State Takeover of Fort Worth ISD Sparks Concerns Among Community Members
Fort Worth ISD community members grilled a Texas Education Agency official Thursday night, demanding answers on how the looming state takeover would impact student curriculum, staffing and leadership.
In the Fort Worth ISD Administration Building, TEA Deputy Commissioner for Governance Steve Lecholop stood at a podium and presented a slideshow broadcast on televisions throughout the room. Lecholop cited charts, maps and graphs to explain why the state thought the intervention was necessary.
Jeremiah Taylor, 15, a student at the Young Men’s Leadership Academy, speaks in favor of the state takeover as Steve Lecholop, Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner for Governance, answers community questions at the Fort Worth ISD Administration Building in Fort Worth on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. “You shouldn’t be be worried about TEA,” Taylor said. “You should be worried about your kids who have been failing for 5 years.”
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Background of the State Takeover
TEA announced plans to take over Fort Worth ISD on Oct. 23, after one of its campuses received a failing grade for five consecutive years. In what will be the second-largest state takeover in Texas history, Education Commissioner Mike Morath will replace the elected school trustees with a temporary board of managers. He will also appoint a superintendent.
“The struggles in Fort Worth ISD are not confined to one small area or one geography in the district. You see that this is a widespread problem in this district,” Lecholop said. As he spoke, a map dotted with Ds and Fs, representing schools that received failing grades, flashed on screen.
Community Concerns
The state’s decision has sparked outcry in the community, and the tension was felt in the room, where parents, teachers and alumni packed the audience. By the time Lecholop reached the end of his slideshow, a procession of people had lined up to speak at the microphone to express their concerns.
Fort Worth ISD parents and teachers pointed to Houston ISD, where the state assumed control in 2023. Houston ISD has experienced boosts in its standardized testing scores and Texas A-F accountability grades.
Edriana Cofer, an English I teacher at Dunbar High School, asks Steve Lecholop, Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner for Governance, if the curriculum is expected to remain the same under the state takeover during a meeting at the Fort Worth ISD Administration Building in Fort Worth on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Curriculum and Teacher Concerns
Houston ISD community members have condemned the intervention and raised concerns about the inflexibility of the curriculum, which they say is geared toward test preparation and includes scripted lesson plans. Some Fort Worth ISD teachers said they worried those learning materials would be mirrored on their campuses.
“It’s very difficult for me to be able to work in a place where I can’t teach as I know best,” said Ale Checka, a Fort Worth ISD teacher.
Checka noted the “level of anxiety and fear,” among Fort Worth ISD teachers. And several people questioned how the state would retain Fort Worth ISD teachers.
Teacher Turnover and Retention
Houston ISD also has seen a sharp jump in the number of teachers leaving the district since its takeover. In 2024-25, Houston ISD saw a teacher turnover rate of 32.2%, compared with the statewide average of 18.8%, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Lecholop said the district would engage with Fort Worth teachers on the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a program that rewards high-performing teachers.
“The superintendent, in collaboration with the board, will be making all decisions about HR allocation,” he said.
Selection of New Leadership
Fort Worth ISD community members also questioned TEA about its process to select new leadership. TEA last week named Christopher Ruszkowski as conservator of Fort Worth ISD, giving him the authority to manage principals and the superintendent, attend board meetings and report back to the state on how the district is faring.
TEA is
