Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> There we go. [music] >> [music] >> Not only that, Everybody Yeah, we're
>> I guess that's true. Wherever this is fine. Amen. Nice. [music] [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music]
Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. [music]
Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Our [music] microphone [music] isn't on yet. Could I have your attention for a second? There is a tornado cited [music] in
Weatherford and and we're tracking it. In the event that it poses a threat to us, there are storm shelters [music] underground or basement underground. Heat.
Heat. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. The meeting is now convened. It is 5:31 p.m. Tuesday, April 28th, 2026. I'd like ask everybody to please silence your phones. A quorum is present in the
boardroom in accordance with Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551. They are Bobby Adier, Luis Galindo, Courtney Lewis, Rosa Maria Gardea, Tennessee Walker, Lorie George, and Jay Seagal.
I'd like please stand with me and welcome the North Side High School ROC. Once they post the colors, we'll have the national anthem, then the pledge of allegiance. Right, right, left, left
side, left color guard, left face preset, colors. >> The Star Spangle Banner will be sung by
Logan Carrera from I am Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual and Performing Arts. by the dawn early light. What so proudly we hailed
at the twilight last gleaming, who's broad stripes and bright stars through the paral fight
or the ram parts we watch were so gallently streaming. And the rockets red [screaming] glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof through the night [singing] that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangled [singing] ber yet wave.
Or the land of the free and the home of the brave. [screaming] [applause] >> [applause] >> Wonderful job, Logan. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance and the salute to the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to
thee, Texas, one state under God, and indivisible. >> Thank you. Please be seated. >> Pardon. [clears throat] Thank you to those outstanding young students for being with us tonight.
Um the board of education remains firmly committed to transparency, openness, and meaningful public participation in the governance of our school district for future board meetings. And perhaps the change won't happen the next one, but
we're working checking all the legal boxes uh to make sure it will happen in the future. But for those who've come to board meetings for a while, you know that it's not uncommon for the board to retire to executive session and sometimes it can
last quite a long time and those in the audience are left without really knowing when we would resume and get get back to the business. Uh there may be some situations where we have to call an executive session in the middle of a meeting, but that's going to be the exception. So either the next meeting or
the one after that, we're going to start having the executive sessions ahead of time. And so the meetings will flow from public comment on into the rest of the business of the meeting. So, uh, thanks those who have been patient in the past
and we're trying to make it better to respect your attendance here and and express our appreciation for your taking the time to share your evening with us, share a school night with us. Thank all of you. I'd like to
know I don't we have a resolution that honors Molly Lacier but the the resolution has not been delivered to the front. So I will postpone that until it
has. Um, I will now welcome the chief of communications, Miss Tenan, for our student recognitions. >> Good evening, President Garren, Superintendent Dr. Lacata, and board members. We now invite our board members to join us down front as we recognize the outstanding students and staff who
represent the very best of our district. So, come on down and line up at the front. This will be your opportunity to shake the hands of our most talented and successful students in Fort Worth ISD. As we begin, we kindly ask that you hold your applause until the conclusion of
the recognitions. In front. In front. In front. All right, let's get started. For our first recognition, please welcome our greeters from the North Side High School JOTC. These exceptional students embody the spirit of leadership, commitment, and community service that is the heart
of the JOTC program. Please join me in thanking and welcoming Cadet Colonel Christian Riveros, Commander, Cadet Staff Sergeant Jose Rios, Cadet Staff Sergeant William Mahia, Cadet Command Sergeant Major Justin Lopez,
and this program is led by Major Raul Padilla. The Texas Music Education Association sponsors the Texas Allstate audition process to promote students dedication to their musical knowledge and skills and encourage educators to support their
students. Each allstate musician earned their spot through a rigorous audition process that began with over 70,000 students statewide, culminating in only 1,780 musicians being selected to perform in
one of 15 ensembles. These ensembles represent the best of Texas student musicians with participants ranking in the top 2.5% of initial auditiones. The journey to All State starts with auditions at 33 TMEA regions across
Texas. From there, top ranked musicians advance to one of eight TMEA area competitions where only the best are selected to join the allstate groups. We are proud to announce tonight 18 of our very own high school students auditioned
and were selected to join the allstate groups for their respective areas. Please help me congratulate these amazing and talented musicians and vocalists. >> [applause] >> With us this evening we have Emma Zuniga from Diamond Hill Jarvis High School,
Logan Pereira, John Michael Schwind all from I am Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA. [clears throat] Thomas Melton from Pascal High School, Jose Perez, Pedro Viegas from Southwest
High School and Kendall Northwap, Joshua Ree, and Dewan Williams from Western Hill High School. And joining them this evening are their TMEA teachers. Thank you so much. [applause]
And coming in, Sebastian Viegas, also from Arlington Heights High School. >> [applause] >> Oh, >> and these are all of their talented teachers. Thank you so much, instructors. [applause] >> [clears throat] >> So Fort Worth ISD has earned the Texas
Thespians Premier Communities for Theater Education Award. This program recognizes and honors school districts that provide theater programs with resources to achieve above standard as rooted in the educational theater association's opportunity to learn standards. The Texas theater knowledge
and skills for fine arts tiques and support international thespian society troop involvement. Congratulations to these wonderful educators who earned this recognition and whose dedication to excellence in theater education continues to inspire creativity, collaboration, and student achievement
across Fort Worth ISD. With us this evening we have from Diamond Hill Jarvis High School. Russell Orso [applause] from Dunar High School. Nanette Smith from Mlan Middle School. Rachel Blizzard
from Western Hills High School. Josh Mata from Wyatt High School. Babs Eopay from World Languages Institute. Ricardo Gutierrez and our Dance 7 theater coordinator,
Nicholas Morris. >> And um in a few moments, we'll take a break for the board of trustees to go take a picture with all the groups. And at that time, I want you to pay attention, special attention to the photos that are up there on the deis because that's what I'm going to talk to you about for just a second. Displayed
there for all for everyone to enjoy. She's going to come with me. You want to stand next to me? No. Okay. Okay. Displayed there for all to enjoy is this month's student artwork showcase highlighting the creativity, talent, and hard work of our students. This collection features a diverse range of
artistic mediums including AP drawing, mixed media, 2D painting, printmaking, and fibers. Each piece represents not only technical skill, but also the unique perspectives and voices of our students. We are proud to celebrate their dedication and the guidance of our
talented art educators who inspire their growth. The students featured are Annalie Gonzalez from Kirkpatrick Middle School, [applause] Emily Alammanza Lopez from Riverside Middle School. [applause] Go ahead.
[clears throat] [snorts] And President Garren, this concludes our recognitions for this evening. And audience, at this time, we will take a short recess to allow the board members to take a few short photos with the recognizes tonight. They'll do that right there in the in the cafeteria.
We'll be right back in about four minutes. >> [snorts] >> needs to go back to the y'all can go out that door and I'll take you right side. Yes, sir. On that side, >> this goes back to the control room. Okay.
>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music]
[music] [music] Heat. [music] Heat. >> [music] >> Yes. >> Okay. [clears throat] What I'm going to do Anybody else wants to see them? >> Thank all of you for your
>> your patience with that. We do have an update on the weather at this point. It looks like the storm that was in in Weatherford is going well south of us, but we're we're monitoring it closely. I'd like to go back on the agenda and do two things. One is recognize that Frost
Po is is here tonight. I neglected to include him when I announced the role. And then now I'd like to read the proclamation to Molly Lacier, longtime public servant in in Fort Worth and a
longtime uh trustee and devoted her whole life to to to public education and she passed away in March. Whereas Molly Lacier devoted her life to public service and to expanding educational opportunity for children and
families in Fort Worth. And whereas Molly Lner served as a member of the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Education for 10 years, including four years as board president and was the first woman elected to serve as both vice president and president of
the board. And whereas during her tenure, she was widely recognized as a bridgeuer known for visiting every school in the district and building relationships across neighborhoods and communities throughout Fort Worth. And whereas her leadership extended beyond
governance to steadfast advocacy for public education, equity, and access with a focus on opening doors for students who historically were lacked opportunity. And whereas following her board service, Molly Lasser continued her commitment to students by founding
the Fort Worth I Have a Dream Foundation, further strengthening pathways to academic success and post-secondary opportunity for young people in our community. And whereas Molly Lers's legacy is reflected not only in policy and programs, but in the
countless students, educators, and families whose lives were impacted by her compassion, vision, and belief in the power of public education. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Education hereby honors and
commemorates the life, leadership, and service of Molly Laceder. And be it further resolved that the board extends its deepest sympathy and gratitude to the Lacader family and loved ones and expresses appreciation for Molly Lasser's enduring contributions to Fort
Worth ISD and the greater Fort Worth community. And be it further resolved that this resolution shall be entered into the official minutes of the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Education as a lasting tribute to a trusted leader, advocate, and champion
for our students. Now therefore, I, Pete Garin, president of the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Managers, do hereby wish to honor the service of Molly Lasser to the students, families, and community of Fort Worth ISD.
Presented this 14th day of April, 2026. We actually presented this to the family earlier. Um, please join me in expressing our appreciation to her
service with a round of applause. [applause] I'm going to make an adjustment in the order of our agenda tonight and move our uh presentation or report from our update from our superintendent to this
point. And then following that, we'll turn to the regular order and go to the to the public comment session. Uh Dr. Lacata. Well, good evening everyone. And I'd like to update the community on a couple things. U I'm nearing 50 school visits
in five weeks, uh just under five weeks and close to about 150 classrooms. I've seen some great things and found two very consistent things. Our students are incredibly polite and they're so compliant. Very impressed. I also noticed our schools are working very
hard in all areas. I met and spoke with the head custodian of the group of the entire district last week and let them know that for sure on how hard their work is is and how great it looks too. So I appreciate them. I appreciate the school staff and the classroom teachers
for allowing me to visit and observe their craft. Uh, I also was able to last week attend a JOTC change of command and some of those gentlemen and ladies that we saw tonight, I got to see them there. And we had a small accident there where it
wasn't me. The rumor has it that it was me. An older gentleman, uh, I'm middle-aged. Let's make sure about that. Um, passed out. Uh, I believe he's okay. But it was amazing to see the students run into action. Uh, for almost 30 minutes, they didn't move. they sat at
attention just just an impressive group of young men and young women in that group. So I was so satisfied to see that how they behaved during a really difficult time. So I was very excited to see that and very proud. Uh today I got to speak to about 150 uh seniors that
were in our teachers academy that are looking forward to moving on and becoming teachers. And I assured them that when they come back to Fort Worth ISD, I didn't say if, I did say when, that we will continue to build on the idea that teachers in the classroom teaching students are the most important
people in the classroom. And those are the ones we have to respect, regard, coach, and support. As I've said before, we are not blaming teachers for lack of accountability or proficiency. It's us as leaders that have to support and build the right environments so they can
do their craft. And we appreciate that. I want to continue to address our program change on tonight's meeting agenda. I realize so many of our folks are here and I appreciate you being here to speak about it, but I believe there have been some false narratives being perpetuated.
There is a process we must must follow to enable these meaningful student focused and classroom focused changes. Tonight's agenda item is the first step in that process. More information will flow directly to the parents as we move through this process should it be
approved tonight. Our district is currently built for about 85 to 90,000 students. It's one of the key factors why we're not performing well. [snorts] We are performing as the worst urban district in the state of Texas at this time.
We are a bloated system. We do not have successful systems and models in place. Our current data compared to districts we're coming from and we are very familiar with such as Miami Dade, Palm Beach, Broward, Houston are outperforming our ELELLL students, our
ESSE students, and all our students combined in proficiency in almost some cases doubling the proficiency. That is what I'm used to. Let me be very, very, very clear. We are not discontinuing any services for students. The statutes are
clear, but beyond that, the revised system will provide even more to the classroom and to those students. Actually, our intent is to continue and provide more and replicate these very successful systems that are larger than us, that are similar in demographics
that have succeeded far beyond what we've done. As an educator over for 30 years, I cannot support any model that is outdated, produces limited success, and most importantly, segregates students based on their language. We are
preventing many students from comprehensive campus electives and creating an inequality and almost a civil rights issue. If you are supporting the idea we need to change our educational systems, processes and supports, it would be counterintuitive to support our current failing models.
These changes, especially INA, which I visited last week and I will tell you teachers and I've seen many of you here. I was just marveled at how great you were, how the students were. Wonderful environment. Wonderful environment. However, by reducing district
administration, resetting the entire system, and refocusing our ex efforts [clears throat] on district direct targeted comprehensive supports, we will then begin to see positive results for our students. National data, research models from federal government, many
universities, and other research models have strongly suggested long-term immersion is far more successful than an isolation segregated model. Finally, as I've mentioned for years,
closing schools or programs is incredibly hard. I know the passion that exists. I've been a part of it for about nine years in other places. But we have to ask ourselves, do we want better for our kids or are we here to fight for adults and buildings?
Our students are the lowest performing in the state of Texas for urban districts. Keep that in mind under our current models. And by doing the same thing that has been done for years, that has led us to subpar results. And it would not be
fair to our students. We owe them more. Status quo is not acceptable for me, nor should it be for anyone in this room. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Lica. Mr. Dr. Sigal, did you have a I see your light on. Did you
>> I have a question for Dr. Lacata. >> Um if if you would could you please explain um really what it means uh when we talk about reductions in reduction in staff as it pertains to uh both the the sped
and and ELLL um populations. >> That's a great question. uh we are in a place where we're too big but more importantly our resources are not being spent in the right directions for our students. What this means is we're reducing our administration from this
building to our students significantly. We have to start from square one. We will rebuild those programs with even more with even more support systems for our students. We have to get the glut out of this
building and out of some other buildings that aren't supporting students and supporting a lot of the folks here in front of us. Our budget says so. >> Excuse me. I will be incredibly quiet while you speak. So I expect certainly
the same respect. So that will that is where we'll go. will go to a regional sitebased management where we will encourage more of these sitebased research-based models for inclusion and support of ESSE and
special ed. I will tell you this, my daughter is an ESSE teacher of autistic children. I understand this model. My history suggests very successful proficiencies in this model. We are not performing where we should be and we owe
it to our children to change. Mr. Gindo, >> President Garrett, Dr. Licato, you mentioned INA, so I have a question concerning INA. What is the plan for staffing and hiring opportunities for the educators impacted
by the program change at INA? >> That's outstanding question and I believe they were asking that as well. What we will be doing and I'll refer to my HR department if necessary. Uh if this gets passed, we immediately will send out uh notices to those teachers to
have a selection of where they would like to support their students and begin the process of putting sitebased ELLL supports and teachers in our large schools. Keep in mind we have very few students on that campus. So we will need
to support them uh returning to their comprehensive schools. But most importantly, they will the teachers will get a notification and staff because we are in a shortage. We'll get a notice on where they can go, what they can do, and it'll be explained further immediately
if we go through with this process. >> Dr. Lacata, just following up on Mr. Seagal's question. Could you talk uh more about what you're doing um with in support of our our sped children and the
the changes that that parents can foresee uh going forward if this resolution passes tonight? >> That's a very good question as well. Our sp students are not performing at the rate they should be. uh we feel that that's a strong showing
of lack of support from the district office or from the regional offices. That will change significantly. We will move the amount of folks from this building into the schools or into the regions to support directly where our regional chiefs will have more control of those students and making sure that
we are providing it for individually those students. We have statute requirements that we have to go ahead and support students. There's no question about it. That's minimum. minimum. We want to be much higher than that and see their success. Also seeing
the opportunity for these students to participate in electives and potentially AP or CTE, career and tech ed programs along with uh any MMR credit, CMMR credits.
>> Thank you, Dr. Lacata. Um Miss Bera, you have a question. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Garin. Um Dr. Dr. Lacata, as you transition the INA students out to their new campuses, what kind of support systems are you going to put in place to support the parents and
the students? [applause] >> That is an outstanding question. Uh Mr. Chowdery and I met today to make sure we can assure that uh that the receiving of any student on the campus immediately receives the plan and support at their level. They also will have there's two
parts of our work chart that will stay consistent regarding stu services outside the school community services and such. But more importantly, we now are able to target our students by each school through the regions. And I believe that's been where we've really
lost touch with what we're going on in here. We're too bloated here. We're not doing it at the local level and we're not supporting our students in that manner. Now I do say that we have about [gasps] 47 or 48 students returning to INA next
year. Um and the staff I think has over 40 staff members. So it almost be one to one. That's not why we're doing this. Budget is not why we're doing this. It's a failed model. It's an antiquated model. Our students,
our teachers are doing a great job, but the school has received two Fs and a D in the past few years. That is something we have to focus on and we have to be available for our students. Historically, this is not the model. And moving forward, very few successful
districts use this model, including from where I'm from. You know, could I This is going to be a long evening and I ask that everyone here please respect other speakers. There will be differing opinions
expressed and as we as we all know there will be and in order to proceed in a manner that allows this engagement to happen in a constructive fashion I just ask everyone here to treat every speaker with the dignity and respect that you
would expect yourself. Thank you Dr. Lacata. Any um Miss George? >> Yeah, if I could go a little bit further. Um, as a parent of Tennessee, I think you might agree with there are children in the audience and I would like to model uh appropriate
discourse for children who are in the audience. So, please keep that in mind. >> Mr. Walker and Brookley. Yeah, I want to follow with Lori, too. Um, I appreciate everybody being here. I am a parent. I'm a parent of three kids in Fort Worth ISD. I'm a parent of one kid who works
with a uh reading instructor. I'm a parent of another kid with a 504 plan. And so when we view the agenda as I viewed it, a lot of the questions that need to be answered, we're asking those questions. If I felt that we were going into next year, we would not have the supports in place to support those
students. I'd be telling you that we are looking for transformational change. That's hard. And the plan is a big one. And we're going to hold Dr. Lat and his team accountable for achieving the goals and the plan that's put before us. Thank
you for being here, but I also want everyone to know, especially Lori and I, you know, we have skin in this game. We have kids in this district. We we rely on the same supports that a lot of you do, and we do not intend to see those go away. So, thank you for being here. >> Thank you, Mr. Walker.
