Fort Worth ISD families seek transparency during listening session – Dallas News

Fort Worth ISD families seek transparency during listening session  Dallas News

The concerns among the crowd gathered in the high school cafeteria spanned wide. To name a few: air conditioning issues in classrooms, the looming closure of an elementary school, and the exodus of teachers. About 30 Fort Worth ISD parents, teachers and students had the rare chance to share those worries and brainstorm solutions with the superintendent Monday evening at South Hills High School. The series of meetings, called Superintendent Strategic Action Sessions, seek to increase transparency during a controversial state takeover. Related: ‘They need to see themselves’: Dallas leaders examine educational challenges facing Black students Superintendent Peter Licata acknowledged the anger: over the takeover, over poor test scores, over the lack of communication.

“These are the groups that we have to listen to, and they're not always right. They're not always wrong,” he said. “We have to work together.” Fort Worth ISD fell under state control after a campus received a failing rating for five consecutive years. Now, a state-appointed superintendent and board of managers, rather than elected trustees, are shepherding the district. Since the takeover, parents say they’ve been left in the dark and worry how the changes ushered in by the new administration will play out in the classroom. Related: Fort Worth ISD starts school year under state takeover For example, district leaders want to maximize instruction