Fort Worth Mayor blasts FWISD

FORT WORTH – The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker is calling on board members in the city’s largest school district to do more to move its students forward academically, saying lackluster educational outcomes hamper students’ opportunities after high school. In a letter to board members in the Fort Worth Independent School District, Parker noted that Fort Worth is the fastest-growing major city in the country, and said the city is proud of its cultural richness and growth in business and higher education. “A great city demands a great public education system, and our future depends on it,” Parker wrote. “Fort Worth ISD is one of 12 school districts in the City of Fort Worth, and unfortunately, it has not kept pace with our city’s rapid ascent.” The letter, which was co-signed by a number of other city council members and leaders of businesses, philanthropic groups and advocacy organizations, went to every member of the school board ahead of its meeting Tuesday evening. Parker was also scheduled to speak during the public comment section of Tuesday’s board meeting.

In the letter, Parker noted that Fort Worth ISD’s state test scores lag behind those of other large urban districts across the state. On last spring’s state tests, 33% of Fort Worth ISD’s third-graders scored on grade level in reading, placing the district nine points behind Dallas ISD and 12 points behind Houston ISD. She also noted that the district came in 22nd out of the 24 Texas districts that serve more than 20,000 students with similar student populations. “These results are unacceptable,” Parker wrote. “For our city’s children, these results can significantly narrow their ability to access the life and opportunities that they want and deserve. And for our city, there are significant long-term consequences in the areas of workforce, economic development, poverty, public health, and much more.” Parker called on the board to set clear, ambitious student achievement goals, implement high-quality instruction in every classroom and prioritize academic intervention for struggling students. She also called on Fort Worth ISD to pause spending on bond-funded building projects until the district has a facilities plan “that enhances teacher capacity and student resources.” The letter comes two weeks after a closed-door meeting involving Parker, Superintendent Angélica Ramsey and a number of other city leaders. Neither the mayor’s office nor the district would offer details about what was discussed at the Aug. 9 meeting. A Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said only that Parker invited Ramsey and her deputies “to attend a meeting with community members to provide information regarding the district.”