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The Texas Education Agency commissioner says Lake Worth ISD has had chronic academic problems at several campuses, with one school earning a failing grade five years in a row. According to state law, the TEA commissioner must now take drastic action. TEA mulls Lake Worth ISD's future Mike Morath, who heads the agency, visited the district's six campuses Tuesday. His attention was on the district's dismal accountability ratings for the two most recent schools years. Morath noted that a new school superintendent started in June. He was at the news conference, but did not speak to the media. According to the TEA, five of the district's six campuses had F ratings. The remaining campus received a D. Marilyn Miller Language Academy had its fifth-consecutive unacceptable academic accountability rating. As a result, Morath says he only has two choices. Close campus or replace district board What they're saying: "One is order the closure of that school, or two is replace the elected board with an appointed board and think about holistically overseeing the school district in different ways in hopes it yields differently for the kids," Morath said. In a letter sent to the district's new superintendent, Dr. Mark Ramirez, prior to Tuesday's in-person meeting, Morath said in part: "The children of Lake Worth ISD deserve better. Bold action is needed to improve conditions for students in the district." Morath explained Tuesday what the students have been missing. "What has unfortunately been true in Lake Worth for a very long time is that the kids have access to schools that do have hard-working, loving adults, but they're not consistently learning how to read, write and do math or science or history," Morath said. Morath had a chance to observe some of the classroom instruction Tuesday. "I saw evidence of significant practice that will result in learning. I also saw evidence of significant challenges. Saw good examples, I saw bad examples. So I have to use this information to ultimately make a decision," Morath said. What's next: Morath says that decision is still months away. "Ultimately, the buck stops with the local school board. And the school board is not brand-spanking new, and the question is where was the urgency four years ago, five, six years ago? To say it is our responsibility we have been elected, held in trust by the taxpayers to provide kids an opportunity to access the American dream through our schools," Morath said. Morath says he will make his decision by the end of the school year.
