angélica Ramsey, said.
Fort Worth ISD has reached a critical moment, Geren said. Democracy can solve big problems, said Geren, a former Congressman. But residents have to get democracy to work.
Addressing a potential turnaround for the district will require collaboration from every corner of the community, he said.
“Literacy is essential for a healthy, safe, prosperous and growing city,” Geren said. “I don’t care if you’re most concerned about public safety or you’re most concerned about the workforce. It all starts with literacy.”
Reid Goetz, senior vice president at Hillwood and a Fort Worth ISD graduate and parent, agreed that improving literacy is crucial not only for individual students but for the city’s future workforce and economic vitality. Goetz encouraged business leaders to ask Fort Worth ISD how they can help improve academic performance.
“I think it’s the biggest public-private partnership opportunity of our generation,” he said, stressing the importance of aligning education with workforce needs.
Molinar won’t give excuses as to where the district sees itself now, she said, and she isn’t afraid of asking for help from city leaders who have offered their assistance, including Mayor Mattie Parker.
“We have to intervene,” Molinar said. “But we can’t only be in intervention mode. … We have to work the system. We have to plan and strategize.”
Molinar, who has worked in the district for nearly three decades, said she brings a unique advantage to the challenge: familiarity with the system.
“I know already what we need to do,” she said. “I know where to find it. I know what we need to replicate. I don’t have to spend a year doing a listening tour.”
Under her leadership, the district recently launched a Transformation, Innovation and Accountability Division — her self-described data war room. From professional development for teachers to specific interventions for struggling students, each school will receive tailored support based on data.
“What strategy does each campus need?” Molinar said. “African American students, they need more urgent intervention. Those campuses need more.”
Molinar also acknowledged difficult decisions that lie ahead, including the potential for closing and consolidating schools as the district faces lower enrollment.
“It’s emotional, but what’s the outcome for our students?” she said, referencing poor student outcomes at under-enrolled campuses. “Remember, when we make these decisions about school closures and consolidations, we’re planning for students who aren’t even born yet.”
Fort Worth ISD board President Roxanne Martinez, a product of the district and a parent of current students, said the transformation hinges on community buy-in.
“We need everyone on board,” she said. “The work starts at home, before a child ever steps foot on campus. But, it’s our job to meet families where they are and provide the resources they need.”
Martinez pointed to a renewed focus on partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and the city of Fort Worth as a promising sign of progress. Parker’s recent pledge to support the district has already led to concrete discussions about how the city can assist with after-school programs, food pantries and other wraparound services that address students’ basic needs, she said. Parker previously served as the founding CEO of the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, which supports students in earning a degree or credential and entering the workforce.
“It’s going to take all of us. It’s going to take all of us to accomplish this work,” Martinez said.
With the city’s attention firmly focused on literacy, Fort Worth ISD and its partners have a rare opportunity to turn a crisis into a catalyst for lasting change, Geren said.
While a turnaround will take time, he and other panelists emphasized the need to track progress.
“When all students — regardless of race, ZIP code or income — are thriving, then we’ll know we’ve succeeded,” Martinez said.
Stable enrollment, better test scores and reduced teacher turnover are among other indicators they cited as measures of improvement.
Geren said he remained optimistic.
“Public opinion is on our side,” he said. “We have a system designed to solve big problems. We just need to put democracy to work.”
He suggested a simpler, more specific, measure.
“When I have breakfast with that principal again, and they tell me, ‘My ninth graders can read,’ that’s when we’ll know we’re on the right track,” he said.
Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Hillwood and Texas Wesleyan University have been financial supporters of the Fort Worth Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.