After the Texas Education Agency appointed new leadership for Fort Worth ISD, Mayor Mattie Parker outlined the district’s current problems and expressed hope that the state takeover would help students.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed Superintendent Peter Licata and nine members to a board of managers to oversee Fort Worth ISD, effective March 24, as The Dallas Express reported. The same day, Parker posted a letter online, highlighting the district’s “sobering” challenges.
“It’s important to know where we stand today in order to know where we are headed for the future of Fort Worth ISD. The reality is sobering,” Parker wrote. “11 Fort Worth ISD schools currently have an ‘F’ rating and 8 of those schools have received failing ratings for three consecutive years.”
Nearly one in three district schools is “struggling academically,” according to Parker. Only one in three students can read at grade level, and fewer than one in five middle schoolers will earn a degree or credential within six years after graduating from high school.
“When a problem has gone on too long, we have a responsibility to call out the problem and help fix it,” Parker wrote.
As The Dallas Express reported, the TEA announced the takeover in 2025 after Fort Worth ISD repeatedly fell short of academic standards. For the district to leave state oversight, it must first reach certain criteria.
In the meantime, the board of managers serves as the interim board of trustees. It will similarly be responsible for managing the district, holding public board meetings, and meeting the same legal requirements and obligations.
Licata began working under a 21-day interim contract on March 24, awaiting official board approval. He has more than 30 years of education experience, most recently working as superintendent of Broward County Public Schools in Florida.
“He has a humble nature and the conviction that this job is focused on student outcomes,” Parker wrote.
The new board of managers includes former Democrat U.S. Rep. Pete Geren, Texas A&M-Fort Worth COO Bobby Ahdieh, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Member Courtney Lewis, Recovery Resource Council Chair Rosa Maria Berdeja, Fort Worth ISD parent and former teacher Laurie George, Fort Worth ISD parent and Attorney Tennessee Walker, Attorney Luis Galindo, businessman Jay Stegall, and businessman Frost Prioleau.
Parker emphasized the district is still under local control during the takeover, citing board members’ ties to the community.
“I have made it clear that this effort has to be led by our Fort Worth community,” she said. “Our mission is to make sure that every single student in our city, regardless of their background or their zip code, has access to and attains, not just an education, but an excellent education.”