From a student petition that cracked 1,000 signatures to a coaching legend crossing party lines, Fort Worth Star-Telegram readers had plenty to argue about last week. Here are the five stories that drew the most comments from Oct. 4\u201310, 2026.<\/p>\n
Students push back on scripted lessons<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition from Fort Worth ISD students protesting the district\u2019s scripted Cowtown 12 lesson plans. In an open letter to Superintendent Peter Licata, students described slides riddled with errors, AI-generated images and English classes where they read chapter summaries instead of books. \u201cDumbing down the lessons we are taught doesn\u2019t bring us to grade level,\u201d the letter reads. Licata has defended the model, saying the district is getting \u201cpretty damn good results.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n A Keller backyard, an office tower and a lawsuit<\/p>\n Karen and Ron Pyle bought their Keller home in 2008 when it backed up to pastureland. Now a two-story office building looms over their yard at 1716 Keller Parkway \u2014 and they say the city issued the permit in violation of an ordinance capping buildings on the lot at one and a half stories. The Pyles are suing both the developer and the city. Tarrant Appraisal District records show their home dropped from more than $600,000 in 2025 to just under $500,000 this year.<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Political beef\u2019 in the race for county judge<\/p>\n The Tarrant County judge contest between Republican incumbent Tim O\u2019Hare and Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons has become one of the most-watched races in Texas. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus called it a rare matchup between two candidates with \u201cpolitical beef\u201d \u2014 a clash that\u2019s personal, not just ideological. Critics of O\u2019Hare at Commissioners Court have nicknamed him \u201cO\u2019Hate\u201d and the \u201ctyrant\u201d of Tarrant County, while some attendees say Simmons over-politicizes decisions. Election Day is Nov. 3.<\/p>\n \u00bb\u00bb Read the story, see the comments<\/a><\/p>\n Longtime Aledo coach backs a Democrat for governor<\/p>\n A longtime Aledo football coach \u2014 an eight-time state champion who voted for Greg Abbott three times \u2014 endorsed Democrat Gina Hinojosa for governor in a video she posted Friday. \u201cI know how to read a scoreboard,\u201d the coach said. \u201cUnder Greg Abbott, the billionaires are up, and Texas is down.\u201d U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, wrote on X that an endorsement from \u201cone of the most conservative isd\u2019s in N. Texas\u201d is a very big deal.<\/p>\n