Fort Worth ISD officials approved a new plan aimed at solving the district’s issues with lagging reading scores. Additionally, the district formally began the process of recruiting a new superintendent.
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The Fort Worth ISD school board voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution to prioritize literacy and voted to approve a new strategic plan.
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The school board made a promise to make literacy a top priority for students as it moves forward with the new strategic plan.
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The current data shows 32% of third graders in Fort Worth ISD read at least at grade level. The plan presented Tuesday showed a goal to raise that number to 50% by 2029.
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The district also formally launched the hiring process for a new superintendent. It wants to have the role filled by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
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The Fort Worth ISD school board voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution to prioritize literacy and voted to approve a new strategic plan.
-
The school board made a promise to make literacy a top priority for students as it moves forward with the new strategic plan.
-
The current data shows 32% of third graders in Fort Worth ISD read at least at grade level. The plan presented Tuesday showed a goal to raise that number to 50% by 2029.
-
The district also formally launched the hiring process for a new superintendent. It wants to have the role filled by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
A new plan to address the district’s poor reading scores was authorized by Fort Worth, Texas-Fort Worth ISD officials.
Additionally, the district formally began the process of recruiting a new superintendent.
We know:
The Fort Worth ISD school board voted Tuesday night to approve a resolution to prioritize literacy and voted to approve a new strategic plan.
As it proceeds with the new strategic plan, the school board pledged to prioritize literacy for children.
The current data shows 32% of third graders in Fort Worth ISD read at least at grade level.
The plan presented Tuesday showed a goal to raise that number to 50% by 2029.
In order to emphasize the value of literacy and the district’s commitment to raising the proportion of students who read at grade level, school board members, city council members, and parent organizations staged a news conference before to the board meeting.
It is a component of the new strategic plan that the interim superintendent presented to the board at its meeting on Tuesday.
The plan outlines a five-step approach to improve literacy in pre-k through 12th grade.
What they’re saying:
During public comment, someone brought up that the board made a similar promise in 2017. That initiative sought to have 100% of students reading at grade level by 2025.
“Every number that was described in that event could apply today in terms of students reading at grade level,” said Robert Rogers, a literacy advocate. “I m excited that we re re-energized. We have to be relentless in approaching this.”
“By 2029 or before, a ninth grader should be a ninth grader. A tenth grader should be a tenth grader,” saidInterim Fort Worth ISD Dr. Karen Molinar. “How are we providing those supports? And, of course, budget alignment to support literacy. It doesn’t mean we don’t love math, science, social studies. But we are not going to be successful in those areas until we support literacy first.”
The backstory
The board also acknowledged that they ve been here before but want to do things differently with a new plan.
They say they have different personnel in place this time, and it s more of an internal process instead of one involving outside organizations.
This new strategic plan comes after the board rejected the one presented by former Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Angelica Ramsey in the spring.
Highlighted
Here s how much Fort Worth ISD will have to pay its ousted superintendent to leave
While she resigned as superintendent, she’ll still be employed with the district as the “ambassador for public relations” through September 1, 2025, while still receiving full benefits, according to the resignation agreement.
Next steps:
The hiring procedure for a new superintendent was also approved by the board. During the confidential executive session, it was discussed.
The vacant position will be posted on Jan. 23 for 10 days, according to district policy, and the hiring process will begin.
The district hopes to fill the position before the beginning of the 2025–2026 academic year, according to records posted on the district website.
The Source:Information in this article comes from Tuesday’s Fort Worth ISD board meeting, a press conference held before the meeting and previous FOX 4 reports.
