Fort Worth ISD will help seven low-performing campuses by adopting a turnaround model that prioritizes hiring effective teachers, school officials said during a board meeting Tuesday night.
“These are our best teachers on our campuses that need the most help. We need them in front of the students every single day,” said Superintendent Karen Molinar.
The initiative — called Accelerating Campus Excellence or ACE — started in Dallas ISD in 2015. It’s been used at over 40 campuses and been used to educate more than 50,000 students, according to Fort Worth officials.
Richardson ISD also took inspiration from Dallas ISD’s version to create its own improvement plan that was implemented in 2018.
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The ACE initiative will be employed at seven struggling Fort Worth ISD campuses, identified as:
The key to the ACE model is the staffing, Molinar said. The district will launch a “very targeted recruitment plan” to secure the most talented teachers, she said.
To lure qualified instructors, there will be a competitive salary and appealing incentives. Texas educators in the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, which designates and rewards high-performing teachers, are encouraged to apply.
For example, a third-grade teacher, with 10 years of experience and a TIA designation of “Master Teacher,” currently makes about $96,000 at a high-performing campus. At an ACE school, the pay would be about $124,000.
“We have teachers who are on our pay schedule who will never see $124,000,” Molinar said. “Our assistant principals do not make $124,000.”
Molinar noted that there are “requirements and expectations” that come along with the job. While the teacher contract is typically 187 days, teachers at ACE campuses will need to work an additional 25 days, since ACE schools have an extended school year. They also will participate in at least two hours of professional development each week.
The recruitment plan will launch this year.
In November, ACE principal positions will be posted, and teaching roles will follow shortly after Thanksgiving, according to Molinar. For teachers currently employed at schools set to be ACE campuses, they will need to reapply. Custodial, safety and child nutrition staff will keep their jobs.
“We need to recruit the best leaders — not just around Texas, not just in Fort Worth ISD, but across the United States,” Molinar said. “We need the best for our students here in Fort Worth Independent School District” .
The announcement comes amid tense times, as the district braces itself for the state takeover.
Education Commissioner Mike Morath will replace elected school trustees with a temporary board of managers and appoint a new superintendent. Texas Education Agency officials say that the intervention is necessary, after a Fort Worth ISD campus received a failing grade under the state’s academic accountability system for five consecutive years.
The takeover has community members on edge. A week earlier, parents, teachers and alumni packed the same conference room where the Tuesday meeting was held, grilling a TEA official about how the intervention would impact schools.
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Molinar acknowledged that the district has campuses with failing grades. Two middle schools have received an F for the fourth year, including one slated to be an ACE campus. “We are not where we need to be,” she said.
Despite the uncertainty ahead, she remained hopeful about the possibilities ACE offers. The plan will roll out next school year.
“This is really very simple. It’s about the opportunity of making sure that no child is left behind,” Molinar said.
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