Fort Worth Independent School District Superintendent Karen Molinar, right, talks with others while Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, back left, visits William James Middle School on Aug. 28, 2025. Morath announced Wednesday, March 4, that Molinar will be replaced as the district’s superintendent as part of a state takeover of Fort Worth ISD.
Amanda McCoy
amccoy@star-telegram.com
Superintendent Karen Molinar will be ousted from her position as leader of the Fort Worth Independent School District during the impending state takeover.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced the decision on Wednesday but fell short of naming a new person who will take her place. A Texas Education Agency spokesperson confirmed to the Star-Telegram that the selection will be announced at the same time as the new board of managers, who will replace the current elected school board amid the state takeover of Fort Worth ISD. Morath said the announcement will be made “in the coming weeks” after he conducted a nationwide superintendent search for candidates that included Molinar.
“Dr. Karen Molinar is a student-centered leader of integrity, and I want to thank her for her nearly three decades of service to Fort Worth ISD, its students, educators and families. This decision is not a reflection of Dr. Molinar’s leadership but made with consideration for the scope of changes and improvements needed to better serve all students in the district. These needs require specialized leadership that can rapidly improve the trajectory of the district,” Morath said in a statement.
“Throughout her tenure, Dr. Molinar has remained steadfastly focused on improving student outcomes. Her leadership has helped lay a solid foundation that the new superintendent and Board of Managers — to be announced in the coming weeks — can build upon and ensure that all schools in Fort Worth ISD reflect the highest expectations and supports for all students,” he added.
In a statement, Molinar said she entered the role of superintendent understanding the range of challenges and opportunities to improve district deficiencies and academic progress for students. She highlighted the progress the district has made since her appointment, naming the adoptions of a strategic plan, student literacy plan, a new instructional framework and daily instructional planning calendars as the strong foundations of supporting students.
She was appointed as interim superintendent in October 2024 and selected for the permanent position one year ago in March 2025.
She called Fort Worth ISD “my home” and the district community “my family” in her Wednesday statement.
“Although the upcoming months will focus on adult-centered processes and procedures, your work toward improving education for our students must remain unchanged. We must continue the daily delivery of high-quality instruction for every student. Stay student focused, our students deserve nothing less,” Molinar said.
“It has been an honor and privilege serving the Fort Worth ISD community and its students for almost 28 years in various capacities, including as your Superintendent. Thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to the students of Fort Worth ISD through this transition and beyond,” she said.
Molinar will remain in the role until the new superintendent is announced. When asked by the Star-Telegram, district and state officials did not address whether Molinar would pivot to another position within the district after the new superintendent is appointed.
Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Karen Molinar, right, greets students and parents to begin the first day of instruction at Mary Louise Phillips Elementary School on Aug. 12, 2025. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
It’s unclear if other jobs in Fort Worth ISD will be impacted by the takeover. In Houston ISD, more than 2,300 administrative positions were cut during a state takeover after the appointment of Superintendent Mike Miles, according to Houston Public Media. A TEA spokesperson said potential changes in cabinet positions would be made by the new superintendent, which is normal with superintendent transitions.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Fort Worth ISD school board member Tobi Jackson declined to comment about the superintendent decision. Board President Roxanne Martinez and board members Kevin Lynch, Anael Luebanos and Anne Darr did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Board member Camille Rodriguez said “the entire situation the FWISD is in is directly related to board votes and inaction” without commenting further.
Board member Quinton “Q” Phillips said he was proud of Molinar as a superintendent and a person, calling her “authentic” and “student-driven and student-centered.”
“Dr. Molinar is a phenomenal educational expert and has an incredible grasp of all aspects of school systems,” Phillips said. “Dr. Molinar is embedded in this Fort Worth community and has glowing support from every sector of our town. What she has been able to do from a standpoint of galvanizing this entire city is truly unprecedented. Fort Worth ISD has been blessed to have such a person dedicate their entire education career to our students and our community. She has only been given a short time as Superintendent, and I am extremely proud of what she was still able to accomplish.”
Board member Michael Ryan called Molinar’s ousting “a catastrophic mistake” and criticized Morath for his limited experience in the classroom. Morath taught an advanced computer science class at Garland High School, his alma mater, “through the school year” after the previous teacher resigned, according to his TEA biography. He served as a Dallas ISD school board member for more than four years.
“Karen has done an incredible job making things work and to ignore that for whatever reason is just, to me, total stupidity,” Ryan said. “But I don’t expect anything less, because he’s working for a governor that got a $6-million campaign contribution… for people that are pushing charter and open schools.”
Gov. Greg Abbott, who appointed Morath, received the campaign contribution in 2023 from Jeff Yass, a national Republican megadonor and supporter of school vouchers, according to the Texas Tribune.