>> Dr. Lacata, do you have any final remarks? >> No, I I I know this is fast. We've moved on this very fast. We have a runway, but we have to make some systemic changes. And this isn't the only area we're making these systemic changes. We have
to be better. We owe our community. We owe our students a lot more of success. And I understand the passion. I understand this piece. I know what this piece is. But I also know we're not doing right by children right now. And at the end of the day, and I've told
many folks this, when there is a problem in front of me or a hard decision to make, I put a child between me and that decision and it becomes much clearer on what I need to do and who I need to support. >> Thank you, Dr. Lacata. [snorts] All
right, if there are no further questions, our next agenda agenda item is public comment. Thank all of you for turning out, particularly under the weather conditions. thankful that looks like we've dodged the worst, but I appreciate everybody
turning out and and being here tonight to listen or or to comment. Thank you for doing that. Before we we begin public comment, I want to share a brief reminder of our processes and expectations to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak. Public comment is in conducted in
accordance with Fort Worth ISD board policy and the Texas Open Meetings Act and must be managed in an orderly and consistent manner. Speakers must sign up in advance through our predetermined process. You'll be called in order and will have up to
three minutes to speak with no one receiving less than one minute. The presiding officer may make make adjustments when needed to help manage time and ensure that everyone is heard. At regular meetings such as we have tonight, speakers may address any topic.
At special meetings, comments are limited to those subjects on the posted agenda. The board listens to all public comments, but under our rules, we we cannot engage in in conversation with you except if there is a factual matter
that's raised by the presenter that that needs to be addressed. We ask that all of our speakers particularly be mindful of student privacy and refrain from identifying students by name as student information is protected by law. But of course, if
you're talking about your your own child, you're you're free to uh say what you choose to say. You're encouraged to avoid naming individual employees or volunteers and instead address concerns at the campus, program, or district level.
Is that enough? >> [clears throat] >> We also ask that concerns about individual employees, students, or other confidential matters be directed through the appropriate district processes rather than during public comment as those procedures are designed to ensure
concerns are handled quickly. Uh let me pause for a moment and um we have somebody monitoring this for us. Um Okay, Carl. So there's no no concern for
us here. Okay. Thank you. [clears throat] >> All right. Security is monitoring this and we will be alerted and plenty of time to go down to the safe quarters in in the basement below.
U please okay um please respect the procedures in place as well as other speakers and audience members and conclude your remarks promptly when the three minutes [music] is up. Uh again it's going to be
a long night. Thank everybody for making the time to be here and I ask that you do treat everyone with with dignity and respect through this evening. Before calling up going to our list of speakers, we do have an elected official
present with us tonight. State Board of Education member Brandon Hall is here and he signed up to speak and as is the custom, our elected officials who represent us are given the opportunity to speak at the outset of the meeting. Thank you Mr. Hall for being hereation
and superintendent Lacata. Appreciate you having me tonight. My name is Brandon Hall and I represent uh district 11 on the state board of education which covers part of Fort Worth ISD. I want to begin by thanking each one of you for taking on the heavy responsibility of
leading the district in a challenging time. I also appreciate the willingness to tackle difficult decisions headon and with a sense of urgency that I have already seen from the board and superintendent. Dr. Lacata, I watched the last meeting
and I heard you quote a number that stuck with me. More than 24,000 students are being left behind. And that's far more than just a statistic. that represents souls with individual needs.
We must throw them a lifeline. Every decision should be made with them at the forefront of consideration. Their needs require urgency and decisiveness. They can't afford another year or two for adults to talk in circles and delay changes just because the changes are
inevitably met with push back. Many of these students have lost years worth of educational progress. These are years they will never get back. We cannot change the past, nor should we dwell on it. We should, however, learn from the broken systems and failed status quo of
the past while moving forward with purpose to give those 24,000 plus the lifeline they deserve. Improving student outcomes must be the sole focus of Fort Worth ISD leadership. We must return to the basics of education. Classrooms
should be free from political agendas and activism. hiring decisions, student evaluation, and district resource allocation should be based on merit, not arbitrary identity- based quotas. I firmly believe that the leadership that prioritizes education over activism,
respects parents as the primary stakeholders, and is willing to implement bold evidence-based reforms will result in rising student outcomes, and ultimately can unite the community. I remain committed to being present and accessible in the district and praying
for the success of the students, staff, and leadership of Fort Worth ISD. May God bless and guide you all. Thank you. >> Thank you for your service, Mr. Hall. Thank you for being here tonight. >> We have 137
speakers up tonight. [applause] [cheering] Thank you for being here every single one of you. I'm going to call on the first speaker and then read the name of the second speaker and ask that he or she come forward so we have a less amount of time in the in the transition.
Our first speaker tonight is Belinda Sansson and she is followed by Sarah Day Valden Bro. I apologize if I mispronounced your name. I may have mispronounced both of your names. I apologize to both of you.
>> I'm number two, but >> Okay. Is Belinda Sansson here? Okay. I'll ask um and I'm gonna try your name again. Sarah de Valdenro.
>> It's really close to Venero. >> Okay. And ask Kendra Frank um if she could come forward and and take one of these seats in the front. >> Before I begin, I do have a handout. I only have one because it's quite lengthy. So, I'll pass it along.
[clears throat] >> Good evening, Superintendent Lacata, President Garin, and members of the board. I am speaking with you today as a taxpayer, parent, and employee of Fort Worth ISD. I've spent 13 years building a career with this school district, supporting students, advocating for
teachers, and building community within and without each of the schools I've worked. I currently serve as a post-secary success specialist and have served in this and similar roles for the past nine years. On Friday, April 17th, I was informed via statement from my principal that my
position is being considered for elimination at this meeting today. Before you all vote, I want to ensure you understand who the 19 of us are and all the things we do for our schools and this district. We are the cornerstone of
accountability in Fort Worth ISD. We are the primary persons responsible for recruitment, applications, enrollment, trajectory, and retention at all of the programs and schools of choice across the district. Each program has specific
nuanced intricacies that require someone knowledgeable, attentive, and organized to communicate and track. We are the primary persons responsible for PEK and dual credit enrollment, a multi-stage process including testing, applications, registration, monitoring, and support.
All the associates degrees, that's us coordinating with TCC and supporting students and teachers. CTE programs and their IBC's earning accountability points. We are there recruiting to fill programs, monitoring their required schedule trajectory, and facilitating
their testing. All collegiate testing falls to us. The PSAT, SAT, ACT, TSIA, and AP testing all earn accountability points when students are successful. We do the work so students and teachers have the time,
resources, secure and supportive testing environment, and the opportunity to be successful. Additionally, all state testing comes back to us. The STAR, Telpas, MAP, benchmarks, and other TIA assessments all factor into accountability and
funding for our schools and district. I've offered a brief and limited list of the tasks and responsibilities of this job, but I provided you the detailed description printed for you. It is 64 pages without including the extensive state testing responsibilities that were
added last year. I urge you to consider that eliminating the vast institutional knowledge held by this group of specialists will set each and every one of these programs back in an irreoverable way. We are essential. Our schools depend on us and we work each
day to meet those needs. The responsibilities that we shoulder cannot easily be divided or delegated to others. Each piece works in concert concert with the other. I have 10 seconds. Pillar 4 set out by Dr. Lacata focus is focused on CCMR pathways and we are the foundation of that pillar. Thank
you. >> Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Kendra Clark. >> Good evening as Superintendent [clears throat] Lacata board president Garren and board of managers. I'm here to speak on the program changes. My name is Kendra Frank. I'm a longtime parent
of Fort Worth ISD and an active member of the Burton Hill PTO and the Fort Worth ISD special education PTA. My older son went from prek to 12th here, graduated from Arlington Heights, and now is playing college football. >> He got the supports he needed. He thrived. I've seen the success in Fort
Worth ISD. My younger son, not so much. He's an early childhood special ed. He has autism and childhood arroy of speech. He requires consistent, frequent speech therapy to communicate. That's not optional for him. It's essential. When he turned three, I had to fight the
district to get him to ECS services because the the demand the staff did not meet the demand. That was against FAPE. But I had to fight. We had got him in now. So when I hear program changes are expected to improve consistency, I have real concerns because I've already seen
it because consistency does not come from restructuring plans. Consistency comes from staffing. Right now, the district is already facing shortages of SLPs. Eliminating positions and planning to replace with full-time staff assumes
those positions can be filled, but they are not filled. We already know there's vacancies. When those services are not consistent, services are disrupted. And for students like my son, disruption in speech services has real consequences. These are critical developmental years
and gaps in therapy are not easily recovered. As special education parents, we'll do whatever it takes. We'll find the therapies. We'll fill the gaps, but we shouldn't have to. That's what public education is. It should have our supports. Sorry.
Speech is not just a service. For many children, it's their ability to communicate, to learn, and to be safe. You cannot say services are not being cut if they are not being delivered consistently. I am asking you to be honest about these impacts these program changes will have if staffing gaps
continue because for our most valuable students, this is not about efficiency. It's about whether they can communicate at all. Thank you. >> Thank you, M. [cheering] [applause] Our next our next speaker is Haven
Hoffman, who will be followed by Lindseay. Thank you, Miss Hoffman. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Haven Hoffman and I am one of 10 district employed assistant speech language pathologists who were notified last Tuesday that the district is considering eliminating our role. Thus, I will be
addressing action item E on the agenda considering a reduction in force due to program change. Like many of my colleagues, I rely on the benefits provided by this district to support my family. However, I am not here tonight to speak on behalf of myself and my colleagues, but to advocate for the students we serve. At last week's
meeting, it was stated that eliminating assistant SLPs would allow supervising SLPs to provide more direct therapy services. Respectfully, this is not an accurate representation of how services are currently delivered. The required supervision for an assistant SLP is approximately 2 hours per week. In
contrast, I personally provide 37 and 1/2 hours of direct therapy services each week to a case load of 80 students. students who receive services directly from me. Across the 12 district employed assistant SLP positions in this district, that equates to 960 students
who rely on these services. While we are providing direct therapy, supervising SLPs are responsible for essential duties such as evaluations, AR meetings and preparations, MTSS meetings, goal development, compliance documentation, service minutes of their own, and much more. This is a quote directly from you,
Dr. Lacata. If we are serious about becoming the best district in Texas, then we must be serious about investing in the people who make student success possible every single day. And I urge you to think of who would be more dedicated to the success of our special education students than those of us providing the services and giving them a
voice. Eliminating the assistant SLP role will not create sufficient capacity to meet the service minutes required by students IEPs. Instead, it risks increased staff burnout, higher turnover among SLPs, and compliance issues related to service delivery. Most importantly, it places students at risk
of not receiving consistent quality services they need to make progress. We build meaningful relationships with our students and their families, and we are deeply committed to their success. I respectfully urge the board to consider what is truly in the best interest of the students you were appointed to serve when making this decision. Thank you for
your time. [cheering] >> [applause] >> Next speaker is Lindsay Aught and she'll be followed by Monica Broad. And I'm sure I didn't get that name right. So, thank you.
>> Good evening. My son is a second grade student in Fort Worth ISD at Rolling Hills Elementary who has Down syndrome. We have had a really good experience at Rolling Hills. From the administration to his gened teachers and especially his special ed team, we have been so pleased with how he has grown the past three
years. A key person in contributing to his success has been our school's speech pathologist assistant. During the past three years, my son has received weekly services from our speech path assistant. Before we started school, we were told by others, don't expect much from speech
therapy within the school system. However, we have been incredibly surprised with the level of therapy he has received from her and the growth we have seen during this time. She is excellent and regularly goes above and beyond helping him progress against his goals. Our speech path assistant sees
children at both Rolling Hills and Ridgely Hills elementaryaries. And between those two schools, around 230 students receive her service or are impacted receive speech and are impacted by her dedication as she meets with more than half. As you can see, the number of students is significant. We were
disheartened to hear that Fort Worth ISD is planning to eliminate her role as well as many others that impact special education. I believe the reason expressed tonight was that the board wants to employ higher credentialed individuals to fill these roles. While that sounds great on paper, I'm concerned that it will be impossible to
do so. I'm told there are many open full-time positions that the district struggles to fill currently. If the concern is subpar services for our students, I would encourage the board to look more at individual student outcomes that these positions represent. Rather than eliminate everyone in a blanket
decision, consider eliminating those persons with subpar student outcomes. By eliminating these positions in one fell swoop, we will certainly lose many talented, impactful persons, most likely including those who are left to pick up the slack. I would encourage you to
delay this approval. Take a second look at this list and consider and understand the student outcomes. The impact is not minor and is not on an insignificant number of kids. Um, children at Rolling Hills and Ridgely Hills elementaryaries will be hurt if you make this decision as well as throughout ISD. Thank you
very much. >> Thank you for your comment. [applause] Our next speaker is Monica and you'll have to pronounce your last name for us. My name is Monica Bardwage. I'm a concerned mom, a Fort Worth neighbor, and I've served as a nonprofit leader welcoming newcomers for the past decade.
Tonight, I'm asking you to vote no on measures that would close the International Newcomers Academy and cut ESL support across the district. Our community has understandably been concerned about the state takeover of Fort Worth ISD. Governor Abbott has
publicly called for revisiting the 1982 Supreme Court decision that guarantees the right to a public education for every student regardless of immigration status. It is not surprising then that one of the first proposed actions under the state takeover would disproportionately impact immigrant
students. That being said, when the board of managers was announced, I read each of your bios and I was more encouraged than I expected. Miss Bera, your work with immigrants as an attorney gives you a deep understanding of what these
students face. Mr. Galindo, you've written publicly about the inequities that face the Hispanic community in Fort Worth, and you called for parents to hold the district accountable, and many of them are doing that tonight. Miss Lewis, you champion diversity and inclusion in your time as the board as
the president of the Fort Worth Rotary Club. And Mr. Mr. Garren, your leadership in Congress and in the community reflect a long-standing commitment to equity. >> Thank you. >> To the others, as parents, community, and business leaders, I know that you understand what's at stake for every one of these students, and you don't take
this decision lightly. Tonight, you have the opportunity to advocate for students who have increasingly been the victim of hate and exclusion nationally. [snorts] Dr. Dr. Lacata, you cited that the underperformance of the INA as support
for its closure and yet other underperforming campuses have been identified for additional resources, extended school years, and a significant investment in their teachers. Why has this campus been singled out for closure? You stayed an immersion model
yields better outcomes. And while these students are absolutely worth datadriven solutions, these must center their holistic well-being as outcomes and include their input in solutions. This requires transparent data and partnership with the INA community in
co-designing solutions that will impact them, not a listening session once the decision has already been made. In light of these concerns, I urge you to vote no tonight. And to everyone in this room, Texas ranks 47th in the nation for spending per student in our public
schools. I urge you to question the premise that we need to be working with an anemic budget. This disinvestment in our children is absolutely a choice and thankfully every one of us is empowered to make our voices known this November and I encourage you to do so. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. [cheering] Our next speaker is Dr. Marie Mendoza and Dr. Mendoza will be followed by Dr. Liz Garca Garcia. [applause] The conversation is the relationship. I have been the executive director for
emergent bilingual programs in this district since the end of June 2023. I have not had a conversation yet with our new superintendent in the five weeks that he has been here.
This evening, I would like to share some of the work that we have done over the last three years. When I arrived, before I arrived, I knew what I was getting into. I studied Fort Worth. I knew that
our EB program needed support. So we [snorts] went to work and when I say we, the team. The team for three years has chronicled the steps in writing that we have put in place to
support academic and linguistic advancement for our nearly 40% of our district's population. How have we done that?
