Principal Amelia Cortes-Rangel knows how to get an A.
FWISD’s Alice D. Contreras Elementary achieved that twice under her leadership, including last year. Now, Cortes-Rangel is tasked with leading Clifford Davis Elementary — one of the district’s lowest performing schools that also has one of its highest percentages of students learning English — through its own academic turnaround.
Attracting top talent like Cortes-Rangel to some of Fort Worth’s most struggling schools is a key aspect of a Texas-backed program called Accelerated Campus Excellence, or ACE. In turn, she and five other principals at ACE-designated campuses want to recruit the best teachers who will earn six-figure salaries as they rapidly boost students’ academic achievement.
Improving learning for kids is a tall task, but Cortes-Rangel said she’s ready to build up momentum at Clifford Davis and support children.
“I know the power we have in really transforming students’ lives, and I want to be a part of that,” she said.
Hiring continues
Teacher Jeanina Martin roamed around the ballroom at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel where FWISD recently hosted an ACE campus recruitment event. After 15 years at underperforming Harlean Beal Elementary, she was curious about the model.
“It’s time to make a move,” she said. “Why not make a move to be a part of something about moving kids?”
Two years ago, she was designated as eligible for a performance-based bonus through a state program called the Teacher Incentive Allotment.
Teachers like Martin are key for ACE schools as Texas requires that at least half of the educators at those campuses be considered among the state’s most effective teachers, identified through their students’ performances on STAAR.
Western Hills, the consolidated Eastern Hills and West Handley elementary as well as William James, Morningside and Wedgwood middle schools are the other five ACE campuses.
Interest has been high in jobs at the campuses from teachers in and outside of the district, Superintendent Karen Molinar said. Teachers in STAAR-tested courses and other core subject classes will earn a starting salary of $100,000.
Like teachers, principals will earn bigger paychecks. Elementary principals will earn $130,000, while middle school principals receive a salary of $145,000.
Molinar acknowledges the schools will cost more but says students deserve the investment. These campuses are a priority for funding and will continue to be after her departure in the coming weeks, she said.
The superintendent made budget cuts to central administration and applied for grants to support the campuses.
“That’s truly where I believe the money and the reallocation needs to go — directly to the campuses,” Molinar said.
The schools don’t yet have the state’s ACE designation. Once they meet state requirements, extra state funding tied directly to each campus will kick in, Molinar said.
Sustainable improvements
Dallas ISD started the initiative under its former leader Mike Miles, now the state-appointed superintendent of Houston schools. Although expensive, schools improved student performance before DISD scaled back ACE.
Molinar knows sustainability is key for long-term success even as she prepares to exit the district. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath informed her that she will not remain superintendent as Texas takes control of the district for stubbornly low student outcomes.
Starting with six campuses ensures district leaders can focus on getting the details right and securing additional state funding, she said.
“You have to be careful that you’re not draining your talent from all the other campuses across our district,” she said.
Measuring success is simple for Molinar: Consistently moving the schools from an F to a higher letter grade.
Children who are behind need swift academic growth so they can be on grade level in reading and math, she said. On top of that, students and teachers should attend school every day to ensure all are engaged, the superintendent added.
For Cortes-Rangel that means examining daily data points to ensure students are growing with each lesson. That movement should bear out in benchmark tests throughout the year leading up to STAAR, she said.
The principal wants everyone in the Clifford Davis community — from students and teachers to families and neighbors — to be connected to the elementary.
At Contreras, the administrator would host events and focus on communicating with parents in their native Spanish language.
The campus received a D in 2019. Three years later — and a pandemic-induced rating pause — Contreras earned an A. Though the grade slipped in 2023, the school picked up a B the following year and then an A.
“We’re doing this together,” Cortes-Rangel said. “Every single person’s presence makes a difference at the campus.”
Heart
Energetic music such as “Kiss” by Prince and “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson blasted in the hotel’s ballroom during the job fair.
Toward the back, Cortes-Rangel chatted with a prospective teacher. They laughed and traded information about one another.
One question from the candidate stood out to Cortes-Rangel.
What is your heart?
She didn’t skip a beat as she told him about seeing the children at Clifford Davis during her recent classroom visits.
“When they made eye contact with me, it sparked that sense of urgency for me,” she said. “They’re here, and they want to learn.”
The teacher extended his hand and shook Cortes-Rangel’s to seal the deal, promising he’d apply so they can work together.
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.orgor @_jacob_sanchez.
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