Fort Worth ISD restructures leadership at these 12 schools with new principals
Almost two-thirds of schools in Fort Worth ISD’s new Elevate Network will have a new principal for the 2026-27 school year as the district’s state-appointed leadership continues to restructure campuses.
Of the 19 schools in the Elevate Network, just seven will have the same principal as they did this current school year. Fourteen schools will have a principal who was already in the district in some capacity, and five will have a leader who is new to Fort Worth ISD entirely, the district wrote in a statement to the Star-Telegram.
The Elevate Network was created by state-appointed Superintendent Peter Licata last month, and will aim to improve teaching skills, address underwhelming academic performance, strengthen instruction and increase resources to support students. Schools in the network will also have a longer school year that stretches further into the summer, student-teachers training to become full-time educators, support staff for teachers during lessons and group instruction, and higher teacher pay.
The 19 schools in the network were selected because they were persistently underperforming, said Daniel Soliz, deputy superintendent and chief of schools.
Schools identified by Licata as part of the Elevate model are:
- Clifford Davis Elementary
- Diamond Hill Elementary
- East Handley Elementary
- George Clarke Elementary
- Harlean Beal Elementary
- Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary
- Maudrie Walton Elementary
- Monnig Middle
- Morningside Middle
- Rufino Mendoza Sr. Elementary
- T.A. Sims Elementary
- Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary
- W.J. Turner Elementary
- W.M. Green Elementary
- Wedgwood Middle
- Westcreek Elementary
- Eastern Hills-West Handley Elementary
- Western Hills Elementary
- William James Middle
Which FWISD Elevate Network schools have new principals?
Twelve of the 19 FWISD campuses chosen for the Elevate Network will have new principals for the 2026-27 school year.
Those schools are: Morningside Middle, George C. Clarke Elementary, Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary, Diamond Hill Elementary, East Handley Elementary, Harlean Beal Elementary, W.M. Green Elementary, W.J. Turner Elementary, Clifford Davis Elementary, Western Hills Elementary, Westcreek Elementary and T.A. Sims Elementary.
William James Middle, William Monnig Middle, Wedgwood Middle, Eastern Hills-West Handley Elementary, Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary, Rufino Mendoza Elementary and Maudrie M. Walton Elementary’s principals will remain the same.
Five campuses have principals who are completely new to the district: Courtney Clark at George C. Clarke Elementary, Robert Barrientes at Diamond Hill Elementary, Lyniece Catalan at East Handley Elementary, Lakeyshure Marzell at T.A. Sims at Elementary, and Jasmine Tisby at Harlean Beal Elementary.
How did FWISD decide on new Elevate campus leadership?
Teachers at the 19 Elevate schools received notice after a board meeting that approved the model last month with information about whether they will be retained. Principals for the schools also had to reapply and were selected by the district on May 1.
In an interview with the Star-Telegram last week, Louis Kushner, Licata’s chief of staff, said principals went through a rigorous process in order to keep their post or be appointed to an Elevate campus principal position.
“Dr. Licata was very intentional also about the principal selection process, not just for teachers,” Kushner said. “It wasn’t only teachers that reapplied for their jobs — it was principals and assistant principals, who had to go through a very rigorous interview process.”
Licata said the process for principal selections included evaluating data, test scores, an intense interview process and classroom walkthroughs.
“After the interviews, we had them come and walk through [classes] with our regional chiefs, myself, Dr. Kushner, Dr. Soliz,” Licata said. “We pulled them aside after and asked them what they saw, what they didn’t see, what should have been better. We had them jump and coach immediately. And not all of them made it through that process. It was really intense. It’s like, you’re honored to be in front of these kids and be the leader of these teachers. You’re gonna have to show us you’re worth it.”
What comes next for Elevate campuses?
Licata previously told the Star-Telegram that about 40-60% of teachers who currently work at a school in the Elevate Network will qualify to keep their jobs at their respective campuses. The district has already identified a lot of internal candidates for positions at Elevate campuses. Some automatically qualified because of their testing score data. Licata also hopes to entice outstanding teachers from different districts to apply for jobs at Elevate campuses. The salary for those roles can be as much as $100,000 a year.
A second job fair for teaching jobs at Elevate campuses was held on May 2, and the district could have another if they see the need. Licata will have a better understanding of where staffing stands at the campuses at the end of the school year, he said.
“We’ve gotten a lot of applicants internally, and we’ve gotten some from around the region and other areas,” Licata said. “We’ll see more of that as we go along. And that’s also why we made the announcement early, so we can entice folks to potentially come here from a different educational entity who is not matching those salaries.”
FWISD’s state-appointed leadership continues to restructure district
Leadership reshuffling at Elevate campuses is just one of several restructuring decisions Licata and the Board of Managers have made since being appointed in March as part of a state takeover of Fort Worth ISD, despite most of those moves being met with intense pushback by parents and other community members.
During a board meeting last month, the district unanimously voted to close International Newcomer Academy, the district’s only school designated for immigrant and refugee students. The district also enforced a reduction in force for positions related to English Language Learning and English as a Second Language. Also impacted were special education and speech therapy positions.
Those cuts were met with fierce opposition during a marathon board meeting last week that included a six-hour public comment session from over 130 disgruntled speakers. Licata told the Star-Telegram he hopes parents and community members come to understand his plans.
“We have to start from square one,” Licata said. “We will rebuild programs with even more support systems for our students. My history suggests very successful proficiencies in this model. We are not performing where we should be, and we owe it to our children to change.”