We have created an EB programs handbook. We have multi-year timelines for dual language for ESL for teacher certification because that is an area of need. We currently have 118 teachers on
the ESL waiver that was submitted to the state. To date, we have less than 20 of those teachers who have obtained that certification. Not because we have not provided the professional learning, not because we
have not been there for them, but they have not gotten that yet. One of the things that this room needs to know is they can only be on that waiver for one year. There are some circumstances where
teachers can go and get uh an exception to that through the state, but it's one year. My team has worked diligently putting together monthly multi-year
goal focused updates for the assistant superintendent, the associate, and now deputy superintendent. I've shared some of those documents with you, Mr. Garin >> cross-cultural collaborative meeting agendas documented academic return on
investment analysis documented professional learning on CBLI which as you know is a state expectation and dual language with participant feedback and yes the state mandated full
program evaluation. When [clears throat] I arrived in this district, I found a copy of a draft dated 2012. As you know, working with the state, it is a mandate that that program
evaluation. >> Thank you for being with us tonight, talking to [applause] >> our next next speaker is Dr. Liz Garcia Garcia and she'll be followed by Graden Jones. Thank you. [clears throat]
>> Good evening, president and members of the board of managers. My name is Dr. Aliz Garcia Garcia. I am your secondary emerging bilingual director. I'm here to respectfully express my concerns about the proposed closure of the international newcomers academy and the restructuring of the emerging bilingual
department. Dr. Peter Lacata has shared that these changes are intended to address declining enrollment, improve efficiency, and redirect sources in ways that positively impact students. I want to acknowledge the complexity of those decisions and the responsibility you
carry in stewarding their resources. At the same time, I'd al I'd also like to offer you a different perspective. Over the last three years, while overall district enrollment has declined, the emergent bilingual enrollment has continued to increase. Our students who
are learning English are not disappearing. They are arriving. many as newcomers, immigrants, refugees, often with interrupted education, significant resilience, and a strong desire to belong and succeed. During the same period, the emerging bilingual team has
worked closely with educators at the INA and across campuses. We've provided sustained coaching and professional learning to help teachers make rigorous academic content comprehensible while also honoring our students languages and identities. This work is specialized.
It's intentional and required by law. But more importantly, it reflects our values as a community. If INA is closed and the EB department is dismantled, the responsibility to serve our students doesn't go away. It redistributes into
systems that aren't trained, don't have the capacity, or focus on the support our students consistently need and that they deserve. My concern isn't about intent. It's about unintended consequences for our most valuable
learners. Recently in an interview with NBC 5, Rosa Maria Bera reflected on her experience as a homeless abandoned teenager. [snorts] I she shared if somebody would have been paying attention and asked questions. Her words remind us of how much it matters that
someone is responsible for noticing, advocating, and intervening. Dr. Lacata told the Star Telegram that he's confident about the plan to assimilate immigrant and refugee students and I believe it's important to gently distinguish between two concepts.
Assimilation asks students to set aside who they are to fit in. Acculturation on the other hand allows students to succeed academically while keeping their language culture and identity intact. Our work through INA and the emerging
bilingual department has always centered around acculturation. We honor our families and our students for their diversity and strength and the richness that they bring to this community. I share these thoughts with respect and care and I urge the board to really
consider preserving these structures that help our emerging bilingual students feel seen, supported, and valued. >> Thank you very much. Yeah, >> this temperature is not intended to make us uncomfortable. We're working on it.
So, [snorts] it's apologize for that. >> Our the speaker is Graden Jones and um Mr. Jones will be followed by Amanda Nay. Okay. Good evening board and superintendent. Uh I'm here to speak on
behalf of Fort Worth faith leaders supporting INA. And I'll read a letter uh that's signed by 29 faith leaders representing 22 local congregations of various traditions, various denominations. As faith leaders across Fort Worth, we urge you to vote against
the resolution to close the International Newcomers Academy. After hearing about this proposal to close INA, our faith compels us to speak up. We believe in a loving God who calls humanity to welcome foreigners, care for the marginalized, and promote justice
for the vulnerable. We believe that for Worth ISD is better because of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. We are honored by their presence, and INA plays an important role in providing community resources and unique training for
immigrant students. We reject that closing INA while also voting to reduce personnel and emergent bilingual roles across the district is best for Fort Worth ISD students or for its schools. This rushed decision to close INA without adequate community support or
clear strategy for students inclusion in new campuses. This would harm vulnerable students and damage trust with the wider community. The district's commitment to student success and well-being and commitment to strong academic and language support can be achieved without
closing INA. We understand as faith leaders the present need to improve Fort Worth IC student outcomes and reconsider financial investment, but we're asking you not to pursue those outcomes at the expense of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. INA's accountability rating
does not tell the whole story. Thanks to this supportive and resilient community, every INA student is an overcomer. Many have gone on to receive scholarships and contribute to the Fort Worth community and even become an elected Fort Worth
ISD trustee. INA is truly an invaluable haven for students. And so we call each of you to consider that the true measure of leadership is how we care for the most vulnerable among us. Please protect International Newcomers Academy and
commit to supporting quality education and opportunity for immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and all Fort Worth ISTD emergent bilingual students. I'll close with Jesus's words in Matthew 25:40. Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me. Thank you for listening. >> Thank you. [cheering] [applause] Our next speaker is Amanda Na and she will be followed by Aaron Humber.
Actions speak louder than words. Dr. Arcata, upon your arrival here, you spoke of teachers being mediocre. By doing so, you place the blame of the current state of For ISD solely on the sold shoulders of our teachers. Let's talk about the reason teachers may be
mediocre. For the past two years, we have been given the strict directive to follow incomplete, unaligned IPC's and follow slides. Now, we've been forced to attend the exact same redundant, useless trainings by district staff who do not
truly take the time to know the curriculum or to know how it aligns or doesn't align to the state objectives. All of these atrocities and poor leadership has occurred under the deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction and he is still set to lead
this work again in the 2627 school year. This department has failed to retain the necessary qualified staff to ensure appropriate guidance has been given to teachers. Therefore, by driving the bus into the river were now fire teachers at
20 plus campuses. demo teachers who have followed and still are forced to follow this man's toxic, hostile leadership. Now, on to this new instructional model that is forcing every teacher in this district to break educational laws.
>> I did not say a name and I will continue. That's right. Break laws. >> I I'm not done. They exist to protect our most vulnerable ed. >> We're going to ask that we turn off your microphone if you attack individuals. name.
>> I did not say a name >> and I want my time back because I did not say a name. I respected the law. I want my time back. It needs to be back to a minute and 32. [cheering and applause] >> I do not have another name or reference in here and I want my time back to a
minute and 32 so I can finish what I have to say. I did not say a name. >> Okay. I am asking for my minute and 32 back on the clock. I do not have another name or reference in here. [applause] >> Can I Can I please have my time back?
I've already told you I don't have another name in here. >> Proceed. >> Thank you. I need my time back. >> No, >> I will give you a little leeway, but you proceed. >> What? >> You know, we have rules about attacking
people, whether it's this speaker or or other speaker, we're not going to tolerate it. Um, so I will give you you can speak for another minute and then >> I had [laughter] a minute and 32 on the clock and I have this time to the moment. So >> you have a minute to speak, Miss NA.
>> You can choose to take it or not. >> Yeah, I'm going to take it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Now, on to this new instructional model that is forcing every teacher in the district to break educational laws. That's right. Laws. Laws that exist to protect our most vulnerable students, EB, ESL, and
special education babies. When you force an assignment to be done in 10 minutes daily, not even giving a general education student a chance. Requiring a grade to be taken twice a week from these time dos are students who have laws protecting them to have extra time
do not get their rightful accommodations and don't have a fighting chance. You say you're here data driven, want student success, and you want to retain teachers. Yet when you arrived, you didn't once look at a teacher's independent data before demanding that our classrooms to be transformed into
many prisons by robbing our kids of safe places with vital group settings, forcing them into sterile, unfriendly environments timed on how long they can speak, preventing them from asking clarifying questions, and we're robbing teachers of their creativity. One can conclude that you are here to force out
teachers who know their craft, tear up and destroy our a campuses, not provide equitable chance for all to learn, ultimately play your part in dismantling education while making millions on the back of our children. [cheering] [applause] Our next speaker is Aaron Hbert. and
Aaron Hbert will be followed by Zoe Tersios. Is Aaron not here? Okay, next speaker Zoe Tersos and Zoe Ters will be followed by Carlos Tersios. Good evening, uh, Superintendent Lacata and members of the board of managers. My
name is Carlos Cersei and I'm the Taran County director for for liberty and justice and also an executive committee member for the Taran County Republican Party. Thank you for stepping up and leading during this critical time for FWARSTD. Your willingness to take these challenges are greatly Can you hear?
Your willingness to take these challenges are greatly appreciated. I'm a forward 5C graduate from 2020 and I'm also a forward fiest resident. We are here to encourage a strong and consistent focus on student performance, academic outcomes, and accountability.
For far too long, the district has struggled and this moment presents a real opportunity to turn things around. We urge the board to comply with all applicable state laws, including Senate Bill 12, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion and gay straight
alliance activities in school districts. Governor Abbott has already signed that into law. It is important that the district remains aligned with state law and focus on its core mission. We also support directing district resources toward academics and student success. Given that the district has lost almost
20,000 students since 2016, [clears throat] we understand that this downsizing is necessary. Specifically, we urge you to move forward with cutting DI related positions, including the specialists and restorative practices, specialists in equity and excellence and
the coordinator of restorative practices. We also support the closure of the INA school as part of an effort to refocus. I ask you please respect the speaker >> and [clears throat] refocus resources where they matter the most. As
Superintendent Lata has already stated, this restructuring will not reduce bilingual or special education services and those services will continue to be maintained and strengthened. That is important for the students who rely on them. And I just want to say this, every
board member here and the superintendent, um, I don't think you're here with a conspiracy to destroy schools or to hurt students. I think y'all are here because y'all have a heart. And I do believe the superintendent also has a heart to improve this school district. And so I
just want to encourage everyone here, vote yes, do the right thing. You might get some backlash as you see here, but in the long run, I do believe that Folar Fire SD will be very very successful because we've been in this road for 10
straight years. And I will say this to to your point, the systems and structures that have been in place for the past 10 years, the employees, the people that have been facilitating that structure, if they are so successful,
why has student performance continued to collapse? and student enrollment collapse. Vote yes. And I just want to remind everyone here, the Republican Party of Texas and Taran County and conservatives support every single one of y'all. Thank you. Thank you.
>> Our next speaker is Jay Mata. And Jay Mata will be followed by Max Pill. [cheering and applause] Close [screaming] your eyes for a moment. Picture a school bus arriving at International Newcomer Academy. But this is not an ordinary bus. This is a bus full of newcomer
students entering a new country, a new language, and a new school system all at once. Pictures. Some students arriving without uniforms, proper shoes, backpacks, or school supplies. Some are coming from war torn countries or refugee camps. Some are unschooled, and this may be their first day of school.
Now, picture what meets them when they arrive. They are met by teachers, support staff, Miss Alatrash, and community partners. Her office filled with shoes, socks, uniforms, backpacks, hygiene items, and school supplies. Because before a child can focus on academics, someone has to make sure they
can walk into school with dignity. Now, open your eyes because one of the ways this decision has been justified is with a star chart comparing year 0 to two emerging bilingual students. And if data is going to be used to support a decision this serious, then it has to be read honestly. The problem with the
chart is not just the conclusion. It is that it was presented without information needed to make a fair comparison. We were not told the grade levels, the sample sizes, the lo loss link levels, or whether unschooled and refugee students were included. That matters because INA does not serve a random sample of newcomers. INA serves
the students at the lowest levels of English proficiency. Students with the greatest barriers and students who often need far more than academic support. In February 2024, INA stopped accepting most beginner English proficiency students because the campus was overwhelmed with enrollment. Those
students did not disappear. They were sent elsewhere across the district. This is important because the chart shows when this happened. INA remained consistent through that period while the district comparison group declined in the year 2024 through 2025.
So no, this does not prove INA failed. It shows INA remained consistent while the district declined after weakening support EB students depended on. That is what your own data says. Mr. Garin has said public education is like electricity. If that is true, INA is one
of the power lines carrying that promise to students who need it the most. Essential services are not judged by whether they reach the easiest communities to serve. They are judged by whether they reach everyone, especially those with the greatest need. And if public education is truly an essential
public service, then INA students cannot be the ones left in the dark. I know what it means to navigate a school system with parents who could not guide you. I was raised by migrant parents who did not receive a formal education. And when school got hard, all my dad could
say was miko. So I stand by you here today, not as your enemy, but as a forwardan, your fellow neighbor. When a tornado struck in 2000, my grandma hid me in a washing machine. That very same [clears throat] grandma is now buried here in Fort Worth. This
community means so much to me, and I know it means so much to a lot of you. But I just don't know if you've been properly informed how this decision is going to affect our students. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for your [applause]
Our next speaker is Max Pel and Mr. Pel will be followed by McKenzie Kler. We received an email explaining some of the things I have concerns with on Friday night. While I would have hoped that the explanations would ease my mind, what really happened was it
confirmed my suspicion [laughter] that some of the decisions being made here tonight are not well-informed decisions. Here's what you need to know. Assistant speech language pathologists do not perform administrative tasks. They are degreed, licensed, and skilled speech language therapy service
providers whose efforts directly impact students academic performance. They are critical members of our team. They provide federally required services for children's IEPs every day. And the reality is assistant SLPs are able to
serve significantly more students and provide direct services than speech language pathologists. This is because SLPs are also tasked with completing evaluations, preparing and facilitating IEP meetings among many other responsibilities. Another thing that I would really like
for you to think about is that assistant SLPs are not well compensated for the services that they provide even though they complete documentation and bill Medicaid for services bringing muchneeded funds to Fort with ISD which from a financial standpoint if you're looking at cutting costs and saving
money getting rid of these assistants is not a wise decision. Understand that for every three assistants you get rid of, you're going to have to hire at least four SLPs, all of whom will require higher salaries than those three assistants. So, you're losing the numbers game in both number of personnel
and number of dollars spent. Also, we've had shortages all year. We have positions that have not been filled despite efforts to fill them. SLP positions have become increasingly more difficult to fill over the past several years. We've been informed by some
sources that the plan to respond to getting rid of assistance and part-time SLPs is to simply hold job fairs and then contract out for whatever you can't fill. Well, guess what? Contracting is more expensive and during this school year, staffing companies have offered assistant SLPs more often than SLPs. It
also sounds like a strategy you're trying to avoid. So, here's my recommendation. Do not get rid of our assistants or part-time folks and actively recruit highly skilled professionals. I know that there are countless positions in the school system and I don't expect you to know the roles
and responsibilities of everyone. But when you're cutting positions, I would hope you know exactly what you're cutting. And just so you know, many of us have been led to believe that these decisions have already been made and that tonight's meeting is simply a formality. >> Let me tell you this. When we have IEP
meetings, sometimes people go into them thinking, "Oh, we'll tell the parents what we want to do. They'll accept it. If they have something else they want, we have a problem." But that's not the way it's supposed to work. We are supposed to be collaborative. If a parent has feedback, we need to take that into consideration and take it
seriously. And I would hope that in these meetings, you would take these comments seriously into consideration. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. [cheering and applause] Our next speaker is McKenzie Kohler and she will be followed by Jessica Guten. Right.
>> Good evening. My name is McKenzie and I'm a speech language pathologist in this district. I want to speak tonight not just as an employee but as someone who sees the faces behind the numbers. I am here to address how eliminating assistant SLPs will affect our students. On my campus alone, we have well over
120 students who receive speech therapy services. On average, each student receives about 30 minutes of therapy per week, which adds up to 4,000 minutes of speech therapy per week. This is the level of need we are talking about. And these services are not possible without
my assistant SLP. But this isn't just my campus. This is happening across our entire district. When you add up the number of students who will be losing services based on your proposal to cut assistant SLPs and part-time SLPs, you're talking about 1,463
students. To put that into perspective, that would be enough students to put two or more in every row of every section on both levels of the Dickies Arena. Every day, our assistant SLPs work with students who struggle to communicate their needs, their feelings, and their
ideas. Some of these students stay say their first word in SLPAled sessions. Some learn to ask for help and some learn to communicate important safety information. These are life-changing moments and they happen because our assistant SLPs are there. If these positions are eliminated, the students
will not receive the same level of support. They will simply go without. And for many of them, communication is not a luxury. It is the foundation of their safety, their learning, and their independence. To eliminate the position of our assistant SLPs is to eliminate our most
vulnerable students access to the most foundational human right, communication. I'm asking you to see the children behind this decision to protect the progress they've made to keep the professionals who help them find their voices. In the context of an AR meeting, we would call this predetermination.
