4 challengers are on Fort Worth ISD school board ballot in May. Here are their priorities.
The Fort Worth Independent School District school board is less than three months away from election day, when voters will weigh in on five out of the board’s nine seats. Four challengers have stepped forward, offering to help lead the district during a critical period underscored by a superintendent transition, literacy and academic performance issues, and impending school closures.
Every incumbent in the five races is running for reelection, with only one sitting board member running for reelection uncontested: Anael Luebanos of District 8. The challengers, who all have backgrounds in education with varying levels of experience, told the Star-Telegram about their focuses and thoughts on the current events shaping the district.
Here are the challengers running for seats in Districts 1, 4, 7 and 9:
District 1: Amanda Inay
District 4: Enoc Baeza
District 7: Terry Roach
District 9: Robyne Kelly
Why they’re running & why they say voters should consider them
Inay, who is running against incumbent Camille Rodriguez, is a former Fort Worth ISD teacher and was named 2022-23 district teacher of the year. She now teaches fourth- and fifth-grade humanities at Rocketship Dennis Dunkins Elementary, a public charter school in east Fort Worth. She’s spoken out publicly about what she says was a toxic culture at the district and campus levels during Ramsey’s tenure.
She said she’s running for school board to help improve the district’s academic performance, especially in literacy; to support and create a welcoming environment for teachers; to foster accountability for the board and district leaders; and to ensure fiscal responsibility.
“I’m a very, very involved community member, taxpayer, and ultimately, I’m a parent, and I’m a teacher,” she said. “I can relate, and I can know when things are presented to us as a board, exactly how that’s going to affect the classroom, exactly how that’s going to affect kids. And I know what works best for literacy and those types of things.”
Baeza, who is running against incumbent Wallace Bridges, is a sixth-grade teacher at IDEA Edgecliff Academy, a public charter school in south Fort Worth. He said he’s running to help fill in the gaps that schools alone can’t fill without elected officials and to provide tools to empower parents. Among his focuses are providing additional training to teachers, specifically regarding disciplinary action and its impact on instruction; bridging gaps between schools, teachers and parents through community engagement; and creating an endowment to strengthen the district’s long-term finances.
“I’m running because I want to express the needs that our students, our parents and staff are facing. I’m running to start vocalizing and give a platform to the people that haven’t been heard, that have been silenced on many occasions,” he said.
Roach, who is running against incumbent Michael Ryan, worked for Fort Worth ISD as a teacher on and off from 1996 through 2019 and said he’s currently looking for full-time work in education again. He has faced off with the district over details of his resignation and application to rejoin the district, which was denied after district officials said he incorrectly answered an application question about whether he’d ever been asked to resign from a job before, according to an April 2024 grievance hearing. A TEA investigation came forward after Roach reported a South Hills High School administrator in the 2019-20 school year had told teachers to mark students as present for funding purposes, even if they arrived to class late. A 2021 TEA document shows state officials found the district violated laws related to student attendance accounting and had put the district on a corrective action plan.
Among Roach’s focuses are hiring more teachers and reducing class sizes; eventually consolidating sports into regional district teams to allocate more funding toward academics; and providing up-to-date information about student bell schedules, class options for secondary schools and staff information on campus websites.
“I’d like to see new leadership,” he said. “Elect somebody who has experience. We have too many people on the school board who have no experience whatsoever in the classroom… why not give teachers an opportunity?”
Kelly, who is running against incumbent Roxanne Martinez, is a retired flight attendant and current substitute teacher in Fort Worth ISD. She said she’s running because she wants to make sure public education continues to exist and is accessible to all children. She comes from a family full of longtime educators, including her mom, who was a music teacher in Fort Worth ISD for 50 years.
“Education is part of my DNA,” she said. “I believe in public education. I believe in fixing what we have, and I believe in the future of all children.”
Thoughts on Karen Molinar, finalist for new superintendent
Inay:
“I can think of no one better for this job, especially in the crucial time that we’re in. I know that she will lead with grit, grace and tenacity. There’s already been such a positive response,” she said. “I’ve had personal meetings with the previous superintendent, and I’ve had personal meetings with Dr. Molinar recently. The conversation is always a listening ear, a level-headed approach.”
Baeza:
“She’s done an amazing job already,” he said. “She’s coming with a lot of momentum, she’s coming in with solutions and an action plan. I think there is no one more qualified than her for this current role.”
Roach:
“I’m glad that we didn’t spend $60,000 on a firm to find a new superintendent, but Dr. Molinar hasn’t shown that leadership that… directly impacts what students are doing, their daily activities in the classroom,” he said. “What thoughts can I really have if I haven’t met with her?... If she’s not willing to meet with me, then that’s reflective of a policy of not being transparent and open.”
Kelly:
“I’ve never met her before. My thoughts are probably what the public’s thought is for those who have not met her: We’ll see,” she said. “I come in with an open opinion.”
Student literacy & the district’s strategic plan
Inay:
“Literacy is hope. Our kids cannot wait, our educators and staff cannot wait. Now is the time for meaningful change,” she said. “I think ultimately, the goals that we have right now are reasonable and realistic, and then when we achieve that, we’re going to achieve more. My thing is, the arrow wasn’t moving, right? But at least now, at least in literacy — the last presentation that I saw — It’s moving.”
Baeza:
“They need to ensure that we are having actionable plans that are data driven… There needs to be constant reevaluation of students when it comes down to, ‘Are we meeting those goals with different benchmarks?’ And if the action plan is being utilized in place to ensure that it’s aligned with the standards that the students are being tested on,” he said, adding that teacher development and staffing plays a role in meeting the goals.
Roach:
“That’s the lowest priority for me. It’s making a 10-day weather forecast. If your goal is to go from 33% to 35%, it’s kind of an odd goal. My goal is to maximize,” he said, noting best teaching practices should be a focus. “How do students learn? That’s what I’m not finding. We need a real focused effort… Memorization was a big part of when I was a student.”
Kelly:
“Reading is fundamental. It’s the basis that every other building block is made upon, so I agree that that’s important. I’m not coming in with this policy agenda saying, ‘A, B and C are the only way to achieve change.’ I’m open to all opinions.”
Facilities master plan & school closures
Inay:
“I do, unfortunately, feel like we are at a moment in time in which we are going to have to consolidate and/or close schools. It’s unfortunate because I wish it was not like this,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re really going to have to look at which ones we’re choosing and why, because there’s certain things that are going very well in the district for certain campuses, and that needs to be carefully looked at and replicated.”
Baeza:
“It is unfortunate that this has had to come out as the solution,” he said. “It seems like… that is the next step that they have to take to ensure that they can meet the financial responsibilities.”
Roach:
“I don’t see it as inevitable, the widespread closures at least,” he said. “We need to find ways to keep these schools open. We have enrollment dropping because our schools aren’t where they should be… we need to focus on making our district the best it can be, and that problem is going to take care of itself.”
Kelly:
“I would navigate (school closures) by listening. Listening to the public as well as listening to really what’s going on… I would listen to everybody and be mindful of your child as we navigate,” she said. “If you’re asking me if I have an opinion of whether or not schools should be closed, I don’t. I can’t say that until I really get in to see. I can’t say until I have all the information before me.”
