Karen Molinar's take on Fort Worth ISD is centered on relationships and partnerships.
"It's very clear to me, in public comment and as well as in the media, that we've lost some of the trust and just really the partnerships that we've had in the past," said Molinar. "You're going to see me really working with the community members, not just as people like to say downtown, I'm talking about the community members who have, behind the scenes, been working with our kids that maybe we haven't acknowledged, that we need to now say, 'Thank you. Now let's do this together.'"
Molinar was born in Delaware, went to college on the eastern shore of Maryland, and came to Fort Worth nearly 30 years ago where she taught, led as a principal, and served as the district's number two in charge, for more than a decade. She briefly, served as interim superintendent years ago, but back then said she didn't want the top job that she now seeks.
"I think for me, my daughter's now in college. She was going through her final years in high school. I wanted to make sure I, you know, participated as a mom and got to do those fun things," she said. "I also, like, I knew the board and the city wanted to look, wanted to do a search. They needed to do that. And I was just still ready to support at that time. But after two years, it's, it's my time to step up and and to go for it. I do think I can make a change. I can make an impact in this district."
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Molinar was known as being close to former superintendent Angelica Ramsey, who battled with the board and the city on "relationships" but Molinar sounds as though she won't be making many curriculum changes to the work she and Ramsey actually made in the classroom.
"She's supportive of me, going into the interim, she said that before she left. She said, 'I hope they put you to keep the work going,'" Molinar told us of her talks with Ramsey. "You know, I supported her decisions. You know, would some of my decisions look different going forward than maybe she would do? Yes, but it is about support."
Molinar said she's been meeting with teachers about their concerns in the district, listening, and will tweak some things, but didn't elaborate much on specifics.
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She will be upfront about where students are academically and where and how to change that. At her first board meeting, she promised a data dump of where her priorities lie.
She talked about discipline in schools, as needing significant work, transparency about success and failures, and like Mayor Mattie Parker who showed up at Fort Worth ISD demanding changes, she says time is crucial and that's why she hopes she gets the job permanently.
"Every time we make a leadership change, it stalls us, and it's not intentional, but it does. I mean, that's the reality of it. Everyone waits to see what's going to happen. Let's like, Wait, what is it? What's their vision? Let them talk. Let them go. Listen with me. You don't have to wait," she said.