When an email goes out like the one sent on April 24th indicating a decision had been unilaterally decided upon before committees have met, before student needs were discussed, and before required team input had been considered, it signals that the outcome had already been decided. But I want to be very
clear. My top professional responsibility is to advocate for my students. My commitment is and always will be to the students who rely on our services. Thank you. >> Thank you for your time. [cheering] >> [applause] >> Jessica. Now, how do I pronounce your
last name? >> Goutwine. >> Gutwin. I got it right. Well, thank you for being here. Our next speaker after Jessica will be Sequoia Leighton. She'll please come forward. >> Good evening. My name is Jessica Gutwine and I am one of the part-time speech language pathologists whose position is
being proposed to be eliminated. Before being offered this position three months ago, I was a full-time speech language pathologist for our district for eight years. Fort Worth ISD has identified literacy as a top priority for their students. And I want to speak about the
pivotal role a speech language pathologist or SLP plays in achieving this goal for our students. SLBs target phonological awareness, phenemic awareness, vocabulary, and language comprehension. skills that are essential for reading development and
for accessing grade level curriculum. We play a direct role in literacy by preventing reading difficulties through early intervention, assessing language and literacy skills, and providing intervention that supports both spoken and written language. These roles are
not separate from academics. They're a part of how all of our students are learning how to read and write. For students with speech and language impairments, literacy challenges are often rooted in these underlying skill areas. When those needs are addressed consistently and effectively, students
are better able to engage with our curriculum and make academic progress. Part-time SLPs like myself and SLP assistants are a large part of how that support is being delivered. We provide structured practice, reinforce targeted
skills, and support carryover to our classrooms. The district has emphasized a commitment to improving literacy for our students and ensuring access to grade level curriculum. Those outcomes depend in part on the strength, consistency, and
accessibility to language-based supports. As decisions are made, I ask that the role of speech language services, including the role of our part-time and SLP assistants, be considered as a part of that broader goal. Thank you. >> [applause]
>> Thanks for your comment, >> Miss Leighton. And Miss Leighton will be followed by Kelly Cullen. >> There should be a visual with my part. I think that was sent back. >> If you need more, we have some more.
Okay. Good evening. My name is Sequoia Leighton and I'm a Fort Worth ISD speech language pathologist. I want to speak to the district's rationale about right sizing, specifically the idea that enrollment has declined while staffing has not kept pace. That statement is accurate when looking at total
enrollment. However, it does not reflect what has happened within special education. The data is clear. Special education enrollment has steadily increased. In the 2018 2019 school year, Fort Worth ISD served approximately 7,600 students in special education. By
2425, that number had grown to over 9,900. And based on the most recent available data for this year, it is estimated to exceed 10,500 students. That is a 38% increase in our special education enrollment. We are now serving nearly
3,000 more students with specialized needs than we were in 2018. So while the district may be right sizing based on overall enrollment, the population requiring specialized services including speech and language support has significantly increased. This creates a
mismatch. We are reducing staff in an area where student need is not decreasing, it is growing. If the goal is to allocate resources in a way that is truly student- centered, then those decisions must reflect not just how many students we serve, but which students we
serve and that and they and what they require to access their education. Special education services are not optional supports. They are federally mandated, individualized and intensive. Reducing staffing in this area without first ensuring the capacity to meet that
growing demand risk creating gra gaps between what is required and what can realistically be delivered. I share this not as opposition not in opposition to fiscal responsibility but as a request for alignment between the data and the decisions being made. If we are going to
right size, we need to rightsize to student need. Thank you. Thank you, Miss A. [applause] Next speaker is Kelly Cullen, and she will be followed by Teresa Hughes. Thank >> Good evening. As I mark my 25th year as
a speech language pathologist with Fort Worth ISD, I'm here to address how the proposed elimination of the part-time SLPs and full-time SLP assistants positions directly contradict our district's goal of becoming a district of becoming a destination employer.
Pillar three commits to recruiting high performing educators and compensating them for their full value. However, destination employers do not eliminate the licensed SLP assistant positions that make specialist roles sustainable. Speech language pathology is a master's
level position facing a significant national shortage. We are not uh competing only with neighboring districts. We are competing with hospitals, home health care, and private practices. The eliminations of these positions directly worsens our competitive position.
To understand the stakes, look at my experience this year. I began the school year with 96 students on my case load. Not by choice, but because of unfilled positions the district could not staff. As we began the school year, like so
many of my colleagues, I stretched because I cannot bear the thought of students going without services. I was sharing a campus with a new hire from out of state. But after only two weeks, she resigned, citing unmanageable case loads. Her previous state had a case
load cap of 50 50 students. Her resignation forced me to manage 123 students >> for the first six weeks of this school year. When a single therapist is responsible for 123 students, the clinical quality
suffers. We lose time needed for the detailed evaluations, the individualized therapy, and the collaboration with teachers and parents that make our services effective. When experienced SLPs leave because the workload is unsustainable, they take years of
institutional knowledge, established student relationships, and clinical expertise that cannot be replaced quickly or inexpensively. It is far more expan expensive for the district to constantly recruit and onboard new staff than it is to keep the staff the support
team that we already have. Forth ISD cannot recruit the talent the talent pillar 3 envisions while simultaneously eliminating the positions that make these roles sustainable. We urge this board to vote no for these eliminations. A true destination employer invests in
the conditions that make people want to stay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Kelly. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Teresa Hughes and she'll be followed by Laura Obachowski. Thank you. My name is Teresa Hughes and
I am a Fort Worth resident, homeowner, taxpayer, and I speak to you tonight in my capacity as a Fort Worth ISD speech language pathologist, bilingual service provider, and supervisor of assistant SLPs. Tonight, I want to address a direct and unavoidable consequence of the proposed
elimination of part-time SLP and assistant SLP positions districtwide. These are not redundant roles that are contributing to the bloat that you mentioned at the meeting at the outset of this meeting. These staff members are actively delivering mandated speech and language services to students with
individualized education programs every single day. Eliminating them does not eliminate the services that those students are legally entitled to receive. Here's the mathematical reality. ASHA, the Speech Language Hearing Association, recommends a maximum case load of 40 students per SLP
in order to ensure quality service delivery. Many of us are currently carrying case loads of 60, 65, and beyond before observing the students who would be affected by these proposed eliminations. Every student on an IEP has legally
mandated service minutes written into their plan. Those minutes must be delivered. They cannot be skipped, shortened, or deferred because we are short staffed. That is not a preference. That is the federal law under IDA. If these positions are eliminated, the
inevitable result will be missed therapy sessions, incomplete service minutes, delayed evaluations, overdue annual reviews, and ultimately compliance violations that expose Fort Worth ISD to state complaints, federal complaints, due process hearings, and compensatory
education orders. These are not hypothetical risks. They are mathematical certainties given the current staffing levels and proposed reductions. Our current full-time SLP staff are already at capacity. Eliminating our assistant SLP and part-time SLP
colleagues will push us past the breaking point. With greater case loads, we will not have the capability to provide the quality of care that our students deserve and that their IEPs require. The students of Fort Worth ISD deserve their mandated services. their families trust this district to deliver
them. And we, as their SLPs, are telling you clearly, respectfully, and professionally tonight, that we cannot guarantee compliance and effective provision of services if these positions are eliminated. Before this vote is cast, we are asking the board in Fort Worth ISD to carefully consider the
compliance consequences and to develop a concrete plan ensuring every student receives every minute of every service they are legally entitled to. We urge you to vote no on the elimination of assistant SLP and part-time SLP positions until that plan exists. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you for your comment, [applause] Miss Oachowski, and she will be followed by Bob Willoughby. >> Good evening. My name is Laura Oichowski. I'm a Fort Worth ISD parent, employee, and taxpayer. and I'm speaking in opposition to action item. I want to
begin by acknowledging alignment with the district's um stated goal of strengthening full-time school-based supports and reducing reliance on contracted providers. I agree that recruiting and retaining full-time SLPs is the right long-term decision as a part-time SLP impacted by this. However,
I am very concerned that the current system does not yet include the conditions near necessary to make that goal viable. The district has stated that services are not being eliminated and that every student retains access to the same level of support and for students access only exists when there
is a qualified provider consistently available to deliver those services, complete evaluations, and support progress toward IEP goals. At the same time, part-time SLP and assistant SLPs are being eliminated before clearly communicated recruitment and retention incentives for full-time SLPs are in
place. And without those incentives, vacancies, including those created through this action item and natural attrition, are likely to be unfilled. When positions go unfilled, the impact is not theoretical. It shows up in delayed evaluations, inconsistent
therapy, and reduced progress for students who rely on these services to access their education. The district has emphasized a goal of consistent, highquality school-based services delivered closer to students each day. And that is a goal I fully
support. But consistency requires staffing stability. Quality requires experienced providers and proximity requires enough professionals to actually be present on campuses. Without those conditions in place first, we risk moving further away
from those outcomes that the district has already committed to. My request is simple. Pause these cuts until recruitment and retention plan. A recruitment and retention plan that captures the attention of highly qualified SLPs has is in place and has
been clearly communicated. SLPs need a reason to choose Fort Worth ISD right now. It's unstable in a market where they have options across medical and private practices. This includes competitive stipens, flexible
scheduling, funded professional development, a workload-based case load model, please, and retention of SLP assistants. Neighboring districts offer this, but we do not. I support increased teacher compensation, but no parallel incentives have for SLPs have been
communicated, and our compensation is absolutely no longer competitive. As a parent, my child is going to lose a highly skilled SLP assistant who has been a critical part of her progress in academic access. As an SLP, I have concerns about whether we will be able
to deliver what's being promised to our families. And as a taxpayer, I'm asking that the decisions align with systems that can be actually implemented. Pause these cuts. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Oachi. [applause] Our next speaker is Bob Willoughby and
Mr. Willoughby. Will it be followed by Kanti Mani? >> I still can't thank you enough for the three minutes. That's very good. That's very good. Uh I I'm probably the only person that's going to be yelling about voter education in school, local voter education because that's not Democrat or
Republican. That's local. Okay? There's no party involved. Second thing, it's the most neglected thing. The mayor got elected with less than 97 97% of the city did not vote for her. Only 3%. 95% don't vote at all. 50% unrested voters.
I think this is a a area that needs to be explored because you make my point. If we had voter education to learn how to put people in your seats that uh well for us to put you in there to hire you
like we're hiring someone for a job. If you don't answer questions, which we don't get over city council, you wouldn't have a job, right? They're late 30% of the time. You wouldn't have a job. So that's what I want voter education that it is a obligation not a privilege when kids come out of school.
They'll know to pay attention and and I don't know how many people in this room have ever pulled up the spenders from any of their council members. But I'm asking them now go back from April to April and look at your council member expenditures. You know that'll tell you a lot about them cuz what you see on paper don't mean anything. Action.
Okay. Now, like I said, you made my point cuz like I said, if we knew how to vote on people, you wouldn't have to be here. That's one thing. Uh I appreciate your patience. Some of these people don't realize how good they got it because one girl I I'm I'm for government giving us this three minutes
free without government unless we're behaving badly. Okay. State office, give us our three minutes. That's all we got. Three minutes. Give it to us. Show us your appreciation. That's what I like to see in the commissioner's court and at city council. That three minutes free of government for us. We deserve I deserve it. But some of these people you've been
very patient with, very good with, but they don't understand if they said the same things to you the night that they have at city council, they've done been taken out that door without a blink of an eye and maybe banned. And that's no lie. So that's the difference. That's why I want voter education because at
95% not voting, we got to start teaching. It's a responsibility. And if we can change this at a lower level and learn that everybody does it. But see, before I got involved, my hair was brown. There's not nobody doing it. So, we need some help. So, this is what I'm always advocating for. I can't think enough. Don't change the three minutes.
Leave it open because I throw it at them. That's my weapon over there. Now, the commissioner's court different than the other the city council. I asked Tim O'Hare, we were on the bottom, he moved us to the top. I asked him, you asked Mayor Parker to move us to the top. She won't do it. So, that's the difference here. You're doing great so far. Give us
the three minutes though. You You'll come out better. not riding these people, but they don't speak. And if they're really out of order, look to your right, look to your left. If they think they ought to go, you got some backing. You're not on your own. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Willoughby. Appreciate it. >> Um, Ki Mommy and she will be followed by
Mindy Tack. >> Hello, my name is Consensa Mamani and I am a seventh grade student at Young Women's Leadership Academy. Reading and language arts have always been strengths for me, but I struggle a little with math. Sometimes my daddy and I talk about numbers in real world situations and do math problems together. So,
tonight I'm here to talk to you about math and fiscal responsibility. Fort Worth ISD currently has 12 assistant speech language pathologists. If you consider that the average case load for these 12 assistant SLPs is 80 and an average case load for SLP is 60. Given their additional duties, we can do the
math and find that three assistant SOPs could serve 240 students, while it will take four SOPs to serve the same number of students. When you look at the midpoint salaries of Fort Worth compensation manual under pay grades 202 and 206, you can see salary difference.
Then you can do the math, but I already did it for you. Our magic number is $155,666. That's the current difference in pay. It would cost Fort Worth to replace these these current assistants with four full-time SOPs. Now, considering we have 12 assistants,
since 12 divided by 3 is 4, we now have to multiply our magic number by 4. So, here's the final result. 405 steel is looking at spending an extra $622,664 more than what we have already been spending to cover the services of these
students by assistant speech language pathologist. [snorts] Please consider these decisions and keep these numbers in mind when you are voting on action item E tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Mindy Tacket [applause] will be followed
by Joanna Cardoza. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Mindy Tacket and I'm here to advocate for International Newcomer Academy and to ask this board to look honestly at what this riff list reveals. [clears throat] INA has served newly arrived immigrant
and refugee students in Fort Worth for decades. It is not just a school. It also connects families to food, clothing, at times housing. As INA's community coordinator said, we become
their home. My mother taught at INA for many years. Some of her students came directly from refugee camps. The teachers who show up for those kids bring patience and profound commitment
to the children who have already survived more than most of us will ever face. That talent and those relationships are not replaceable. Former students have gone on to college
and incredible careers. One became an elected trustee of this very district. He said it plainly, "We needed this campus the way we have it because we know it has worked."
Another former longtime INA teacher who I've known most all my life said, "I cannot believe Fort Worth ISD would turn its back on second language learners, but y'all are about to do that." Now look at the riff list. You're
eliminating directors of emergent bilingual programs, ESL and dual language coordinators, equity and excellence specialists, restorative practices staff, the director overseeing child fine and psychological services, just to name a few. The positions being
cut serve immigrant children, English learners, students with disabilities, and students living in poverty. Please reject the closure of INA and save these crucial positions. These
vulnerable children deserve better as well as the community deserves better than that. And hear me clearly. If these are the kind of decisions that y'all are going to make, you will not be remembered as the people who saved this
district. The wrecking ball destroying it will have a list of names on it and yours will be some of those names. [cheering] [applause] >> Next speaker is Joe Anna Cardardoza.
Is she okay? All right. Following Miss Cardoza is Stephanie McCartney and ask that she please take one of the seats at the front. >> Good evening, Superintendent Lacata, board of managers. My name is Joanna Cardardoza.
I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens District 21, which includes Fort Worth ISD. First, I want to start off by saying that I am disappointed in the lack of representation on the board of managers for the community you were
appointed to serve. And Miss Bera, I saw your interview today with NBC5 and I'm very disappointed in your comment that said that criticism of the TEA takeover being labeled as noise.
