Fathers and mothers stood behind Trenace Dorsey-Hollins, the executive director of Parent Shield, in front of the exterior doors at the Fort Worth ISD administration building.

Inside, the school board prepared to review the superintendent’s performance behind closed doors and listen to more than an hour of public comments.

Outside, Dorsey-Hollins spoke as if a change of the guard was inevitable and listed priorities for a potential new superintendent.

Trustees called a special meeting Sept. 17 following calls from the community for a change in leadership because of stagnant academic achievement and a tense school board-superintendent relationship. Most speakers during the meeting voiced dissatisfaction with the superintendent and called for her ouster, while some criticized board members for not properly governing Fort Worth ISD.

The school board took no action. Trustee Camille Rodriguez was absent. 

Speakers reminded trustees that they have one employee who directly reports to them: the superintendent. The superintendent runs day-to-day operations, but ultimately sets the tone for the entire school district. Speakers also emphasized that trustees represent the communities they serve.

During a news conference, Dorsey-Hollins highlighted the silence she heard from the school board after Mayor Mattie Parker’s letter and speech voicing the disappointment she and more than 40 city leaders share about the state of education in Fort Worth ISD.

“The trustees were really quiet about what was going on,” Dorsey-Hollins said. “But tonight is a sign of hope. I believe trustees are going to do the change that our kids need.”

Parent Shield, a group that helps parents navigate the educational system, made a list of demands that Fort Worth ISD’s leadership needs to address.

At the top? Increase academic achievement, especially for Black students, who have consistently been the lowest-performing demographic group in the district. 

About 2 in 3 Fort Worth ISD students did meet grade level in reading, according to results from the 2024 state standardized test.

During a Sept. 10 school board workshop, Deputy Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury blamed the district’s lagging Black student reading performance on “the bigotry of low expectations” and said consistent traditional classroom instruction would lift academic achievement, not a specialized program.

Other demands from Parent Shield include:

• Every child reads on or above grade level by the third grade.
• More transparency on literacy data and reporting scores in an accessible and easy-to-understand format.
• Major investments into high-dosage, high-quality interventions to improve reading rates.

Reed Bilz, who has previously spoken at Fort Worth ISD meetings, defended the superintendent. Bilz referenced “extensive” charts, reports and graphs of the progress of students in Fort Worth ISD that the superintendent has touted.

“You have decided to do something: specifically, to put the blame entirely on the superintendent,” Bilz said. “I suggest that attack is blatantly unfair.”

Bilz asked that trustees work to seek solutions and put them in place. Playing the blame game does not help anyone, Bilz said.

Four district teachers also spoke during the meeting, claiming that more paperwork due to the district’s calls for data-driven instruction and layoffs caused by the district’s mismanagement have impacted the ways they can effectively teach their students. Many teachers are confused, with little direction, they said.

“Students are not numbers. Please, stop treating them and your teachers as such,” Michael O’Brien, a science teacher at McLean Sixth Grade, said. “Extra meetings, data charts and checkbox adult work are not adding any value to these students.”

After about two hours, the school board emerged from the private conference room where trustees talked to a lawyer and reviewed the superintendent’s performance in closed session.

One by one, trustees filled their seats. 

One person did not walk out of the conference room doors — Superintendent Angélica Ramsey.

Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. 

Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @MatthewSgroi1.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.