Town hall on TEA takeover in Fort Worth ISD features more questions than answers

State Rep. Nicole Collier, hosted a town hall meeting Wednesday night for teachers and members of the community to hear from Steve Lecholop, deputy commissioner for governance at the Texas Education Agency, about the state’s takeover of the Fort Worth ISD.

Those attending the meeting at the Fort Worth Teaching and Learning Center didn’t always like what they heard.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath announced on Oct. 23 the state’s plans to take over Fort Worth ISD after the Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center received its fifth failing grade in a row.

Collier, who represents District 95, is opposed to the takeover, saying in a statement on Instagram shortly after the announcement that she is skeptical of the TEA’s history of top-down control.

“The state’s takeover structure does not afford sufficient public input and without consideration of outside factors that contribute to a student’s success,” Collier said in the press release. “The purported turnaround will come at a cost, not just to the public’s trust, but also to the future success of this community.”

Lecholop was joined by Hunter Thompson, TEA’s executive director of government relations, who helped answer questions about legislation.

Collier told the audience the purpose of the town hall was to help them clarify their thoughts and to assist her office in developing ideas, as well as gather feedback from the community.

The questions were only permitted through writing, which Collier read to the TEA representatives.

The group of at least 100 attendees more often than not expressed their lack of trust in the answers that Lecholop gave.

He said that the TEA aims to be as transparent as possible about the takeover and is recruiting a board of managers, who Morath will appoint after reviewing applications, to replace the current elected board of trustees.

Many of the questions centered on accountability and the metrics for success, including how the appointed board members will be held accountable and what they can and cannot do.

Lecholop said that the board of managers will be held to the same standards outlined in the Open Meetings Act, which includes new legislation that requires school board meetings to be held after work hours so parents can attend.

When it came to questions about how the metrics would be set and whether they would change over time, Lecholop said the commissioner is not required by law to provide exit criteria or make public any exit strategy for when the takeover would end. However, Morath has done so in Houston ISD, which is in its third year of a state takeover.

Another question concerned funds for special education and how students with Individualized Education Plans will be supported during testing.

“The same federal and state laws that apply to every school district in the state of Texas will also apply,” Lecholop said. “There is no difference in the application of special education laws just because an intervention may or may not be occurring.”

Houston ISD’s TEA takeover was frequently discussed, with the audience raising concerns about teacher retention, while the TEA highlighted its academic improvements.

“In Houston, what we see is that student outcomes have increased dramatically across the district,” Lecholop said. “Our great hope for the future of this great city, is the same thing... because the students certainly deserve better than they’re currently receiving.”

Steven Poole, executive director of the United Educators Association, said that teachers didn’t receive many answers at the meeting.

“Teachers are nervous about the future of Fort Worth ISD, and they’re having to make decisions for themselves and their families, employment wise,” Poole said. “The answers were the future board and the future superintendent will control all of that, but they also see what has happened in Houston, and there has been a lot of chaos and a lot of teacher turnover and a lot of practices they don’t agree with.”

Poole said that improvement is necessary in Fort Worth ISD, and that’s what the teachers want.

“They question the validity and the longevity of those improvements that Houston has seen, because a lot of numbers can be manipulated in Houston, and that’s the suspicion, and they’re hearing it come from the teachers from Houston directly,” Poole said. “So, they’re worried about their own schools, they want the best for the individual students here in Fort Worth, but they’re worried, they’re leery of what’s occurring in Houston.”

Collier said while she appreciated the questions, she disagreed with the answers provided by the TEA.

“With the conservator and the Board of Managers being the decision makers, there is no accountability built in other than them being removed by the commissioner,” Collier said. “That’s something that we need to look at legislatively. And you know that’s another reason why we do these community forums, is to get ideas and to identify the concerns that the community has.”

Collier said that if her constituents have concerns about any state agency, they can reach out to her office at 817-332-1180.

Two more public meetings are set for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 . at Polytechnic High School, 1300 Connor Ave., Fort Worth, and at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Fort Worth ISD Administration Building, 7060 Camp Bowie Blvd.

This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 11:09 PM.