Southeast Fort Worth needs fighter for equality in schools. Here’s our recommendation
It’s never easy to replace a legend.
But Fort Worth school trustee Daphne Brookins, elected a year and a half ago to fill the District 4 seat in southeast Fort Worth that T.A. Sims held for decades, has picked up the mantle well. She’s earned a full term on the Fort Worth ISD board.
As we noted when we recommended her in the 2019 special election to replace Sims, Brookins brought a long record of service, both voluntary and professional, to the job. The social services specialist understands that District 4 in particular has an interest in the board’s and administration’s efforts to improve equity in resources for minority communities and boost student achievement in schools that have long lagged behind.
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MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
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How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
One of the biggest challenges facing the Fort Worth ISD is the drop-off in learning as a result of the pandemic. There are troubling signs that the problem is widespread, and it will require a sustained effort to catch up as many students as possible.
Brookins, 53, said in our interview that the trustees bear responsibility for ensuring that staff communicate clearly with parents about what’s necessary and the help that is available. She anticipates an expansion of summer school and other ways to add hours of instruction.
That’s good, but the board needs to be deeply engaged on the particulars and demand a greater sense of urgency in addressing this challenge. Trustees have appropriately tried in recent years not to micromanage the district, and that should continue. But they must ensure that Superintendent Kent Scribner and his staff take every possible measure to fill the gaps, especially when it comes to reaching students who’ve gone missing or lost ground in the virtual learning environment.
Brookins’ opponent, 62-year-old community liaison Wallace Bridges, exudes passion for service, particularly for helping children. He’d be a trustee deeply engaged with his constituents. But he needs more preparation. Too many times in our interview, he wasn’t versed in issues facing the district.
In short, Bridges can’t match Brookins’ preparation for the job. Voters should stick with the incumbent.
Early voting starts April 19, and Election Day is May 1. The winner will serve a four-year-term. The position is unpaid.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 5:03 AM.