The Texas Education Agency has announced that Karen Molinar will no longer be the superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District.
According to a letter from the TEA, the agency will move forward with selecting a new superintendent for the school district.
“Dr. Karen Molinar is a student-centered leader of integrity, and I want to thank her for her nearly three decades of service to Fort Worth ISD, its students, educators, and families,” the TEA said in a statement on Wednesday. “This decision is not a reflection of Dr. Molinar’s leadership but [was] made with consideration for the scope of changes and improvements needed to better serve all students in the district. These needs require specialized leadership that can rapidly improve the trajectory of the district.”
The TEA went on to say that Molinar’s leadership “helped lay a solid foundation that the new superintendent and Board of Managers… can build upon and ensure that all schools in Fort Worth ISD reflect the highest expectations and supports for all students.”
This announcement comes after the takeover of Fort Worth ISD by the TEA in an effort to improve the district’s performance.
In October, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said he was ordering the appointment of a conservator and a board of managers to govern the Fort Worth ISD after the school board “failed the students” and didn’t implement changes that improved their performance for several consecutive years.
When a school in a district fails to meet accountability standards for five consecutive years, the TEA is required by state law to intervene in what is commonly called a “state takeover,” where the commissioner must either close the failing school or replace the district’s elected school board with a state-appointed board of managers.
In a letter from Molinar on Wednesday, she explained that, following TEA’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD, the Commissioner announced that TEA would interview prospective superintendent candidates, including Molinar herself.
Molinar said she was invited by TEA to participate in the interview process. She said she was later notified by the Commissioner that the interview process was complete and that she would not be continuing as the superintendent of Fort Worth ISD.
“I entered this role with a clear understanding of both the challenges of addressing district deficiencies and the opportunities to implement changes that have resulted in significant academic progress for our students,” Molinar said in her letter. “Fort Worth is my home, and the FWISD community is my family. I have embraced both the challenges and opportunities with an unwavering dedication to serving FWISD families and students. I believe in the transformative work we have done in our short time together as a community to improve the quality of education for our students.”
Molinar thanked Fort Worth ISD families, staff, and community for their commitment and dedication to the district’s students, saying that “it has been an honor and privilege serving the Fort Worth ISD community and its students for almost 28 years in various capacities, including as your Superintendent.”
Molinar will remain in the superintendent role until further notice from TEA regarding the leadership transition.