Fort Worth ISD managers rework Licata's guardrails on teacher input and set five-year test score targets

Fort Worth ISD's state-appointed Board of Managers revised the goals and "guardrails" it will use to judge Superintendent Peter Licata on Tuesday night, with the latest version expecting him to keep strong teachers and give them a say in classroom decisions, The Dallas Morning News reported.

The managers took over from elected trustees after the Texas Education Agency intervened in the district last year, when one campus received a failing grade for a fifth straight year. The goals set student achievement targets, while the guardrails spell out what the superintendent may not do while chasing them.

What changed

Managers first drafted the document two weeks ago from community meetings and feedback. Licata then edited it, and the board debated his version Tuesday.

Managers considered a guardrail saying the number of "ineffective teachers" would not increase, then approved changing it to a version closer to the one they had agreed on two weeks earlier. Under the revised wording, Licata is expected to carry out a plan to "recruit, retain, and support high-quality educators," and teachers must have chances "to give input on decisions" that affect their classrooms.

Another guardrail says the superintendent cannot make "significant changes to or retain curriculum or instructional practices without a process for teachers to regularly review and provide feedback," and must explain the reasons and expected effect on students broadly.

Each guardrail reached the consensus needed for approval. Manager Tennessee Walker pushed to add the word "autonomy," which does not appear in the latest draft, saying teachers should have room to answer student questions without rigid pacing. "Autonomy, for me, that's the number one thing we heard," he said.

Five-year targets

The board also approved student performance goals for the next five years. The share of third graders meeting grade level on state tests is expected to grow 5% a year, and the share of eighth graders at grade level or above is supposed to climb from 35% in 2026 to 55% in 2031.

Licata called the targets "aggressive and lofty" compared with other urban districts. "We will not reach these goals unless we continue to focus on changing the status quo," he said.

Teachers' concerns

The debate came as teachers and families have raised concerns in public testimony and petitions about slides teachers read from that contain spelling and translation errors, little time for student questions and frequent walkthroughs by district officials, according to the newspaper. Nearly 800 teachers resigned in the first three months after the takeover, it reported.

Steven Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, told managers during public comment that there is "a deep, deep mistrust of the spot observations" and asked for measures on retaining strong teachers.

A.J. Crabill, a former TEA official guiding the process, said the goals and guardrails are how the board should weigh "every major decision that comes before you."

Next steps

The revised document goes back to Licata for more edits. Managers plan to revisit it Oct. 27 and finalize the goals and guardrails at their November meeting.

Sources

The Dallas Morning News