As Fort Worth ISD struggles, here’s how we can develop better teachers, principals | Opinion
It’s easy to understand community frustration over the Fort Worth Independent School District’s latest state testing results. As Mayor Mattie Parker told the school board Aug. 27, lagging academic performance simply can’t continue.
We know the failures. But we also need to spotlight — and invest in — what’s working in the city’s largest independent school district.
Fortunately for Fort Worth, much of what we need to solve the complex challenges in our public education system already exists here. We must be willing to commit to long-term partnerships and investment in the people, organizations and programs doing the work today.
Urgent action is essential to improve student outcomes, and I applaud Parker and other leaders for recognizing that education shapes the future of our entire city and that it demands investment. To transform, Fort Worth ISD will need more than ambitious goals. Its success hinges on deep engagement with the community and cooperation.
As a leader in preparing teachers and elevating their profession, I believe several existing initiatives can be strengthened to foster immediate, efficient change.
The Teacher Residency Program, a collaboration between the TCU College of Education and the school district, illustrates the possibilities. It places aspiring educators directly in classrooms for hands-on experience, one of the most important actions to prepare them for success.
TCU’s student-teachers learn from Fort Worth ISD educators, as well as their student peers, to build confidence in a supportive and interactive environment. The school system engages early with these high-performing prospects, who may enter the district’s talent pipeline and help address critical teacher shortages. Eighty percent of the college’s graduates stay local to teach here.
Among its other needs, Fort Worth ISD requires sustained investment in comprehensive resources and programs to meet the fast-changing needs of educators at all phases of their careers. The TCU Summer Literacy Institute has served more than 600 public school teachers with professional development training and exposure to leading children’s-book authors and experts in the science of reading.
The institute empowers new and seasoned educators alike, returning all participants to the classroom better equipped to support student literacy — especially in cases of special needs such as dyslexia and other learning challenges.
We also are exploring preparedness at the administrative level. Principals play a critical role in school improvement, shaping a school’s culture, instructional programming, staffing and other systems tied to student success. Programs such as the College of Education’s Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, a partnership with the school district and the TCU Neeley School of Business, provide an extensive approach to developing values-driven and executive leadership skills necessary for effective school management.
These efforts leverage the best of our community’s education expertise while holistically addressing core challenges in the education system. For 100 years, the college’s partnerships with school districts, nonprofits and communities across Fort Worth, Tarrant County and North Texas have proven the importance of joint efforts in creating change that lasts.
While Parker and other leaders rightfully emphasize the need for new operational models and bold, aspirational goals, we must remember the solutions we can invest in, support and scale today. We can bolster productive relationships and programs that are proven to improve student outcomes. By focusing on what we are getting right, we can fast-track solutions for teacher preparedness, leadership development and student literacy.
Fort Worth ISD faces undeniable challenges, and we cannot wait to take improvement efforts to the next level. TCU’s College of Education is ready to take the lead and invites our city and community to join in providing partnerships, resources and engagement. Our shared goal must be an exceptional public education for all students in Fort Worth and North Texas.