That sends the message to your community that you don't care what we say and that you're not taken seriously all the people that have been up here speaking publicly today. To all the board of managers that have been attentive tonight, I thank you. To those that of you that who have had your head down
most of the meeting today, that's very disappointing because people are spending their time up here today. We drove up here and we're not with our families tonight because we care about what's going on and decisions that are being made and we would appreciate your attention to uh all the speakers that
are up here tonight. I am a first generation Americanborn citizen whose first language was Spanish. I grew up in the Arlington Independ Independent School District where I learned English and the ESL program. Because I know firsthand the importance of bilingual programs, I will be reading the
following statement prepared by one of our executive board members who is an educator. Well, I'm going to try to get to through it. Texas serves one of the largest populations of emerging bilingual students in the nation. These students are not a marginal group. They are a significant and growing share of
our future workforce, taxpayers, and community leaders. Bilingual education is not simply a support service. It is strategic investment in the state's long-term prosperity. Re research consistently shows that well-implemented bilingual programs improve academic
outcomes, particularly in literacy, graduation rate, and college readiness. Students who develop proficiency in both their native language and English demonstrate stronger cognitive flexibility, problem solving skills, and long-term academic achievement. In Texas, where global trade, healthc care,
and technology sector sectors increasingly rely on multi multilingual communication, these skills translate directly into workforce readiness and economic competitiveness. Equally important, bilingual education supports faster and more effective English acquisition. When students build
foundational knowledge in a language they understand, they are better equipped to transfer those skills into English. Eliminating bilingual programs does not accelerate learning. it often delays it increasing the risk of academic grap gaps that can persist for years. Now
consider the consequences of rem removing bilingual education and critically bilingual educators from our schools. First, we would see an immediate decline in academic performance among emerging bilingual students without access to instruction they can fully comprehend. These students are more likely to struggle in
core subjects leading to lower test scores. Thank you for your time. >> [applause] >> Our next speaker is Stephanie McCartney and Stephanie McCartney will be followed by Lucas McCartney. >> Good evening board members and superintendent. My name is Stephanie
McCartney. Like my father and grandparents before me, I am a graduate of Fort Worth ISD and my sons are currently juniors at Pascal High School. I'm not sure that you're aware, but the state and federal government perform several services for the public like the
post office and public schools. These again are services. They aren't intended to turn a profit, but to profit the people. They are meant to do good for our society. After all, an educated people is a boon to the city, the state, and the country. Y'all don't seem to see
it that way, and that's incredibly disappointing. You are planning to take away vital supports and services for our most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Our road with Fort Worth ISD hasn't been an easy one, and every victory my son Logan has achieved has
been hard fought and hard won. However, without the supports of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy assistance at school, Logan would not be where he is today. Logan would not be reading. He wouldn't be writing speeches or giving speeches this evening without these incredible
interventions. Reducing the special education staff and support staff is bad for Fort ISD and bad for Texas. SPED is already underfunded and understaffed. Please understand these budgets that you're attempting to slash have real
people, human beings behind them who rely on the scaffolding to release to reach their highest potential. Reducing supports sets these children up for failure. And you all will have that on your hands. Parents and community members, in these trying and uncertain
times, we must remember one thing above all. Community is the bedrock of society. The more we pull together, we the harder we are to divide. This immoral, unjust, unethical, not freely, or fairly elected board has begun its attempts to dismantle Fort Worth ISD's
public education. They are going to do what Abbott and Morath have appointed them to do. Kill free and appropriate public education. Parents, I urge you to find or create community. Speak to your neighbors, draw together, develop groups, build coalitions, teach each
other around you the skills that you value. Learn together, and lean on each other. I fear that this will get worse before it gets better. However, we can and will get through this together. Most importantly, vote for Gina Enosa so she can get Morath out and end this hostile
takeover of Fort Worth ISD. [cheering] >> Thank you, Miss McCartney. [applause] Our next speaker is Lucas McCartney, who and will be uh followed by Elizabeth Luna.
[clears throat] >> Good afternoon, board members. I am Lucas McCartney, uh son of Stephanie McCartney. Who? Oh. Uh, I'm Lucas McCartney, son of Stephanie McCartney, who has just spoken. I'm a junior at Arl Pascal High School, and I'm pleased to say that Arl Pascal has done well for
Logan. However, due to the cutings, the My brother Logan McCartney is a special education student at Arl Pascal High School. The cuts to sped services providers would affect him immensely. My brother has always loved school. During the pandemic, he would always talk about when does he get
to go back to school again? But I would always imagine, what if he didn't have those friends, those resources at school? Would he always be talking? Would he even even be saying that he would love to go to school? These are things that I've always wondered. And I would always hope that you, the board members, would do the right thing and
vote to keep much needed SLP, PT, and OT assistants in sped classrooms. Thank you. Thank you, Miss McCarten. You know, [applause and cheering] Miss Luna, Miss Luna, I beg your pardon. Uh Logan McCartney is the next speaker. over.
>> Okay. >> I beg your pardon. I >> Good evening for ISD. I am Logan McCartney. I am a junior at Pascal High School. Today I will be talking about how important speech OT and PT services
are. our for for our for all our special education students. Without speech, I would not have the ability to communicate with my friends
and family. I would not be able to communicate through my words rather than my action actions. I would not [clears throat] have the skills to be
speaking to you all tonight. Without OT and PT, then I would not be able to have the basics daily life skills such as being able to cut my own food,
feed myself, toilet myself to be able to navigate my new motorized wheelchair. If I did not have these, if I if we did not have these services, then I would not get the support that I needed. I
would not be as independent, successful, and as equipped as I am right now. [clears throat] Please do not take away
What? March needed services. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. [cheering and applause] [applause] [applause] Thank you, Mr. McCartney. Our next speaker is Elizabeth Luna, and Elizabeth
will be followed by Aisha Hassan. [sighs] >> Good evening. My name is Elizabeth Luna, or as my students call me, Miss Luna. Um, I am a bilingual speech language pathology assistant in the district. My role is one of the positions your
members will be proposing to eliminate. I hope that you reject the inclusion of assistant SOPs in the proposal after tonight. [snorts] Our field of speech language pathology is a role that some people may not fully understand our commitment, but our students and the
family we serve do. That is the main reason why I'm standing here tonight along with my colleagues providing you with many reasons why assistant SOPs are not an optional resource. But we are essential to our student success. We are vital to ensuring the district upholds
its legal and moral responsibilities and provides students the services they are entitled to. As you heard the facts and information about the legality and the impact your decision will have in your our department of special education, I want you to think about the number 80
because that is the average number of students my colleagues and I serve. These are 80 students whose speech goals and objectives we know by heart. 80 for whom we prepare interactive and meaningful therapy materials on a daily basis. 80 students that are consistently
reminded by us why their voice and language matters. We are essential partners with our supervising SLPs and others in our department to ensure that no child's needs are overlooked. Most importantly, we worked in keeping communication with parents about
progress and strategies and make sure multilingual families understand their child services in their home language. As [snorts] I have discussed the potential uh loss of this position with my students families, their overwhelming support has only reinforced the deep
impact our work has on their child's lives. I urge you to prioritize assistant SOP positions in our schools. Keeping these rules does not only make sense logistically, it is the right thing to do for students in our district. Thank you for
>> Thank you, Miss Lena. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Aisha Hassan and she'll be followed by Shauna Cisneros. >> Good evening. My name is Aisha Hassan and I first became acquainted with the International Newcomer Academy in 2014
as a college intern at a local refugee resettlement agency. I was shadowing a case manager enrolling a newly arrived refugee family with three children in school. I still remember their first day. We dropped the eldest child off at the International Academy. And from the
moment we walked in, it was clear this was not just another campus. It was a place built with intention, care, and a deep understanding of what newcomer students need. A year later, I returned as a case manager myself, bringing newly arrived
students through those same doors. And over time, I saw something undeniable. I saw what happens when students are supported at one of the most vulnerable and pivotal moments of their lives. INA is not just a school, it is a bridge. It
is where students begin to learn a new language, but also where they begin to rebuild confidence, find belonging, and imagine a future for themselves in a place that is entirely new. They are supported by educators who are trained for this exact moment and surrounded by
peers walking the same path. That combination is not accidental. It is what makes this model work. And that is exactly what is at risk. If INA is closed, these students will be placed into schools that even with the best intentions are not equipped to meet
their needs at the same level. The burden will shift onto students to adapt faster than is reasonable and onto teachers who are already stretched thin. The closure would be detrimental to the students, to their families, and to our community as a whole. Investing in INA
is investing in the future of Fort Worth. So, I want to be clear. This decision is not just about outcomes or budgets. It is about priorities. It is about whether this district is willing to stand behind a proven model
that supports newcomer students or whether it is willing to dismantle it and hope the system absorbs the impact. Because the reality is the impact will not disappear. It will be felt in the classrooms, in outcomes, and in the lives of students who deserved better
support at the moment they needed it most. You have the authority to make a different choice, to protect what is working, to invest in students who are ready to learn and contribute, to demonstrate that Fort Worth is a city that does not turn away from its
responsibility to educate all of its students. I urge you to preserve the International Newcomer Academy today. [cheering] >> Thank you very much. >> [applause] >> Next speaker is
Shauna Cisneros and she will be followed by Sheila Clemens. [clears throat] >> Okay. Can you hear me? >> I have allergies and they mowed at Lily B. Clayton today at recess. Don't Don't [clears throat] add that. Okay. We are
standing on stolen land. We are all immigrants. I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me. Thank you, Mom. When you know better, you do better.
Thank you, Mr. Garen and Mrs. George, for returning my email the first week you got email. Two a two out of 10 ain't bad. No response is a response. Good evening, Dr. Lacata School Board
and Families of Fort Worth ID. My name is Shauna Cisneros. I was born in Austin, grew up in Odessa, and came to Fort Worth in 1984 to attend TCU. In 1988, I graduated with a degree in elementary [clears throat] education and a specialty in reading. Earl Nance hired
me in 1988 to teach [snorts] fifth grade at West Creek Elementary. He said, "Why should I hire you?" I said, "I'll be the best fifth grade teacher you ever had." I was 22. My fifth graders were 11. 13 years at West Creek Elementary,
fourth and fifth grade. In 2001, my daughter Grayson got into Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center. I was hired in May of 2001. I spent 19 years at Alice Carlson. The first week, I asked my third graders, "What is this applied learning stuff?"
[snorts] The third graders said, "It means it's okay to make mistakes." In 2020, I retired. Number one reason, technology. Then I taught two years at Britt in the prek outreach program in the southeast
quadrant of Fort with ISD. And I've been subbing for four years in Fort Worth ISD. So 32 + 4 is 36 years. Brave. My 2026 word is brave. I am here because
I read a post on Facebook by my daughter's former ALA teacher, English teacher, pleading for help. I don't like hearing teachers pleading for help on Facebook. She was concerned about the closing of
the International Newcomer Academy and the future of bilingual children in Fort State. My husband is Hispanic. My daughter is half. She's 27% indigenous peoples. She was also saludiatoran at Arlington
Heights High School in 2014. Thank you. [laughter] So, here we are. The kids need to know that you are taking on a monumental responsibility. Trust, safety, and love are all about
kids. And I didn't finish, but I'll email the rest of my speech and I know I'll get a response from all 10 of you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Harold. [applause and cheering] >> Our next speaker is Sheila Clemens. And Sheila Clemens will be followed by Aaron
Akard. Is Miss Clemens not present? All right. Um, Miss Akard, if you'd please come forward. And Miss Akard will be followed by Amber Luna. >> Good evening. My name is Aaron Akard. I am an employee, taxpayer, and graduate
of Fort Worth D. I am speaking to you about action item E. I know you've heard from many speakers tonight, and I want to reinforce what this means in practical terms. [sighs] We've already have unfilled speech therapy positions across the district. Vacancies are not hypothetical. They are current. At the same time, the board is considering
eliminating assistant SLP and part-time SLP positions. Roles that actively support service delivery. When staffing gaps exist, the services do not disappear. They become harder to deliver. When that happens, students do not consistently receive what is required. The district has shared that
these decisions are part of right sizing based on declining enrollment. However, special education enrollment has not declined. Over time, total enrollment has decreased, but students receiving special education services has steadily increased from approximately 7,600 students in 2018 to 2019 to over 9900 in
2425 with current projections nearing 11,000. While so while the overall population is shrinking, the population required specialized services growing. Eliminating these positions does not reduce the need for services. It reduces district capacity to provide them. From
an operational standpoint, this creates a predictable and alarming outcome. If these positions are eliminated before staffing plan is in place, the district is left with three options. Increased reliance on contractor providers, often at a higher cost. increased case load levels that are not sustainable or risk gaps in service deliveries that comply
that carry compliance consequences. Two of these outcomes directly contradict what the district communicated to families on Friday. A reduced reliance on contractor providers and a commitment to consistent highquality service. None of these options strengthen the system. It in fact weakens it. These are licensed professionals who work every
day with students. They support service delivery, maintain continuity, and build relationships with these students and families over time. Removing these roles eliminates quality. not just positions. I encourage the board to consider not only the budget impact but the operational [clears throat] and service delivery impact of this decision. Thank you.
[applause] >> Thank you, Miss Clint. Miss Akran, >> Amber Luna, followed by Letis Rasak. >> Good evening. My name is Amber Luna. I want to speak to the critical role of assistant SLPs and how they support
effective and accessible service delivery for students. Assistant SLPs are a critical part of how speech language services are delivered. They provide structured practice, reinforce targeted skills, collect data, support carryover into the classroom.
They do not work independently. They work under the supervision and direction of a licensed speech language pathologist. The SLP is responsible for evaluation, diagnosis, goal development, and all clinical decision-making. They [snorts] designed the treatment plan, monitor progress, and remain accountable for the
services provided. Under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Rules, assistant SOPs must receive a minimum minimum of eight hours of supervision each month, including at least four hours direct real-time supervision. This comes out to two hours of supervision per week. One
hour with direct um one direct hour with students and one indirect. This is a structured regulated team model. It ensures that services are both clinically appropriate and consistently delivered. Assistant SLPs are also essential for
language access in Fort Worth ISD. Approximately 40.7% of students are emergent bilingual learners. Many of our assistant SLPs are Spanish speaking and are able to support students in their primary language. This is also important to recognize that
bilingual SLPs are difficult to recruit and retain. In many cases, monolingual monolingual SLP develop guideline guides and treatment plans while a bilingual assistant SLP is able to carry out that plan effectively in the students primary
language. Without that support, there are limits into what can be pro provided. Services may still occur, but they are less accessible, less consistent, and less aligned to student needs. And because language is a foundation to literacy, this also impacts students
ability to develop skills needed for reading and academic success. Without assistant SLPs, the clinical responsibility remains the same, but the capacity to implement services at the same level of frequency and consistency is reduced.
As decisions are made, I ask that the role of assistant SOPs be considered not only in terms of service delivery, but in terms of access, consistency, and literacy outcomes for students. Thank you. >> Thank you for your remark. [applause]
Next speaker is Latis Race, and he'll be followed by Dr. Natalia Dominguez. >> Can you announce what number you're on? >> Um, 35.
Good evening, president, trustees and superintendent. My name is Latifra Zach. I'm a parent and also a member of parent shield. My concern tonight is language equity in forward ISD. Emerging bilingual students
rarely receive targeted language support. However, monilingual English speaking students are not given compar comparable opportun opportunities to to become bilingual or biliterate. This creates an unintended divide where some
students graduate globally prepared while others are left behind simply because of access. Texas Education Code 29.053 requires bilingual education when 20 or more students of the same language are enrolled at a grade level. While this law protects emerging bilingual
learners, it also unintentionally limits bilingual education education to a select group, turning bilingualism into a program rather than a shared district asset. Research is very clear. Children who begin learning a second language before age six become they score higher
in reading and and math. They perform better on standardized tests and develop stronger critical thinking and problem solving skills. The US Department of Education confirms that early dual lingu language learning strengthens brain development and academic success. Texas
is home to speakers of over 120 languages and nearly one in four students in our public schools is an emerging bilingual forward ISD should leverage this linguistic diversity to
benefit all students especially as employers increasingly seek bilingual professionals. Ford ISD has taken important steps with its dual language pilot programs in prek and kindergarten. However, if a child is not enrolled at
the early entry point, there is no pathway to access dual language later. As it as the district rolls out its new instructional model, I urge you to number one, expand two-way dual language programs to to more campuses. Two,
create additional entry points beyond kindergarten with language support. Three, invest in professional development and university partnership to grow bilingual education educators. Bilingualism should not be a matter of timing or zip code. It should be a core
competency for every student, every forward ISD student. And as as this um Arabic quote says, this is the same as the historical quote that says kill the the Indians to save the man. In the age today that we live,
we don't need to kill the the native or the Indian to save any man. We can actually let the man leave to be to become the man. let the uh native leave to become the man and then allow him to learn as much as possible languages. Thank you.
