Students arrive at M.H. Moore Elementary School for the first day of school on Aug. 13, 2024.
Amanda McCoy
amccoy@star-telegram.com
Fort Worth ISD is grappling with a wave of challenges as it enters its first full school year under state intervention. From a federal court ruling to sagging math scores and shrinking enrollment, here’s a snapshot of the week’s top education news.
Here are key takeaways:
A federal judge denied former principal Shayma Alzubi’s request to be reinstated at Western Hills High School after she was reassigned following backlash over social media posts about Sharia law and Black Lives Matter.U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled Alzubi’s First Amendment lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, noting she was moved to an “arguably less stressful” position that paid more, though her lawsuit against the district remains pending.Just 34% of Fort Worth ISD students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded grade level on the math STAAR exam last year, compared to 41% across Tarrant County and well below the state average.A math intervention pilot program run by Parent Shield Fort Worth using Zearn Math saw 86% of participating students make measurable academic growth, founder Trenace Dorsey-Hollins said.Fort Worth ISD enrollment dipped below 70,000 during the 2025-26 school year — 17,000 fewer students than in 2018-19 — prompting the district to form a new School Choice Committee.Superintendent Peter Licata said the committee will work to expand Advanced Placement courses and align programs with the workforce needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.The Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers will host a community listening session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Center for Transforming Lives to gather input as the district enters its first full school year under state intervention.Research from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry shows 4.2-10.7% of the population has a tongue tie, but not everyone with the condition needs surgery, said Dr. Alexandra Otto of the Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.Otto recommends families seek opinions from pediatricians, speech-language pathologists and ENT doctors before deciding on a frenectomy, following a recent Fort Worth procedure that ended in a 4-year-old girl’s death from a sedative overdose.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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