“I love solving problems. I love helping people. I love kids. And he’s someone that I really respect,” Michael Hinojosa said of Lake Worth’s new superintendent.

LAKE WORTH, Texas — One person alone cannot turn around a struggling school district. It takes a team dedicated to change, and former Dallas ISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa is on Lake Worth’s team now.

Hinojosa retired from the state’s second-largest school district in 2022 and launched a consulting firm. He had two stints leading Dallas ISD. Cumulatively, he served for 13 years and is credited with helping Dallas make gains in academically and with accountability.

Perhaps that’s why Hinojosa was one of Mark Ramirez’s first calls after he took the job as Lake Worth ISD superintendent.

Ramirez had previously worked under him as a principal and administrator in Dallas.

“I had coached him through the process on securing a superintendent position,” Hinojosa said. “So immediately, he reached out to and indicated that he had quite an issue on his hands.”

“They’re on a crash course with some issues with accountability with the state of Texas.”

All but one of Lake Worth ISD’s campuses received failing grades.

One school received an “F” rating five years in a row.

The Texas Education Agency will now intervene, but exactly to what extent isn’t yet known.

Lake Worth ISD used philanthropic funding to bring on Hinojosa’s Together Network for Transformation.

“[Hinojosa’s] work includes facilitating the development of the district’s board goals, leading Team of 8 trainings with the board of trustees and conducting bi-weekly coaching meetings with the superintendent to support continuous improvement and strategic alignment,” the district said.

Those bi-weekly meetings with Ramirez happen on Mondays.

“Every other Monday afternoon, we have a conversation about what needs to be done to have a sense of urgency,” Hinojosa said. “I said, ‘Mark, your hair needs to be on fire. I mean, this is it.’”

First, he suggested Ramirez spend as much time on his school campuses as possible.

“If you’re driving down the freeway and you see a police officer, what do you do? You take your foot off the accelerator. You respect the law. We told Mark, you need to be in classrooms early and often,” Hinojosa said.

“That’s totally different than anything they’ve done in the past,” he added.

Hinojosa said the key will be creating a culture of accountability. That’s what turned Dallas ISD around, he said. And it didn’t happen overnight.

“We had five superintendents in five years, and one went to prison,” Hinojosa said, describing the turbulent Dallas ISD of the 1990s. “That was not good.”

“It’s part of our DNA to make sure that we solve problems, and I think it’s part of Mark’s DNA. It was part of the commissioner’s DNA and it’s part of my DNA.”

Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath was on Dallas ISD’s board when Hinojosa was superintendent.

Morath visited Lake Worth Tuesday and told reporters it is only a matter of time before the state steps in

“State intervention is required,” Morath said. “The question is what’s the form of the state intervention.”

The TEA could order some campuses to close, or it could go further and replace the entire Board of Trustees. Fort Worth ISD is facing the same uncertain future.

Morath said he will wait for updated state campus ratings to be published in December before making decisions about both districts.

“I much prefer local control,” Hinojosa said. “But if that’s not working, then you have to have an intervention. These students deserve an equalized chance, and they have no chance if you don’t get results for them academically.”

Hinojosa isn’t sure what will happen in Lake Worth, but he says hard work is being put in.

“Effort is good, but results are better. You gotta deliver. And if you don’t deliver, you don’t deserve to be the leader there,” Hinojosa said.