>> Thank you. [applause] >> Next speaker is Dr. Natalia Dominguez and followed by Shannon Jones. [snorts] Is Dr. Dominguez here? If not, uh, Shannon Jones, please come forward. And she'll be followed by
Braden Jones. All right. Good evening, Dr. Lacata and board of managers. I am an educator, a resident of Stop 6, and a parent of two scholars at Young Men's Leadership Academy in Fort Worth ISD. I'd like to highlight a role that is vital to the success of a college prep school like
ours, yet often works behind the scenes, the post-secary success specialist. In a college prep environment, success is not just about passing classes. It's about preparing students for what comes next, college, career, and life's beyond school. A post-secary specialist ensure
students are not only academically prepared, but strategically positioned for success. They coordinate critical exams like SAT, ACT, and TSI, help students meet deadlines and requirements, and guide them through college readiness benchmarks so no one falls through the cracks. Their work
also directly supports pillar 4, excellent CCMR pathways for graduates. They [snorts] help students stay on track for graduation, assist with college applications, interpret data, and collaborate with teachers and counselors. They are advocates for student success. At YMLA, we see the
impact daily. Our specialist manages CCMR testing across seven grade levels, 6th through 12th grade, and oversees our PEK dual credit program. YMLA is an A rated at 95% title one campus in stop
six. We have a 100% graduation rate. We have 100% accepted to college. This year, half of our graduating seniors are earning not only a high school diploma, but an associates degree from TCC. and we have students attending Harvard, MIT
and TCU. These outcomes are not accidental. They reflect strong systems and dedicated support roles like our post-secary specialist. These results are the reason why I chose YMLA for both of my young men. In the past four years, YMLA has lost several key positions,
including a college and career readiness coach, MHMR navigator, interventionist, data analyst, testing coordinator, and family engagement specialist. Many of these responsibilities now fall on this role that you plan on cutting me. Uh sorry, it cannot rest on the shoulders
of one counselor who or one administrator who will carry this work if we cut this position. We are al [snorts] we are also losing our athletics coordinator which adds an extra layer of responsibilities already to our two administrators. We have seven
grade levels with one assistant principal. When we remove positions like the specialist, we are not just cutting a job. We are removing a critical layer of support that directly impacts student outcomes. I respect your efforts to balance the budget while improving
outcomes. I am in a district as well. I am an educator, but this role is essential to sustaining student success far beyond their time at in Fort Worth ISD and YMLA is an example of that success. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. [applause]
Our next speaker is Braden Jones and I well after that next speaker is Sabrina Ball. Now I on the notes here at
U said we're going to have two a parent and a and a minor. Are you >> I think >> your mom just Okay. >> Yes. >> All right. All right. I was Thanks for being here. >> Good evening. I am brother Brandon Jones from the part of Einstein. I'll be
attending TCU and majoring in biology and I am currently ranked second in my class with a 4.3 GPA in the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. I take TCC dual credit classes and I'm a proud member of our TSA engineering team which is only one
in FWSD. I work hard because I have a goal. I want to go into medicine and make a difference in people's lives. Having a post-secary specialist as Miss Santiago on our campus is not just helpful, it's essential. For students like me, the path after high school can feel complicated. There are college
applications, entrance exams, financial aid, scholarships, deadlines, and one mistake or missed opportunity can change everything. He [snorts] guides us through TSI, SAT, ACT, and college readiness, making sure we're not just taking tests, but understanding how those scores will impact our futures and
lives. Because of that support, I feel confident sitting [clears throat] in a TCC classroom right now, earning college credit as a sophomore in high school. This role also helps us think beyond high school. For me, that means understanding what it takes to pursue medicine. The grades, the colleges, the long-term plan. Without that guidance,
it would be easy to feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. At YMLA, we already have 100% graduation and 100% college acceptance. That doesn't happens by accident. It happens because students are supported, guided, and pushed to succeed. When you invest in teachers like Miss Santiago, you're not just helping students pass tests. You're
helping us build our futures. You're helping future doctors, engineers, and leaders find their path with confidence. For students like me, that support makes all the difference. >> Thank you for your remarks. Congratulations, Steve. [applause]
Next speaker is Sabrina Ball and she'll be followed by La Czecha. >> [snorts] [clears throat] >> I've been a Fort Worth ISD parent for 15 years and I fully understand you don't represent me. It is clear from this agenda you serve Governor Abbott. This
is not leadership, it's compliance. If you're here to mitigate harm, then act like it. Use your positions to demand accountability for Mike Morath and his failures. Make no mistake, there are failures all across the state that point right back to TEA. The obstacle to success here has always been the people
who work in this building, not our teachers. Teachers don't have real support, especially for language and sped. No real professional development, and the curriculum keeps changing. Teachers have completely lost their autonomy under the Department of Curriculum and instruction. Go watch the
October 28th meeting and check the agenda. The CCMR presentation and the emergent bilingual data on that agenda make it clear. You cannot improve our outcomes by cutting the staff that truly supports our kids. You are asking this community to trust a system that values
high paid admin over its own educators and it is already causing damage. If you're a teacher that has decided to leave, as I know many of you are, please reconsider. This infe infection will follow you and we need you to this board. Please consider an anonymous
survey of your teachers. No one has ever truly considered their input. By ignoring their input, you are doubling down on failure. Taxpayers, there is close to $170 million packed into this consent agenda tonight. That is unacceptable. Y'all didn't even know
where to find the facilities master plan. And you want to move around $94 million in bond funds that we voted on. You've got $ 8.5 million coming out of the general fund. And then you didn't indicate indicate where you're going to pull the over 12 million in buses from
the unfunded mandate from the state. You've got a lot of curriculum purchases. That section is incomplete. I was happy to see AP, but I don't understand any of this spending if you aren't going to use the curriculum. If you continue to follow the Houston model, then you won't use it. More
troubling is that you are willing to close campuses and terminate people who support our kids without a real fiscal analysis of that loss. You don't count the extra calendar days. Those do cost money. There's new technology. Why do we need it? This is fiscally reckless and
coupled with an instructional model that is not supported by any research like you claim. This is morally wrong. Before you move forward, you owe taxpayers more than talking points. You owe a full public fiscal analysis, a real plan for
how these students will be served, and direct input from teachers. You want to keep the lights turned up, you should turn them on yourselves. Because right now, this is not about improving outcomes. It's about surviving bad decisions made by Governor Abbott
without us. And we are paying attention. [cheering] [applause] The >> speaker is Alli Czecha and she'll be followed by Nidia Cardinus. Um, good evening. My name is Alleeka. This is my 18th year as a Fort Worth ISD
teacher. In the past, I've been the secondary teacher of the year for the district. Um, I don't know whether to start with the head or the heart, so I'm going to start with the head. I'm a super tightly wound person. My old students who are currently teachers and their parents in
the crowd can tell you this. [applause] I demand excellence for my students. I was an ELLL student growing up. They can they can do anything. Um but I'm here to say there there is no
you don't lose any face in front of us by just admitting that you are wrong. And in this instance, you are wrong. Um, [applause] I'm I'm going to credential myself. I'm speaking not only on 18 years of experience in this school district where
my test results I think speak for themselves consistently across almost two decades and in multiple campuses. Um, but I also my undergraduate degree was French literature and Spanish literature, a concentration in the 1600s. I then went back and got a
master's degree in literature from Mbury. I then went back and got another master's degree in multilingual literacy from Harvard. And so when you say that this is based on research, I was wrong in this. I also subscribed to outdated
'9s style immersion. And then I went to graduate school and not only did I read the studies but the professors who wrote the studies which are seinal to um multilingual literacy policy in the United States told me to my face that's wrong.
And when I learned about newcomer models in not just bottom performing states like Texas and Florida, but in high performing states across our country, um this was one of the highlights of me being able to be a proud Fort Worth teacher and say, "Yes, when you were
showing me this model that works, we do this in my hometown. We do so many things wrong about literacy in my hometown, but this one we do right." When you are shaming these teachers with an F and D rating, what you're saying is that a child who arrives as a teenager
in the United States is not going to learn fluent English enough to write a a a full-length essay in 8 months, which yes, that is correct. But I get those students, right? Those teachers right
there, they lay the foundation. The endgame is not an English one exam in in eight months. The eighth the endgame is that those students need to not just pass an English exam. I I have a student currently who is from Afghanistan. She
wants to be a doctor. She needs to be able to understand her biology teacher. She needs to be able to understand her stuff. Immersion works for social vocabulary. It does not work for academic vocabulary. Those are your experts. >> [cheering]
[applause] >> Miss Cardinas [applause] will be followed by Suzanne Martin. [clears throat] >> I don't know if it's possible to seed my three minutes. Back to Alice so she can finish. But if that's a possibility, is it a possibility? I would take
>> I couldn't hear you. You're not speaking to the microphone. >> Oh, am I not speaking? I was saying that Oh, it's that if I could seed my three minutes for Ali to finish, I would do that. Is that doable? No. Okay. Um, in that case, you keep saying that this is for kids. And I guess I need to remind
you that kids are only as healthy as the adults around them. And what I'm hearing from teachers and educators is I'm hearing that they're having panic attacks for the first time. That they're getting on anxiety and high blood pressure medication. You've heard from all these speech therapists going above and beyond on a regular basis,
navigating major stress on behalf of our kids. That is for kids. The decisions you're making tonight, not so much. You're moving with the kind of speed that mistakes urgency for wisdom. And tonight, all I see is confirmation bias in action. The mental trap of only
gathering the data that supports what you've already decided to do. And you and not asking what can't be seen in a spreadsheet or a bar graph. And tonight, you've heard so many things that cannot be seen in a spreadsheet or a bar graph. And your remarks actually demonstrated at the beginning, those of you who
spoke, um, other than the ones who asked questions, your remarks demonstrated that you feel entitled to trust that you have not earned. And what you've shown today is that you are not trustworthy. There's an opportunity for you to gain that trust by actually saying, you know what, as Allah said, you made a mistake.
That's the most human thing is to make mistakes. >> Last time I was here, I talked about how, you know, you needed to replace the word may with the word must. And today I'm inviting you to think about it the word efficiency compared to the word equity because it's not efficiency and effectiveness. It's efficiency and
equity because people need different things. You've heard that tonight. And so I think you're missing that your invitation is actually to rehumanize our public education system. The humanity of our kids and adults is the most important system that can exist in any community. So can you admit that you're
making a big mistake right now? Can you be human? Can you admit that you're making a bigger mistake right now and actually earn trust tonight? And to anybody who's watching this and all of us here, if we want to save public education in Texas, vote Gina in November. [cheering]
[applause] >> Next speaker is Suzanne Barton. And Suzanne Barton will be followed by Sierra Wells. child [applause] sign is totally inappropriate. It has to keep coming down. >> Good evening. My name is Suzanne Barton
and I would like to share with you that I was here when I ina started. So I have been in this building from when it was an old Neiman Marcus and then was changed into the International Newcomer Academy. I was at the elementary school we started in that had been closed for
10 years before they set us up in that location. So I know a lot about INA. And when I learned that it was on the table to be closed, I read everything in the board packet.
And as I was looking at it, I called and I said, "I'd like to talk, but I have a question. I'm looking for a plan." And I looked at the individual trustee
questions and administration responses. And it says in there the question number 12, excuse [clears throat] me, how will we ensure that all emergent bilingual students receive the services they need in light
of this reduction? And then it said see memo sent to board of managers. So when I called to speak I said where's this memo? I mean, if I'm going to talk about
this issue, then I need to have information. And the lady said, "I'll get back to you." And so I got a phone call and she said, "Oh, it's there. It's on pages 108 and 109."
I said, "Really? I read page 108 and 109." I didn't see a plan. That's where it is. So, I went back to page 108 and back to page 109
and it's headed support, excuse me, student support services. What families need to know, answers to your most important questions about upcoming changes. Okay, that's going to answer my questions. Maybe I didn't read it right
the first time. So, I found statements like, "Will my child still receive support?" Absolutely. students will continue to receive the support they need. Okay, so I read the rest of it. Where's
the plan? Okay, where is the plan? [applause] And so I said, okay, what does this look like? Will there be teachers who are experienced second language educators like the staff at INA?
some who I have had the honor of working with since INA was started. Instructors who have honed their skills and dedicated themselves to providing a quality instructional program for newcomer students. Will there be counselors who focus only
on newcomer students? >> Those who have expertise to work with students who've experienced trauma. >> What? >> Thank you, Miss Bardner. [applause] Okay, thank you.
[applause] >> Best for kids. And I have an answer. It's a resounding no. [cheering] [applause] >> Miss Miss An, I'd like you displaying signs that have personal attacks against
people in this room. I ask that you please uh put those signs on the floor or take them out of the room. >> Our next speaker is >> it's it's your feet, Amanda. >> Okay, >> it's Do not display it again or we're
going to ask that you take it away. >> Okay. Our next speaker is Sierra Wells. And Sierra Wells will be followed by Keelin Hollowman. Is Sierra Wells here?
No. Right. Next speaker is Keelen Hollowman. And Keelin Hollowman will be followed by Reed Bills. Um, I don't see Keelin Hollowman. Uh, so yes, Reed Bills please to come up and read Bills will be followed by Lissa
Turner. I am following the process of the Fort Worth ISD takeover closely because I value public education and want to see it excel in Fort Worth. So far, the proposals of the superintendent, rubber
stamped by the board, indicate you don't have the same wish for our schools. Case in point, the newcomer Academy provides support and resources that traditional campuses will not offer.
The negative effect of everything you have voted for so far is obvious. Fort Worth ISD stakeholders have brought this fact to your attention as they continue to do so tonight. Few speakers, actually
only one tonight, have said they find your ideas to be beneficial. You have shared your intentions for action, but the action you propose will not improve the school the stated goal
of improving student outcomes. And the leader who was headed in that direction was fired. You have made decisions hastily. Where is the deliberation and discussion at board meetings where you legitimately
weigh the pros and cons of the superintendent suggestions and listen to public input and the planted questions and pre-prepared answers we heard tonight do not count. [snorts]
Your automatic unanimous vote in favor every time raises suspicion that [clears throat] your intentions are to damage the district rather than to improve it. [applause] [applause]
>> I beg her pardon. speaker is a Lissa Turner and Miss Turner will be followed by Katherine Lemons. >> My name is My name [clears throat] is Larissa Turner and I have been working with Diana for the last n 17 years in
the district for 19 years. My whole experience as a teacher is 45 years. I've been teaching overseas. I have seen a lot. I came to this country as an immigrant to have a better
life. And [clears throat] this district, Fort District became my home as IA as well. And I we have seen so many superintendants
coming to the district. We have already been closed once and now we have been opened again. This school district place was our school before. When I'm passing by
[clears throat] this school, I miss seeing our kids playing in the soccer field. That was a wonderful soccer field for our kids. We had after school activities. We had extracurricular stuff across the road. There was a park. We we
took them riding bikes. Uh good memories. But anyway, so we were happy to survive when we moved to the Montgomery uh actual campus, all the school. We had teachers floating from classroom to classroom,
but we still were dedicated teachers to serve our population. the students that came to the country for the same reason as I came. It is very hard. It is very hard to come
to a new country with no support. They go through the trauma. We hear their voices. We are helping them not only academically to succeed but to elevate their spirits
to introduce them to American culture. Well, I do understand the reasons Dr. Lata that you are a new person to this district and we are glad to see your like personally I am glad to see
that that's how I want to make it even better. I'd like to hear that. But then again, we said there should be a plan who is going to provide the supports, right? Okay. Yes, INA was uh graded D, but we
are not D at all. We showed our results in Telus. That is the test for English language learners. As of my students, I had 70% of my students actually from yesterday
um presents when we were taking posting the short concern responses. It was okay. I >> thank you for your moment. [applause and cheering] >> Next speaker is Katherine Lemons and she'll be followed by Susan Mononttoya. [screaming]
Okay. Um, good evening. Thank you for your time. I would like to speak on behalf of our newcomer students who enter the district at the secondary level lacking any formal education known as students with interrupted formal education and referred to as SCY. A safe
student may have never been to school, their education disrupted due to war, lived in a refugee camp with limited access to education, or the entire school experience was entirely oral. When these students begin their education, they typically are new to
print or at an early stage of decoding simple site words and possibly a low beginning reader. They typically are new to the Roman alphabet, do not recognize most letters, site words, or have limited, if any, sound symbol correspondence even in their first language. Oftentimes, they have delayed
ability to conform to social norms and expectations of an academic environment and difficulty following a daily schedule and the structure of the school and classroom routines. INA initiated a SCY program in 2008 specifically to support and advance SCY
students. The goal being to advance these students as quickly as possible to grade level curriculum by building literacy skills through phonics programs, thematic units, hands-on tasks, and scaffolded texts. I've had the privilege of working with the specific population on my campus for the
past five years. In my experiences, students in the SCY program go on to be confident in the classroom and they rapidly adjust to school norms and learn the skills needed to be successful in school. Once the groundwork is has been laid and the that's when the hard work
begins for these students. High level literacy comprehension, independent writing and incorporating academic strategies into their schoolwork can take another at two years and sometimes longer. If these students are transitioned to their home school and
placed in a comprehensive setting, this population will most likely be left behind. They will have difficulty mastering the curriculum at the rigorous pace demanded of the teachers. They can master it. They just require intense support. My question I leave you with
tonight are, what accommodations do you envision happening in a mainstream classroom to support newcomers who have no formal education? What are the expectations for the campuses that take newcomer students? How are newcomers expected to soar in an environment not
equipped to feather their wings to fly? I plead with you today, please, please consider INA and all that it's given to these students in Fort Worth. Thank you. >> Thank [applause] you. >> Next speaker is Susan Mononttoya and
she'll be followed by Ava Ada >> 80. >> 80. Okay, I beg your pardon. You actually I had a speech all made up. Good evening, superintendent and board of managers.
But I'm I don't flow that way. I speak from the heart. I always have. What you see is what you get. And that's what my students get every single day for the last 26 years.
I started when this this building wasn't even ready for us. We started at a PLC with 70 kids in one classroom. But we still taught them. [snorts] I'm here today, not for myself. You see
all these purple shirts? We're not here for us. We're here for them. So, let's get that straight. First of all, we're not here for the paycheck. We're here for our kids.
Just imagine if the US military just didn't have boot camp and just threw them into a war. >> That's what you're saying that you're going to do to our babies, our students.
Yes, >> we have some of our students in here. They came to support because you know why? They know what they're going to have to deal with when they leave our school. I have a lot of questions for you that I will read so I can make sure that I get
get to it. Number one, you mentioned experts at the campus level. Who will be those experts? Are they only going to be in the Elevate campuses or are they going to be in all campuses?
