The Brief
The Texas Education Commissioner toured Fort Worth ISD schools amid a possible state takeover.
The district showed significant improvement in recent ratings, but some schools still have failing grades.
The commissioner said he will make a decision on the takeover within the next three months.
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas Education Agency Commissioner toured Fort Worth ISD schools on Thursday as he considers whether the state should take over the district.
His visit comes after the recent release of the state accountability ratings.
The district showed improvement.
Education commissioner visits FWISD

School proceeded as usual at Fort Worth ISD campuses on Thursday… Except for the state’s commissioner of education and the district superintendent visiting several classrooms.
William James Middle School was one of three Fort Worth ISD campuses that welcomed Commissioner Mike Morath.
The backstory
Fort Worth ISD has been the subject of a possible state takeover since one of its campuses, the now-closed Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, received its fifth-consecutive F rating in 2023. That triggered mandatory intervention by the state.
And while the district itself closed the failing campus and merged it with another, Morath has said that does not prevent state action.
The takeover threat looms over the start of a school year when the district has seen improvement, with a higher percentage of students meeting grade level in most subjects.
What they're saying
"Either order the closing of the campus or replace the elected board with an appointed board of managers," Morath said. "It is one of those two decisions I have to make. I’ll be making it probably within the next three or so months."
"We want people to work hard, and we have people who are working hard, but hard work by itself doesn’t get kids to learn how to read, write and do math," said Morath.
"My purpose here today was to see classroom instruction in a variety of different schools in Fort Worth ISD, but really for the purpose of trying to assess how well the district is supporting our classroom teachers in Fort Worth, how well our systems from the central office to the individual campuses are ensuring and helping kids grow with their literacy," Morath said.
Dr. Karen Molinar, the superintendent who has been vocal about that progress, however, did not make any on-camera comment Thursday. A statement from the superintendent was included in a later release from the district.
"Fort Worth ISD remains hyper-focused on our top priorities, literacy and academic improvement. We are making bold, strategic actions that are already showing positive results for our students. We are confident the momentum will continue," Molinar said. "There is no time to waste when it comes to our students' success in the classroom, and we are grateful to Commissioner Morath for taking time to visit with our students and see our progress firsthand."
What's next
Morath has said he'll be considering his decision regarding the possible takeover over the coming months.
The Source
Information in this report comes from Fort Worth ISD and the office of Commissioner Mike Morath.
Comments