With superintendent Scribner leaving FWISD, school board must get the next hire right

Like football coaches, superintendents of large, urban school districts are on a timer from the moment they start. So when Kent Scribner announced Thursday that he’s retiring from Fort Worth ISD, it wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Pressure had been building for months. Civic leaders, elected and otherwise, were increasingly vocal about their disappointment in FWISD’s level of academic achievement.

Scribner, 55, leaves a mixed legacy. He deserves credit for advancing the district’s high schools. In his term, several have been reinvented, not just physically but also in terms of creating new learning and career paths for students. Scribner has worked to focus resources on the neediest and longest-neglected schools and students. And his upbeat personality and drive made for an appreciable level of buy-in among teachers and administrators.

But the thing those same students need most — a solid foundation in reading, math and other basic skills — has eluded Fort Worth ISD. Test scores have been appalling, and the pandemic made for an even greater setback. Scribner doesn’t deserve all of the blame; the situation predated him and is rooted in history, socioeconomic factors and a factor we don’t talk enough about: parental neglect.

Ultimately, though, the responsibility for academic achievement lies in the superintendent’s office. Scribner can point to some successes and modest improvements, but it hasn’t been enough.

Voters made clear their displeasure last fall, when the district presented four bond proposals. Only one was successful, and by just a handful of votes. Turnout was low, and a win is a win. But school systems generally don’t struggle to get bonds approved, so the community’s discontent was palpable.

Scribner’s exact departure is to be determined. He said he wants to stay to help FWISD trustees with a smooth transition. Replacing him is the biggest task this school board will face.

The district needs a fresh start. Enrollment is trending down even as the entire region’s population is booming. That’s a clear message that parents are grasping for any option other than FWISD. The district’s performance is a drag on economic development, both in recruitment and in creating the future workforce. It has to be better, for all of Fort Worth’s sake.

The next leader should have a clear track record of academic improvement, preferably among student populations that have lagged historically. He or she must be capable of rallying community leaders behind clear goals and a defined plan to reach them.

It won’t be an easy hire. Dallas ISD will be looking for a replacement for Michael Hinojosa, the longtime successful superintendent who is also announcing his departure this week. More than 50 other Texas districts have vacancies. And leaders at all levels have had an exhausting two years, with significant challenges ongoing from the pandemic.

Fort Worth has seen more than its share of political disputes, too. Battles over mask mandates and teaching about race create a minefield for any leader.

The time is ripe for a fresh start. And Fort Worth ISD needs one. Improving learning and preparing all Fort Worth students for the future are the priority, not politics.

Trustees must get this hire right.

This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 11:42 AM.