What will the ESL teacher role look like? Because I read it in the website, they're going to get paid $81,000 in those campuses, which is less than the other teachers. I'm just wondering why that is. If current experts are part of the reduction in force of special ed
of EBS, where are the replacements going to come from? I really wonder that. But I have a viable solution. I have a coworker that always is saying when you have a problem, always come with the solution.
I have a solution. [snorts] There's something called the default placement model like other urban districts use it. Automatically assigned students identified as in one less than one year in the US. Make them come to INA. We currently have about 500 to 700 of those
currently in Fort Worth ISD. [applause] That would take care of enrollment of 48 kids. Like you said earlier, that would make INA sustainable and could transform it into an elevate newcomer pilot program and it will align
to what you want to do for this district because we're here ready to listen and to work with our kids. >> That's all. Thank you, Miss Mononttoya. [cheering] [screaming]
>> Miss Mononttoya is followed by [applause] Ava 80 and followed by Whitney Peters. >> In December of 23, Dr. Lacata was quoted, "Public education is an American ideal for everyone." Recently, he
stated, "Every conversation and shared story has reinforced my belief that real progress happens when we work together. I am committed to building a system where every student is supported, every educator is valued, and every school has
the conditions to succeed. That's INA. I became exposed to INA's pedigogy in 2024 for pre-production and beginning emergent bilingual students to meet their diverse language development where
they are in their individual stages. The support and training from EB directors, demo coaches, and my principle on professional growth in ESL has been dynamic for me in my with my EB students. and the ideal of high
intermediate and advanced EB students joining the general schools is what INA works toward every year. However, pre-production beginning and low intermediate EB students need the pedigogy program at INA to grow their
English proficiency at a rigor and pace that supports sustains self-esteem and confidence to grow to be effective as is as is expected with state standards. INA is not a college preparatory. It is a
high school preparatory for EB students. It's where teenagers from multiple countries and cultures can come and see they matter to teachers and other students with shared experiences where they can overcome the difficulty of
learning a language they were not born into. with accommodations in programs and on tests with supports, scaffolds, multiple response and QTEL strategies on grade level content at a reasonable
rigor and pace aligned to their developmental capacities. If EB students are relegated to corners of classrooms where they are all but forgotten and seen as data digits, serious mental and health conditions
could evolve. Dr. Olaf Jorgensson, head of school at Almadan Country Day in California, wrote an article, the dark side of rigor. He stated, "There is a subset of students who thrive in the high pressure content focused model that constitutes a rigorous education today.
For too many students, though, the pursuit of these lofty goals crumbles. Educational rigor is relative to student capabilities. If a teenager has come from another country and is unable to speak English, learning the alphabet, site words, sentence structure, and
grammar for simple comprehension is a very rigorous task. Without the proper approach, EB students educational experiences are what Dr. Jorgensson calls an academic rigor amounting to suffering. And if anyone would like to
see a copy of Dr. Olaf Jorgensson's uh material, I've got some right here. >> Thank you, Doc Missy. [cheering and applause] >> Our next speaker is Whitney Peters. And Whitney Peters will be followed by
Fya Alrash. >> Alatrash. Yes. Um I want to start with um in my English one class right now we are learning we are actually finally reading a book [cheering] yeah and we've been reading Animal Farm
um which has been really heavy um and the thing that we started talking about in class are persuasive techniques and the one that we really focus or that stood out to me that has been happening is simplification um as an EB as a newcomer teacher I've
taught newcomers for seven years and I've gone on to coach other teachers and language learner best practices for four years. Um, some of our new teachers, I was blocked by this curriculum from and it didn't allow me to coach them in the way that I know best for social culture
theory. Um, but with the simplification when there is no narrative for what will happen to our newcomers, that's why we're here. Um, we try to put somewhat of a clear narrative together, but please educate the public on more. like if I'm wrong and if I'm not bringing the
right details to the please clarify anytime we can come out anytime in months from now in the summer you can give us better numbers but for the office of civil rights I remember when I first came to INA um after graduating TCU that the office of civil rights I
learned worked with INA in the late 90s and early 2000s and they said okay there's some things that aren't inclusive and they worked with INA and they tr they partnered with them for several years and made sure they had clubs made sure they had after school program. I was the after school pro uh director at INA for two years but then
the grant money was ended. And so um the other thing I want to clear is also kids at INA used to leave after one year. So they go to their campuses, they become soccer stars, they become part of the band, they do those things and [snorts] now they they stay for two
years now and then they leave. But our ninth graders still only stay for one year. That's one year of their high school getting intensive support that they need. There are actually 859 newcomers in our schools right now that are not coming to us. Um 326 of those are unschooled. So
I'm bringing you the numbers as a teacher. That's your job. Um on I looked at the master where is it? The master counseling schedules on March 5th. You sent out a memo to all middle school high school uh all middle school counselors. I had to get this today.
Ella and language siddle model will be eliminated from comprehensive middle school beginning with the 26 to27 school year. That's in 10 middle schools. High school ESOL one and two and Elder 1 and two will be eliminated from high school beginning with 26 and 27 school
year. That's 20 That's 12 high schools. Also, that's 20 middle school teachers that are losing their jobs and 24 other high school teachers that are losing their jobs. I don't know if you've had this conversation with them. Um, y'all, we need clarity before you can vote. How many courses are going to be eliminated?
How many students are affected? Who will be their teachers? What will be their scaffolds? We have no idea. And that's why we're fighting because we want them to have something if ina is gone. >> Thank you. [applause] Um, Miss Alatrash will be followed by Juan Carlos Guerrero.
>> Thank you. Good evening and thank you for your time. My name is FA Alatrash. I am a formal diplomat. I am a formal export import director and I am a mother of three children, grandmother of six
children and most important I am an immigrant. M I came to this country 40 years ago with the three children, two three little children. We came here, we we had the privilege to come in a different status and we had the hardest
time to adjust even though I lived all over the world. When I 18 years ago I was invited by the assistant principal in this building to come and join INA while I was director export import. I told [snorts] her
that's the wrong place. She said I have a job for you. I told her ma'am I don't have I don't have the experience. She said we need you. We have a diverse society. We have I speak Arabic. We had a community Arabic speaker. We cannot communicate with them. Please come and
visit. And I did. I took off one day and I came here. Ladies and gentlemen, in 30 minutes I tooured this building up and down to a classroom with a principal. He said after 30 minutes what do you think?
I told him when can I start and that's because every room I went to when the principal Carlos Ayella told them guess what I have somebody understands you somebody know where you come from they were shouting from every
corner of the room what what is your name where are you from I have the privilege of working with the community I have been raising thousands of dollars a minimum of 82,000 to three to 83,000 every year from the community to support
INA student and and one year actually during the pandemic it was 145,000 I document everything I submit it to the district I had the privilege of the district knowing me by my first name because not
only with INA they start calling me from everywhere else I support success high school when I say I forgive me I mean the community of Fort Worth who they gave their open their heart their wallet and they come true. When I have when I
go to home and find kids sleeping on concrete and then I go back to the community, we buy beds, we buy mattresses, we buy food, we deliver. I have community, they are using their vehicles are my own personal delivery
place. I would love for you to visit my office and see what the community have put in my office. I would love for you to come and visit go join me to visit homes and see what these family look like. Sir, ladies and gentlemen, you
cannot make a decision within one month with a district and removing a work of 34 years. Thank you for your time. [cheering] speaker is Juan Carlos Guerrero and he will be followed by Janette Dominguez.
>> Good evening to all present this evening and in observance of the time constraints um I apologize for dispensing with the ineloquencies. My name is Juan Carlos Guerrero Jr. and I was uh I have not only served uh
forward ISD for the last 12 years but also was um teacher of the year in El Paso, Texas and teacher of the year here. I had the fortune um also my children uh were products of this district and are and were products
of this district. My daughter is actually currently uh in the president's list, a student at Texas State. Also, my um I would like to start by posing the following question. In what way can the district ensure student
retention and academic success by placing students from INA into mainstream education with little or no support? >> [snorts] >> At our teacher faculty meeting, the district's deputy superintendent reiterated the several occas in several occasions that the INA closure will not
come without the collaboration between faculty and the district in order to ensure the smooth transition of students into their home campuses. Yet, how will that be possible if upon closure the whole campus staff will re will have to reapply for their positions currently
held? The conundrum resides in the fact that the level of experience that expert and expertise will be lost and in the in the situation not even higher and in many situations probably not even hired at all. [clears throat]
Are we truly considering regressing to the early archaic stages of bilingual education where in the 1980s of early ESL and EB programs 30 to 40 students were placed in classes with educ with an educator who hardly spoke any other language other than English who had no
idea how to deal with non-English speakers. Hm. Interesting. It is an im as an immigrant myself growing up in the El Paso Texas border region. I too faced same obstacles and we're talking about
the border region. Okay. Fortunately, no my fortunately my father being fully bilingual encouraged and and instilled the importance of not only being bilingual but more importantly become biiterate not only in two languages but in three.
I also speak French. Yes, I had the misfortune to go through these same obstacles and you may under under you may be understanding of my situation, but this isn't the same situation you are going to this is the same situation you're going to be placing our students at ina and every
other ESL program within the district. Is it not? We're no longer taking about uh talking about being we're no longer talking about being black, white, African, Middle Eastern, Asian or Hispanic. We're talking about the white elephant in the
room that not a single member of this panel wishes to address. Money. I wish I I will share my the rest of my letter with the rest of you. Thank you. You have a good evening. >> Thank you. [applause and cheering] >> Next speaker is Janette Dominguez and she will be followed by Grace Desmond.
Is Miss Dominguez present? Uh, Grace Desmond, are you? And following Grace Desmond is Rosalinda Hernandez. Did you see Pastor? >> Good evening. My name is Grace Desmond and I am here to speak for my mom, Wendy
Desmond. She was a reading teacher at the most in innovative, caring, trauma-informed, welcoming, differentiated, and supportive campus in Fort Worth ISD, INA. This is her story. I would like to speak today about inequity, negligence, and a disservice
that is being done to our most vulnerable of populations, newcomer, immigrants, and refugee students who do not speak English. The students at INA own a piece of my heart and I speak on their behalf because their voice is being suppressed. I speak on their
behalf because they are being marginalized and mistreated due to inaccurate and irrelevant data from a flawed test designed for English fluent learners. Imagine a mainstream class filled with a wide swath of learners.
Emergent bilingual on level learners, special education students with 504 and IEPs, rise students, gifted students, and now newcomers. Many of our newcomer immigrant and refugee students cannot say hello in English when they arrive. Some of them
cannot read or write in any language and have never attended school. It is unrealistic and unreasonable to expect teachers to instructionally differentiate to and accommodate some of the most limited literacy levels to the highest. [clears throat] It is unrealistic and unreasonable to expect
minimally trained teachers to provide supports to students with unique and severe trauma that results in fears that the school is being bombed during fire drills, fears that they will be killed during lockdowns. I taught one student
who told me he thought he was going to die when the river waters covered his head. I had another who told me about seeing a severed arm on their windshield after a bombing. I have had multiple students tell me about their parents being murdered in front of them. These
are common stories of newcomers who have fled impossible situations. Newcomers also come with ample knowledge and experience. Just because their English is limited does not mean they are limited. Many students from INA end
up with college degrees and successful well-paid careers. They receive full ride scholarship and work in high paid jobs enriching society with their unique perspectives and skills. Please preserve this effective,
powerful, and relevant school. Empower students and provide them with the best opportunity to learn. empower teachers to care for and educate vulnerable students. And from me, you are choosing to elevate other campuses. Why are you
not pouring those same resources into this unique, amazing school? Thank you. [applause] Thank you. [cheering] Next [applause] speaker is Rosel Linda Hernandez
and she will be followed by Erica Ashenhurst. Is Miss Hernandez here? >> All right. Is uh Erica Ashenhurst here? Um Miss Ashenhurst will be followed by
Carla Castillo. All right. Good evening. This tonight isn't about politics and it's not about division. It's not even about labels like DEI. This is about our students in Fororth ISD who deserve a voice. They deserve support. more
support than long-term substitutes with no training fill in necessary positions listed in art agreements are putting EB students in full classrooms where the teachers recommend Google translate and one sentence stems as the main support. This is about whether we are
meeting our legal educational and human responsibility to serve one of the most vulnerable students in the populations in the district. So Fort Worth ISD receives additional
funding specifically for our students, specifically for emergent bilingual students. That funding exists because these students do require specialized support, not just access to a classroom, but access to the instruction that they can understand by scaffolding the
lessons, making them on level, letting them be successful and achieve the goals that they need to achieve. So the question is not whether we can support them. The question is whether we are choosing to do it effectively and efficiently and ethically. I understand
that that [snorts] what is being suggested there's a lot of nice words that say this is going to be better. This is going to be great. But a dream is a dream without a structured plan. We're asking for the plan. We're asking what are the supports? We want to make sure
our students have those supports. We provide a ton of supports at Hain. There's a lot of focus that the International Newcomer Academy scored a D. It's true, we did, but I personally feel like this data that's out there is
a bit misleading because some of our students, they're unable to read English when they come. Some of them are even unable to read in their own languages. They're unfamiliar with formal schooling. Even just simple things like how do we go to the restroom? Do we need
to ask? Can we just leave the room? Can we get up to throw the trash away? We're teaching them all of those things in one motion. [clears throat] So when those same students move from that starting point, they're writing sentences, they're
engaging in academic discussion, they're starting passing their classes, they're scoring at basic levels on the star. I know that D is not what Fort Worth ISD is looking for, but I also know when we look at Telpass, we see growth. They came in not writing their name, some of
them, and we see them writing paragraphs, half papers, whole papers, speaking in class, doing hands-on projects. That's success as far as I'm concerned. As a parent, as a teacher, that growth, we're setting foundations for them to be successful throughout their educational
career. We're focused on the gaps >> so that they can be successful. [cheering] [applause] >> Next speaker is Carly Castillo and she will be followed by Kaylee Irvin. >> I only have three minutes to speak and I
wish that everybody here listen to me, especially the ones that are using the cell phone. I am the mother of a student who arrived in this country facing both language barrier and specific learning disabilities. Today my daughter has a
3.7 GPA and is planning her postsecary education. This didn't happen by accident and didn't happen because a budget memo. This happened because at INA they are expert who knows how to
distinguish between a language barrier and a learning disability. Thanks to this expertise my daughter was correctly identified for the rise program and today she's on the path towards an independent life.
I have read your proposal. about right size the district. I hear words like fiscal efficiency and optimization and I want to be very clear. My daughter is not a number in your in your spreadsheet. You see INA as a cost that needs to be
cut. I see I ina as an investment that save my daughter's future. When we start talking about newcomers and special education students as an administrative burden that needs to be
compact, we lost sight or true mission in the life. Business closed branches that are not profitable. Schools must keep open the spaces that change lives.
The district claims that neighborhood schools will be ready by next cycle. But the confidence that teacher at Diana planning my daughter cannot be buil with a memorandum. She remembers her teachers for for making her feel capable and welcome.
How you can guarantee that by August 2026, every neighborhood school will have the same culture of sensibility and expert expertise and specialization that INA has. You cannot do that. Our
children's futures are too precious to be part of a transition that isn't fully ready. I don't want to hear we will. I want to hear we have. And that is what we already have.
>> Don't let accounting override pedagogy. If the problem is that I ina has no has fewer students, then promote it. Use it as a center of excellence. But don't no destroy it. Just balance it a cash a
cash register. Our newcomers and special needs students are not an expense. They are an investment. I ask you to stop the closure until you can prove with facts that everything is in place.
>> Thank you. [cheering] >> Our next speaker is Kylie Irvin. And Kylie Irvin will be followed by Paula Costa. Is Kylie Irvin here? Paula Paul Acasta.
Next speaker is Troy Montoya who will be followed by Glenda Diaz. >> Okay. Hello. Um, I am proud husband of Susan and off my thoughts.
Okay. The state is interested in improving student performance, but INA supporters believe it is not enough to improve test scores alone. Every parent and chamber of commerce member wants meaningful growth for our children. And that means
reinforcing what is taught at home, encouraging good work ethic, resilience, and empathy, teaching the importance of sacrifice to achieving one's goals, fostering a desire to take advantage of all the opportunities our society has to offer. I am concerned about public
education not being for all students as the law says it should be. Public education needs to be flexible to reach different kinds of kids. We already know this. They include sped, pel, eBs, kids with money and those without. Kids who have lived here all
their life and those who came here in Fort Worth. The EB population is 40% of the student population. And hundreds of those are beginning EBS who are INA's focus. They deserve the same chance for a good education as every other student.
