Following Angelica Ramsey's resignation, the board of trustees unanimously voted Monday to name Karen Molinar interim superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District.
The school district also said Molinar, the district's second-ranked leader, would apply for the job permanently.
"I am pleased and humbled to accept the position of Interim Superintendent for the Fort Worth ISD as we embark on a necessary but meaningful transformation to address the critical shortcomings within the district," Molinar said in a letter released to the district on Tuesday. "I enter into this role with eyes wide open to the challenges that exist and am prepared to execute a strategic action plan that is a bold, yet authentic strategy to address the district’s real deficiencies, while prioritizing students, teachers, and families."
Molinar said she's already met with principals and district leaders about some of the teachers' concerns about how much paperwork they said former superintendent Ramsey required.
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She added she was looking at what requirements would go away but didn't commit to any specific changes that she would make at this point.
Board members deliberated for more than two hours Tuesday night on the naming of an interim, their first meeting to discuss such an appointment since Ramsey's resignation.
NBC 5 asked the board about many reports from community members saying Molinar was the choice as interim superintendent when they have never officially met as a group.
The board refused to answer our questions or questions from reporters.
Molinar's appointment pacifies many in the community who have repeatedly pushed to have someone local take over the district and not bring in a leader from the outside like they did when Ramsey was hired.
In a public comment session at tonight's meeting, many encouraged board members to consider reducing the number of district administrators and getting rid of many of the leaders hired by Ramsey over the past two years.
The board had an opportunity to speak freely tonight and give general comments in the meeting. None of them discussed the change in leadership, Ramsey, or her settlement agreement of nearly $950,000 to leave the district.
The search continues for the district to find a new superintendent. Molinar said she plans to apply for the job.
On Tuesday, Molinar released a letter to the district detailing her plans as interim and her five step action plan.
"As the interim superintendent, I will leverage my deep experience at the FWISD, along with the abundant relationships I have built and nurtured within the district and our community to ensure our collective teams are working toward the achievement of these goals," she said in the letter.
Highlights of Molinar's five point plan includes:
- Improve Student Achievement and Close Achievement Gaps
- Re-engage and Realign Business and Community Partnership Programs
- Organize for Effectiveness and Efficiency Across the District
- Reprioritize and Redirect the Budget to Support Student Needs
- Evaluate Bond Status and Student-Centered Facilities Consolidation Based on Enrollment and Academic Impact
Molinar said she plans to present details of this plan at the next school board meeting on Oct. 22.
"I believe that by focusing on these key priorities, district leadership, the board, alongside the community, will lead Fort Worth ISD through a period of meaningful transformation. We will ensure that students, teachers, and families receive the support they deserve, and together, we will build a stronger district for the future," Molinar said.
