Fort Worth ISD district service center
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Fort Worth students have penned a searing letter against the state takeover of their district, arguing the changes have “drained the life” from their classrooms and have pushed them away from learning.
“We miss when we could listen to a teacher tell us about interesting things, things we cared about. When we could hear about the hidden meanings and power in words on a page,” the letter reads.
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The roughly 1,300-word letter, signed by 57 students ranging from third graders to high school seniors, lists grievances with mandated slideshows, artificial intelligence, rigid rules and what students describe as a loss of teacher freedom and creativity.
The Texas Education Agency took over Fort Worth ISD in 2025 after one campus, Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade, received failing academic ratings for five consecutive years. The takeover placed the district under state-appointed leadership.
Under the state-appointed leadership of Superintendent Peter Licata, the district launched ELEVATE, an instructional model now used at 19 schools. It requires teachers to follow standardized lesson plans and deliver scripted lessons.
The criticisms listed in the letter echo concerns raised in other districts like Houston ISD, where enrollment decline, teacher turnover and budget cuts have increased since the state took over in 2023. Together, the challenges draw concern about how state-led overhauls are impacting students and classrooms, and what it could mean for the future of public education.
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“We are ready for change, and we are not the only ones,” the letter states.
‘We want to learn, not memorize’
According to a program brochure for ELEVATE, “Teachers do not write curriculum or design lessons from scratch. Teachers internalize the lesson, prepare for delivery through the PLC process, and execute high-quality instruction with fidelity,” a PowerPoint brochure of the program states.
But students say these slide shows are riddled with errors and encourage memorization over curiosity and effective learning principles.
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“I walk in with dread, knowing today will be another day of reading from the exact same Google slide presentation,” one student wrote. “Education must be an exploration, but right now it feels like memorization,” another student said.
Newly appointed Fort Worth ISD Board Vice President Courtney Lewis (left) and Superintendent Peter Licata shake hands with people following their first public meeting.
The Dallas Morning News/Hearst N/The Dallas Morning News via Gett
‘Our teachers are micromanaged’
The letter also criticizes the close oversight of teachers, which students say has created an on-edge atmosphere in classrooms.
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“Under ELEVATE, principals and assistant principals are expected to conduct at least nine “spot observations” per week, at least four in the morning and four in the afternoon,” the brochure states.
And then there is oversight by leaders of Elevate themselves. Every campus within the model receives a minimum of two visits per week, with some campuses receiving daily visits from their executive director, the brochure notes.
“This expectation maintains consistent leadership visibility into instruction and keeps campus leaders engaged in the core work of teaching and learning.”
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But to students and teachers, this setup translates into micromanaging, the letter notes.
“We know we’re supposed to stay focused, but it is hard not to notice strangers standing in the classroom, judging our teachers and us, writing things ominously in the corner,” one student wrote.
‘We can see their stress’
Students say they have also noticed the emotional toll the changes are taking on their teachers.
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According to records obtained by the Fort Worth Report, a record 1,102 teachers resigned or retired during the 2025-2026 school year, marking the district’s largest staff exodus in nine years, the article notes.
Although some teachers in the ELEVATE network received pay increases, students say strict rules and close oversight have left their teachers visibly stressed.
“If your teacher has to calm themselves down in the middle of class, how are you supposed to learn any material, let alone something complicated? Our teachers look worn out every day.”
The students end the letter with five demands for Licata and Gov. Greg Abbott:
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Make sure the materials we are required to use are accurate.
Let us engage with what we are learning.
Change the way walkthroughs and inspections are happening.
Pay attention to what this pressure is doing to our teachers.
Let our classrooms have some life again.
Most of all, the students wrote, “LISTEN TO THE STUDENTS WHO ARE LIVING THROUGH THESE CHANGES EVERY DAY.”
The letter has since gathered more than 1,000 signatures on Change.org. Leaders at Fort Worth ISD could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
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