The TEA notified the Fort Worth district last May of potential state intervention after the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade received five F ratings in a row. When this happens, state law requires the state education commissioner to replace the district’s elected school board with an appointed board of managers or close the school. The district already closed the campus at the end of the 2022-23 school year and consolidated it with Forest Oak Middle School.
Morath confirmed the takeover decision in October, and a panel of state administrative law judges ruled against Fort Worth ISD last month in the school district’s final appeal. Morath has already named a conservator, Christopher Ruszkowski, to oversee the district and the transition.
Reactions from parents, teachers, community
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who called for a turnaround of the district’s academic performance in fall 2024 that led to the resignation of former Superintendent Angélica Ramsey, commemorated Molinar for her dedication to the district.
“I’m incredibly grateful for my friend Karen Molinar’s leadership, commitment, and service to Fort Worth ISD for nearly three decades and especially throughout this process. The district has achieved significant gains under her leadership, notably improving 40 campuses by a full letter grade in just one academic year. The progress we have seen is a testament to her professionalism, heart, and dedication to all Fort Worth students,” Parker said.
Brent Beasley, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Education Partnership, said he has “the utmost respect” for Molinar as she led the charge on “important and much-needed changes in the district.” She’s been transparent with the community about the district’s challenges and has been a strong leader amid a tumultuous time, he said.
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Beasley also noted the takeover as an opportunity for change, calling for the Fort Worth community to stay united and focused on making improvements for students.
“I am grateful for her service and trust that the new Board of Managers and Superintendent will be able to build on the foundation she courageously helped establish,” Beasley said. “As we look ahead, it’s also important to recognize the magnitude of the work still in front of us. Today, 71% of FWISD students are below grade level across all subjects; too many of our students are not where we want or need them to be academically. That reality has persisted for many years.”
Families Organized Resisting Takeover, or FORT, shared concern about Molinar being ousted from her position, stating she has earned the trust of teachers, principals and staff while leading improvements in students outcomes during her tenure. The parent group said it would continue advocating for equity to close achievement gaps, holistic education to prepare students for life beyond exams, transparency and accountability and a prompt return to local control.
“Dr. Molinar’s removal is disappointing and destabilizing for a district that has made real academic progress. Teachers and staff deserve clarity and stability. FORT will continue fighting for equity, transparency, and a clear path back to local control. We will be actively engaging with our community and members to help create strong guardrails for the incoming Board of Managers and Superintendent,” said FORT President Zach Leonard.
Steven Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, said the decision is not a reflection of Molinar’s abilities, and he expects Morath to appoint someone from outside Fort Worth. The Texas Education Agency has yet to release information on the superintendent candidate pool.
“This decision had nothing to do with Dr. Molinar’s abilities,” Poole said. “The Commissioner of Education will appoint someone from outside Fort Worth. He wants someone with no ties to the community who is only accountable to himself, not to parents, educators, or citizens of Fort Worth. That is the same reason he may appoint some to the Board of Managers who don’t live or vote in Fort Worth ISD.”
Karen Molinar, the superintendent of Fort Worth ISD, speaks to the media at the school district’s administration building on Oct. 23, 2025, after the Texas Education Agency announced an upcoming state takeover of the district. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced Wednesday, March 4, that Molinar will be replaced as the district’s superintendent. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com Board of managers to be announced
Nine candidates will be chosen to replace the current elected school board in addition to the superintendent appointment. TEA has narrowed down the list of board of managers finalists to 21 people, according to Tom Harris, who is among those candidates. Harris is executive vice president of Hillwood, a real estate investment and development company behind the 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development. He is also chair of the Fort Worth Mayor’s Council on Education & Workforce.
Harris recently told the Star-Telegram his decision to apply for the board of managers involves personal and professional motives. His children attended and graduated from Birdville ISD and received a great education, he said. Additionally, he’s collaborated with workforce development and education agencies to make sure educated workers could fill jobs at AllianceTexas, which has almost 70,000 workers and 600 companies.
“From day one, when I started working for Hillwood in 1990, workforce and education was a priority of ours,” he said. “It just made sense for me at my stage in my career to try to do more.”
As a resident of downtown Fort Worth, Harris lives in the boundaries of the district, he said. Regardless of whether he’s selected for the board of managers, he intends to continue his efforts with education and workforce development.
“We’ve got to do a better job of making sure that we have pathways in place — and clear pathways in place — for kids to understand what they’ve got to do to qualify for these jobs. And that will include them going beyond high school and either getting some type of series of certifications and or an associate’s degree and even a four-year degree,” Harris said.
Staff writer Emily Holshouser contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 10:56 AM.
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Lina Ruiz covers early childhood education in Tarrant County and North Texas for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A University of Florida graduate, she previously wrote about local government in South Florida for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers.