Angelica Ramsey agreed to voluntarily resign as the superintendent of Fort Worth ISD.
The board voted to accept her resignation except for Camille Rodriguez, who told us Wednesday, "I think she should still be the superintendent of Fort Worth ISD, and that's why I voted against it."
It's been a tense month in the district, with disagreement over test scores, teacher complaints, and then Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Park demanding a leadership change that she has now received.
"Leadership is very hard, and I'm not going to play armchair quarterback. I'm going to do what I promised a month ago, which is to be supportive and really focused on forward solutions that make this the best school district in the country," said Mayor of Fort Worth, Mattie Parker.
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Sources tell us the deal Ramsey made to step down includes her staying on as an employee for another year, as well as a large cash payout.
Sources tell us the district and Ramsey both agreed not to speak publicly about her resignation, but Board President Roxanne Martinez did answer a question I asked minutes after the board meeting.
"Personally, you know, hearing community concerns was a large part of why I made the decision and supported the decision," she said. "As school board president is focused on moving forward, improving student achievement, just like our community, our parents wish to see."
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After that comment, Ramsey decided to issue her own multi-page statement overnight pointing out her accomplishments, the district's improvements, and saying, "It has been my greatest honor to serve you."
"Fort Worth is a unique city, and a lot of it is about relationships. So are you willing to understand Fort Worth and build relationships? And unfortunately, it doesn't seem that she has done a good job doing that," said Steven Poole, local president, United Educators Association.
In the education circles, it's pretty normal to give a superintendent five years to make a difference.
Ramsey only got two, now, many are wondering whether that short tenure could hurt Fort Worth ISD as they try to recruit a new leader.
"That's something they're going to have to grapple with, but I do think that community leaders can come alongside the board to help attract the right candidates to come back into the picture, even after this feels a little messy, and I'm still confident we can find that leader," said Parker.
For now, the district and the teachers, keep teaching in hopes somehow, some way, this district can get on the same page and work toward success.
