They and our city are falling further and further behind…
…while, students in Dallas ISD and Houston ISD are moving ahead.
*All data from the Texas Education Agency
Let Superintendent Kent Scribner know you want him to publicly adopt the Contract with FWISD Students and commit to doing better for our families.
How do we fix this situation?
Start at the Top
We start at the top with the people in charge. We need more school board members who will focus on what matters most: our students. Too many of our elected school board have been distracted from reality. Board members must focus on what matters most – our students and their performance in reading, math, and other critical subjects and holding their CEO, the district superintendent, accountable.
Focus on Students
Focus On Students PAC is an ongoing non-partisan citywide political action committee established to make a positive and enduring impact on the lives of our students by supporting qualified, school board members and candidates who will establish a culture of high expectations, accountability, transparency, and professional ethics in our FWISD.
Join Us
Join us in supporting qualified school board members and candidates who will stay out of distracting personal agendas and focus on student academic outcomes by establishing a culture of high expectations, accountability, transparency, and professional ethics.
Who We Support
FWISD is a school district in crisis. This won’t change until voters do our job. Hold FWISD leadership accountable.
Voters can get our students and parents the leadership they need by electing qualified, school board candidates and members who will establish a culture of high expectations, accountability, transparency, and professional ethics; who will hire a superintendent with experience turning an underperforming organization around; and who will hold the superintendent accountable for student academic success. This May voters get to pick two new board members who will help hire our next superintendent. Accountability starts with us. Let’s get our students and parents the leadership they need to succeed.
Dr. Camille Rodriguez, District 1
Dr. Camille Rodriguez is a native of Fort Worth’s historic North Side where she has practiced medicine for over 20 years and is running for FWISD District 1.
She served on the school board from 2004 to 2008 – a time when student academic achievement improved dramatically. Dr. Rodriguez earned her medical degree with honors from New York College of Podiatric Medicine, her Bachelor of Science from Prairie View A&M with a full academic scholarship, and her high school diploma from Dunbar High School Honor’s Program.
She is a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and has served on the boards of Artes de la Rosa, All Church Home for Children, Ballet Folklorico, and the Fort Worth Symphony. She was recently elected to become a member of DFW Chums, Inc. She has been a member of All Saints Catholic Church her entire life.
Dr. Brian Dixon, District 4
Dr. Brian Dixon is a psychiatrist and entrepreneur running for FWISD District 4 to bring perspective and accountability to our district. With decreasing graduation rates, increased teacher/staff burnout, and poor reading performance, Dr. Dixon sees an opportunity in choosing the next superintendent to lead us towards balance and accountability.
Dr. Dixon has worked at Cook Childrens, MHMR-TC, Baylor Scott & White All Saints, and the TCU School of Medicine; he knows how to integrate mental health into all aspects of our community.
Coupled with volunteer work with Lena Pope, Alliance Child and Family Solutions, and past President of the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association, Dr. Dixon inspires everyone around him, no matter background, politics, or position. It’s time to heal and grow.
Focus on Students Steering Committee
J.T. Aughinbaugh, Banker and parent of FWISD students
Kenneth Barr, Former Mayor City of Fort Worth
Jim Cox, Business owner and community volunteer
Ray Dickerson, Former President FWISD School Board
Stephanie Harvey, Business owner and parent of FWISD students
Daniel Hernandez, Attorney
Mike Hernandez, Regent Texas A&M University
Libby Manning, Real estate investor, and FWISD alumni parent
Mike Moncrief, Former Mayor City of Fort Worth
Rod Nelson, Sales consultant
Betsy Price, Former Mayor City of Fort Worth
Vidal Quevedo, Business owner
Michael Shedd, University Instructor
How do we measure a culture of success?
The role of a school board is to hold its superintendent accountable for ensuring district students are educated. Our role is to support incumbent board members committed to focusing on student academic outcomes and enable us to attract qualified future school board candidates.
High Expectations
Prioritize increasing math and reading levels for all students. Improving academic outcomes is the lens through which all board decisions shall be made.
Accountability
Members must hold themselves and the superintendent accountable for meeting clear, obtainable, and measurable reading and math outcomes for all students.
Transparency
School board members must be transparent about reading and math outcomes and goals by campus while being clear about the ways in which they will hold the superintendent accountable.
Professional Ethics
School board members must model professional conduct; respect the dignity of all board members, staff, and students; and commit to a strong conflict of interest policy.
A District in Crisis
The FWISD is hemorrhaging students, a quarter of our campuses earn Ds and Fs, and only 25% of our 3rd graders can read at grade level.
FWISD is a big complex district, but the Dallas and Houston ISDs which are both bigger and facing the same challenges are doing a dramatically better job of retaining their students and preparing them for success in life.
Enrollment in Rapid Decline
Since 2015 over 10,000 students have fled FWISD. But as we’ve lost students, ISD leadership has increased central office administrative staff 12%. Meanwhile, Dallas lost 3% of its students but has reduced its number of teachers by 6% in response to the decreased number of students needing instruction. During this same period, the rate of transfer students leaving the FWISD increased 89% while Dallas’ transfer rate increased only 21%.
Too Many Failing Schools
It’s not hard to see why families are leaving FWISD. Only 30% of FWISD schools earned an A or B from the TEA. Meanwhile, 58% of Dallas schools and 52% of Houston schools earned As and Bs. The opposite side of the grade scale is worse. 27% of FWISD schools earned a D or F while only 9% of Dallas schools and 17% of Houston schools earned the same.
A student’s ability to read at grade level by the 3rd grade is paramount to their lives. After years of talk and spending millions of dollars only 25% of FWISD 3rd graders meet this vital achievement. This trend shows up in our students’ ability to succeed in English and math and graduate prepared to succeed in whichever path they choose for adulthood.
Join us as we
Focus on Students!
Donate Today!
Thank you for supporting our work at Focus on Students and helping improve our school district! Focus On Students is making plans for school board elections in 2023, but there is much to do right now. Join the movement. Help us help our school board hold district leadership accountable.
Contributions to Focus On Students PAC are not deductible for income tax purposes. Corporate contributions are prohibited by law.