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Fort Worth ISD community members gathered at South Hills High School to voice concerns, share feedback, and identify solutions, amid a controversial state takeover.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica Ma\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The concerns among the crowd gathered in the high school cafeteria spanned wide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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To name a few: air conditioning issues in classrooms, the looming closure of an elementary school, and the exodus of teachers<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n About 30 Fort Worth ISD parents<\/a>, teachers and students had the rare chance to share those worries and brainstorm solutions with the superintendent Monday evening at South Hills High School. The series of meetings, called Superintendent Strategic Action Sessions<\/a>, seek to increase transparency during a controversial state takeover.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related: \u2018They need to see themselves\u2019: Dallas leaders examine educational challenges facing Black students<\/a><\/p>\n Superintendent Peter Licata acknowledged the anger: over the takeover<\/a>, over poor test scores<\/a>, over the lack of communication.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are the groups that we have to listen to, and they’re not always right. They’re not always wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to work together.\u201d<\/p>\n Fort Worth ISD fell under state control<\/a> after a campus received a failing rating for five consecutive years. Now, a state-appointed superintendent and board of managers<\/a>, rather than elected trustees, are shepherding the district. Since the takeover, parents say they\u2019ve been left in the dark and worry how the changes ushered in by the new administration will play out in the classroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Fort Worth ISD starts school year under state takeover<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n For example, district leaders want to maximize instruction time from the start to the end of the day. If teachers waste as little as five minutes each day, Licata previously said, it can add up to weeks of lost time over a school year.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the meeting, Graydon Jones, a parent, said rigidity of the curriculum and micromanagement in the classroom leaves \u201cno margin for kids to be kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones pointed out that Licata extended the listening session by 20 minutes, because Licata wanted to ensure that those who arrived late had the chance to speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a moment of discernment, of leadership, and of clarity,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThose are the kinds of things that are not always being afforded to our teachers, our educators, and our principals right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Licata responded: \u201cThank you for that. You\u2019re right. Agreed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Who will still be around to teach was also top of mind. One attendee described the retention rate as unbelievable.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the three months after the takeover started, nearly 800 educators<\/a> submitted resignations, citing chaotic leadership, intense micromanagement, and challenging working conditions. Over the summer, the district launched a hiring blitz, but many new teachers lacked teaching certifications.\u00a0<\/p>\n