Superintendent will soon face a list of challenges

Kent Peredes Scribner is expected to be named the next superintendent of the Fort Worth school district as soon as a state-mandated 21-day waiting period ends. Trustees named him Tuesday as their sole finalist for the job.

He’s a good pick, but what’s ahead for him is no easy task. He promises to “hit the ground listening” to teachers, parents, students, community members and Fort Worth leaders who can help him understand that challenge.

First is the size of the Fort Worth district and the variety of its needs, something he told the Star-Telegram Editorial Board is a primary reasons he applied here.

Scribner, 49, has been superintendent of the 27,000-student Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona since 2008. Elementary school districts and high school districts are operated separately in Phoenix, and Scribner also has been superintendent of an elementary school district.

But Fort Worth ISD has more than 86,000 students, what Scribner acknowledges is “a big-city district.” He says he was looking for that sort of a career move.

His Phoenix district has mostly low-income and minority students. He’s familiar with the challenges he will face in Fort Worth to help those students succeed.

When reminded that his focus in Fort Worth will begin with pre-K, he quickly responded, “Thank goodness.”

Like many educators, he’s convinced that addressing learning problems in later grades must begin with early-childhood education.

Data released Aug. 7 by the Texas Education Agency show Fort Worth with 21 campuses, including 19 elementary schools, rated “improvement required.” Scribner will be asked to bring that number down to something approaching zero.

He says he wants to establish “a culture of collaboration” with district teachers to make that happen. He will submit both short-term plans and longer strategic plans to the school board.

Finally, Scribner must maintain a solid relationship with the board, which has itself been divided at times. He seems confident, again placing priority on listening.

He’s learned much in his 12 years as a superintendent about maintaining relationships with school board members, he said. “I know what I’m doing.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Superintendent will soon face a list of challenges."