The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) Board of Trustees is discussing the future of Superintendent Angelica Ramsey this afternoon in the wake of unsatisfactory academic results.
This closed-door meeting follows other public meetings where parents and teachers have criticized Dr. Ramsey’s performance, claiming that her plan has led to the resignation of many teachers.
Even Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker attended one of these meetings and harshly criticized the FWISD Board of Trustees, not just the Superintendent.
In fact, he handed them a letter signed by himself and 30 community members, including former Mayor Betsey Price, criticizing the FWISD’s performance, highlighting its shortcomings compared to Dallas and Houston.
“What I think is missing is leadership from the board; they’re really struggling to figure out where they fit in and how to move things forward,” Parker said.
In a brief interview with NBC 5, the mayor said there is a divide between Superintendent Angelica Ramsey and the board.
“Do you want Dr. Ramsey replaced?” asked Wayne Carter, who covers education. “No, that’s not my job. I think she’s frustrated and I understand why there’s obviously a divide between Ramsey and the board. The board and the superintendent have to be on the same page,” the mayor said.
At a previous meeting, one teacher said that teachers and principals have left not because of inefficiency, but because of new policies and a data-driven curriculum that are burning out otherwise effective staff.
But there are parents who say that firing Dr. Ramsey is not the solution, and that she should look for alternatives that include a plan for board members to do their jobs.
“In the end, they were the ones who hired the Superintendent, they have direct responsibility in this,” said a mother who asked not to be identified.
Dr. Angelica Ramsey, who has been with FWISD for about two and a half years, has said she is willing to have a conversation about student academic performance.
Education experts say it takes at least five years to see changes in a school district.
