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Teachers in the Fort Worth Independent School District are waiting to see what changes will occur once the district is taken over by the Texas Education Agency. School board members met privately with the TEA commissioner in Austin on Thursday but did not make any public comments afterward. Fort Worth ISD State Takeover What we know: It is all but certain that Fort Worth ISD will face new management. The district landed in the spotlight because of low-performing schools. But it was one chronically failing campus that is now closed that legally triggered a state takeover. TEA will get people from the Fort Worth community to replace the elected school board with an appointed board of managers. Commissioner Mike Morath said he will look for the most qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Educator Concerns What they're saying: Steven Poole, the president of the United Educators Association, said his phone has been ringing off the hook. Many of the union’s 4,000 members have questions about what’s going to happen. "They wanted to know what’s going to happen next and no one has any answers for them. And that’s causing a lot of stress and concern. The more they think about it and see Houston as a possible roadmap for Fort Worth ISD, they are not liking what they are seeing. So that confusion and concern is boiling over into some anger right now," Poole said. The TEA recently extended its takeover management of Houston ISD where staff on some campuses have experienced high turnover under the appointed leadership of former Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles. "The very first year, 20% of teachers left Houston ISD. The following year that skyrocketed up to about 33%. Houston ISD had to fill those positions with someone, and so they were hiring uncertified teachers for the classrooms," Poole said. "Fort Worth teachers are concerned that they may not have a future in Fort Worth. And if they leave, they will be replaced with uncertified teachers." Poole also believes Morath needs to be open to the community on what specific changes are needed. "He hasn’t really shared a vision of what Fort Worth will look like, and that’s where teachers are now planning for their next move. Here we are just not even into November yet and teachers are planning where they’re going to work next year without any clear answers from Fort Worth ISD or any clear answers from the state," he said.