I do not understand the economic argument that there won't be enough money in the future freebie programs and schools when every year the state has allocated $20 million to the district for them. If the new administration manages the budget well as it says it
wants to, then there should be no need to redirect all or even some of the 20 million away from EB programs. I can understand making drastic changes to right side underperforming schools and underperforming teachers. Why though would the new administration consider
changing what works? The fact of the matter is that Englishonly instruction led by EB certified teachers in classrooms of EB students, instruction that is at level for every subject matter like it is at INA is the best way
to bring these kids to the level they need to be. Not just better scores, not just for better scores, but for fostering personal strengths that are critical to being happy, productive members of society. Closing INA and sending beginner EBS to their home
schools with the changes proposed so far will badly short sell them. The curriculum will lack the connections they need to do well on state tests. Teachers at these schools will not be able successfully to teach students with such widely divergent needs as you've
heard earlier today. Others speak to the same issue um as nativeborn students and beginner EBS all in the same classroom. I don't see how a future like this would do anything but discourage this population. It would lead not just to
poorer test scores but also to higher dropout rates and moving of these students families out of the district which has happened in Houston. So I ask if public education is for everyone how can beginner EBS expect a fair a fair shake in a future shaped only by not a
program but by the few uncoordinated and insufficient steps to help EBS the administration has announced so far. [applause] Next speaker is Glenda Diaz. >> Good evening. My name is Glenda Diaz. I'm a Footworth ISD parent, Tanguin,
MLAN, and Pascal. I stand before you today on behalf of the students who often do not have the voice, the language, or the platform to stand here themselves. You're considering decisions that will close the school serving newly arrived students, children who are not only learning math, science, and reading, but are also learning a new
language, a new culture, and how to belong. At the same time, you're considering eliminating emergent mang bilingual and special education positions, rules that are not optional, but essential. Let's be clear, these are not just budget decisions. These are
value statements. These students are among the most vulnerable in our district. They arrive with courage, with hope, and often with challenges that require specialized support. When you remove the very systems designed to support them, you are not creating efficiencies. You're creating barriers.
Butworth prides itself on being welcoming and exclusive community. Butworth should promise this to the families who trusted this district with their children. Promise to the students who are working twice as hard just to keep up. So, I have to ask, when you say you care
about the students, who do you really mean? Because right now, your action suggests that some students matter less. That the ones that who need the most support are easiest to cut. The we are only as strong as our weakest link. And today, you're deciding whether you will
straighten that link or break it. I also ask you sincerely, why did you choose to serve on this board? What is it to make the easy decisions or the right ones? Was it to balance numbers or to stand up for the children who depend on you? Leadership is tested in moments like
these. Not when it's convenient, but when it's difficult. I urge you to reconsider these decisions. Protect the programs. Protect the educators. Protect the students who need you the most. Because they are watching. Their
families are watching. And this community is watching. And since I still have time on that clock, kudos to our student leaders at Pascal. They had their first car show and they did such a great job organizing and the community. Thank you so much for coming out to
support. Go Panthers. >> Thank you. [applause] Next speaker is Nelie Cardanis followed by Sahara Khan. Good evening. Uh fact research shows that English learners need four to seven
years to develop full academic proficiency in English. If decades of evidence point to this reality, how does closing INA and dismantling emergent bilingual programs serve our students best interest? If a student's first
exposure to English occurs in middle or high school without access to the emergent bilingual strategies used by highly trained teachers and staff at INA and language centers, how can the district reasonably expect students to
graduate with full academic proficiency in English fact. Federal law requires that speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy be provided by licensed professionals. Unlike teaching assistants, fact, unlike
teaching assistants, speech language pathology assistants are not pair professionals. They are licensed providers and one of only two roles legally permitted to deliver direct speech therapy services.
Unlike other fields in the schools, substitutes cannot deliver speech, occupational or physical therapy services. When [snorts] licensed professionals are on leave, districts are still obligated to ensure continuity
of services by hiring qualified replacements, which translates to contract companies, which charge you hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Forth ISD, positions for licensed professionals are already difficult to
fill, and I don't remember a time when they were all filled. Given the decision to terminate more than 20 licensed professionals, what is the plan to recruit and retain
the qualified staff needed to meet these legal obligations? How does the district intend to address the potential legal and financial consequences when students IEP services are not fulfilled due to staffing
shortages created by these cuts? Directors of special education that you listed in your proposal are the ones that deal with all the problems that happen at our meetings. Maybe you'll give your cell phone number away. uh they divide and assign licensed new
hires um professionals to campuses. They also do the onboarding uh the recruitment um and since they themselves are licensed professionals then they can also participate in arts and considering you sent emails letting people know their jobs were terminated.
I'm not sure what we have said will make a difference, but what I do ask is that you at least talk to the experts in the food ISD at the bottom level, which includes the teachers, the speech therapists, all the people that directly work with students to actually come up
with a plan. >> Thank you. [applause] Our [cheering] next speaker is Sahara Khan and Sarah Khan. Is Sarah Khan present?
All right. If not here, Marisol Herrera is our next speaker and she will be followed by Nimiko Velasquez. Excuse [snorts] me. Good evening, [snorts] Dr. Laca and
members of the board of managers. My name is Maris Soera. I'm a parent in Fort Worth ISD, an alum, and a current district employee. I also serve as vice president of the Fort Worth ISD Council of PTAs and vice president of Fort. I'm
speaking today regarding the proposed reduction in force and its impact on students. This proposal does not just eliminate positions. It dismantles systems of support that our most vulnerable students depend on every day.
The roles slated for elimination include specialists and leaders in compliance, evaluation, psych services, art support, speech and occupational therapy, physical therapy, restorative practices, and post-secondary readiness. It also
effectively dissolves the emergent bilingual department and closes INA. As we've heard all evening, this is not a minor adjustment. It is a significant loss of expertise that cannot be easily replaced. I have read the district's assurances
that student services will not be impacted. But what has not been clearly communicated is the plan of how that will be possible. Who will provide these services moving forward? What is the plan to staff and retain qualified specialists across more
than 100 campuses? Our current staff are already stretched thin. Eliminating these roles does not reduce student need. It reduces access to support. These are not responsibilities that can be simply absorbed or embedded into
existing roles. This decision tonight will increase the burden on remaining staff while decreasing the level of support available to students who need it most. I also want to address the claim that affected employees are being supported
through this transition. As an impacted employee myself, a restorative practices specialist, I was informed last week that my position was recommended for elimination and given two options. I either have to resign by May 3rd or
face non-renewal on May 5th. I was not personally invited to internal job fairs, nor have I been contacted by talent management regarding placement opportunities. >> I have dedicated 13 years to this district, including nearly a decade as a
dual language teacher. I have been recognized as teacher of the year, chair of teaching excellence in elementary math and science. Yet, the only communication I have received is the notice of separation. But this is not about me. My concern is
for our students. We have a moral obligation to support the academic, social, and emotional success of all students, especially those who relies on this specialized services. So I ask you, is this decision truly what's best for
our students? Thank you, Mr. Ra. [applause] Our next speaker is, and I may pronounce mispronounce the first name, Namiko Velasquez. And then
>> here, it's my son. >> Oh, it's your son. Well, he >> is. Is he going to speak? >> No, he's in speech therapy, but he felt he couldn't speak tonight because he's very anxious about >> I say, well, sorry he could not be with
us. We're going to take a five minute break. We have to change out the batteries and um in in the microphone there and some of us have to go to the restroom. Oh, >> the next speaker is 66.
[clears throat] >> [music] >> Ow. [music] >> [music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. How cool. [music] [music] Heat. Heat.
>> [music] [music] [music] >> Oh, [music] I feel so good. It feels [music] so good. I feel so good.
I feel so good. Oh, I feel so good. I feel so good. Feel so good. [music] I feel so good.
I feel so good. Everything so good. Feel so good. is on. [music] [music] I feel so good. [music]
I feel so good. [music] Good. Feel [music] so good. Feel so good. [music] When you're feeling down, want to come
my way. going to lift you up. Let me hear you say, "Yeah, we're living on love." Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living on love. Yeah, we're [music] living on love. Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living on love. Oh, oh,
we're going to take you higher. Oh, oh, we're going to lift you up. Oh, oh, we're going to take you higher. Oh. [music] Oh. We're going to lift you up.
When you hit the ground, don't you lose your way. Got to get [music] back up. Let me hear you say, "Yeah, we're living on. Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living on Yeah, we're living on. [music] Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living
on oh, we're going to take you higher. Oh, we going to lift you up. Oh, we going to take you higher. Oh, oh,
we going to lift you up. >> Oh, yeah. [music] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh. Oh, yeah. [music] Yeah. Yeah. We're going to take you higher.
We're going to lift you up. We're going to take you higher. We're going to lift you up. Take your Ask everybody please come back to order. [snorts] >> I'd ask everybody to please come back to order.
It's on. >> Yeah. >> Our next speaker tonight is Da Deerorf. >> Miss Deerdorf, would you please come to the front? >> [snorts] >> Miss Deerdorf will be followed by Adrien
Mberg. >> Thank you. >> [snorts] >> Good evening. I know some of you board members personally, sorry. My name is Da Deerorf. I'm a Fort Worth ISD uh parent. Um I know that you genuinely care about
kids and improving student outcomes for our district, but I believe that you're currently misguided. According [snorts] to the Lonear governance framework, before you vote on consequential changes to the administration or operation of our district, you're required to first
set forth student outcome goals as well as superintendent guard rails. And I believe that that's critical. Mr. Rod Pouncy is the postsecondary specialist at I am Terrell Academy for STEM and BPA. Three of our children have
benefited from his influence during their time there. I've never once seen the man without his trademark broad smile. Uh his positivity is infectious. He maneuvers through the world with impeccable professionalism and does not
miss a beat when it comes to any detail. One of his many responsibilities includes managing all aspects of college related testing. Once when I passed him in the hall, he remarked to me about my son's recent SAT score. He knew it off the top of his head. He remarked to me
what his personal goal was for his SAT and conferred with me for a few minutes about what I could do at home to help him achieve those goals. Another time I asked one of my sons, "Who at your school makes you feel the most confident in yourself?" [snorts] Without hesitation, Mr. Pouncy was the
answer. Miss Marisa Herrera, who you just heard speak um and who most of you know, is a restorative practices specialist for our district. She has her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. In just a few weeks, she'll have her master's degree from [clears throat] Columbia University. She
has been with the district 13 years and in that time has received really impressive accolades from both the district and tea. Miss Herrera is smarter than probably everybody in this room put together. But more impressive than her mind is her heart. I have
watched her for years volunteering hundreds of hours a month and I am not exaggerating for campuses all over this district, not just her own sons. [snorts] Her passion and dedication to Fort Worth children
is inspiring. These are the types of people, talent, and heart you are not inviting back to our district next year. Our children will suffer their loss. And there are many others I wish I had time to highlight, but all of these post-secondary specialists, bilingual
teachers, restorative practices specialists, speech pathologists, and diagnosticians are vital to our kids. To them, I want to say your community sees you. We know your worth and value to our children. We
know the impacts you've already made and will live on in the lives of our children. I urge you to not let the month on the calendar prioritize urgency over doing your job
correctly or well. [applause] Thank you, Miss Deer. Adrien Momberg, [snorts] >> good evening board. Thank you and thank you for your attention. I know you're tired.
Um, y'all are on a knife edge and I am praying for wisdom and discernment for every single one of you to not make rash decisions but to make wise decisions. Um, I'm actually here to speak on DEI
and its intellectual dishonesty uh when it comes to our neurodeivergent and our autistic folks. My name is Adrienne Mullenberg and I'm a grant writer and a former [snorts] teacher. I wanted to say under the guise of DEI,
struggling students are being misled and funneled into the LGBTQ mold. They are eight times more likely to choose LGBTQ. It is presented as the only answer typically uh in our schools.
Oxford studied those who were dransitioning and found that onethird of them realized that they were on the spectrum and that transitioning had left them with lifelong fallout. For them, their misplaced faith in transitioning
had become a tragic mistake. As a teacher, I continually watched autistic and neurode divergent kids struggle with their identities. The sheer prevalence of it struck me. So many of those students were a drift, struggling with
their identity and their place in the world. And tragically, LGBTQ lifestyles are presented as the only answer to that struggle. We are giving young people chemicals, costumes, and castration rather than giving them the coping
skills that they need. I saw it as a teacher and I see it as a parent of an adult neurode divergent. The leg las laser focus on DEI is one reason that those on the autism spectrum are eight times more likely to choose
LGBTQ lifestyles. The Oxford study showed that one-third of the subjects were dransitioning because they were on the autism spectrum. The decision to push a DEI LGBTQ agenda can come with
lifelong consequences. Here's the conclusion that this concerned mom gained from those statistics. The diance within the school and social settings. And this [clears throat] may be where you can cut some funding. [snorts]
When we push hormones and play pretend, our children's lives are in the balance. And it has been an abject failure. We have failed to anchor them in the truth. We have failed to give them the coping skills to face themselves and continue
on with their lives. And we have failed to protect them from the notion that chemicals, costumes, and castration will fix their problems. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Mullenberg. >> I ask that everyone treat every speaker
with dignity and respect. Uh and if you are unable to do that, I ask that you um depart the premises. Our next speaker is Keith Annis and Mr. Anis will be followed by Zack Leonard.
>> Hi, my name is Keith Annis. I'm with FW Fort. I've been here several times, so you should know the rest of my qualifications. I want to affir reaffirm to you that I believe that every student in Fort Worth ISD is entitled to a good and equitable education. This is a moral
imperative. When I first spoke to you, I mentioned that I expect you will face some challenges. I suggest to you that meetings like this evening are just the beginning. I have heard a common thread that Fort Worth ISD was so bad that radical action had to be taken. I urge
you to look at history. Things can always get worse. Action for the sake of action is a fool's errand. Mr. President, I encourage you to share the story about my alma mater that I shared with you recently with your fellow be board of
managers meetings. With that, I have a few questions. First, is there any scenario in this turnaround plan that ends with Fort Worth ISD becoming a charter run or privately managed district? Yes or no?
Second, what specific, measurable, and unmendable benchmarks must be met for local control to be restored to an elected board? And who has the authority to declare those conditions met? Third, do you intend to expand charter schools
inside Fort Worth ISD boundaries as part of this turnaround or is your plan to strictly strengthen districtrun schools? Fourth, who ultimately decides the final governance structure of Fort Worth ISD and the fate of its public assets?
District administration, Commissioner Morath, or Governor Abbott? and what is the specific mechanism by which this community has a meaningful voice in those decisions. Fifth, what specific guard rails will you advocate for to prevent neighborhood schools from being
further destabilized during this turnaround? And is that commitment anywhere in writing? And sixth, I have added another one. Does the term student outcomes only relate to testing results?
I have heard the term radical transparency used. Answering these questions and holding to those answers is what radical transparency looks like. Now, it was recently brought to my attention that earlier comments I made about school property were meant by me
to imply that board of managers members were engaged possibly in some sort of unethical or unsavory behavior. I want to be clear. If I am accusing anyone or if I ever accuse anyone on this board of managers or any of the
staff of unethical behavior, it will not be something you have to parse out. I will be very direct and I will be very specific on what I think has been done. I have not done that because I do not believe it has yet happened. If anyone is whispering in your ear
about what I'm saying, >> I encourage you to call me. >> My number will be included in emails from the future. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Andis. [applause] Our next speaker is Zack Leonard, and he will be followed by Alex Halderson.
>> Yep. [cough] [clears throat] [snorts] Not going to lie, I wish we had the ability to have water bottles. [applause] >> Good evening. My name is Zach Leonard,
president of Fort. We want to we want I want to state something very clearly because it wasn't stated very clearly the last two times we've spoken. We want Fort Worth ISD to succeed. Full stop.
[applause] We want student outcomes to improve. Full stop. >> [snorts] >> And we believe this community, engaged parents, teachers, and families are part of the solution.
I'm also a proud proud parent of three students in Forth and my youngest child thrives in two two-way dual language at North High Mount. The EB program is one of the brightest spots in the district. We chose Fort Worth ISD out of all the
districts we could have chose and I was working in McKenna so we passed about 15 because we love Fort Worth and chose it for the diversity that it offers. [clears throat] We chose it for the teachers and the
[snorts] campuses despite the test scores. Programs uh like EB, dual language, everything that you've heard from the amazing INA staff and team should be expanding and fully supported. Removing
staff that supports our teachers will not help. I understand there's bloat and I understand there's things to get get rid of. However, this is not the way. Tonight I'm going to address three things very quickly because I don't have much time. Data, transparency, and legal
obligation. More [snorts] importantly, I'm going to ask you to have heart and trust your gut. On data, we can all agree that this matters. But I need you to look at all the data that's been shown. And we know one thing, the math ain't math.
on transparency. Families aren't asking for reassurances, they're asking for specifics. What do increased supports actually look like? What are the staffing ratios on receiving campuses? If we can't hire
full-time SLPs at this moment, what makes you think you'll be successful going forward? Teachers talk to each other. Culture matters. Engagement matters. and they're not going to move to a district that has been labeled toxic in the last couple years.
[clears throat] On the legal obligation, this district serves two 29,461 emergent bilingual students. Remember that number that supports 21.4 million in funds. How are you going to make sure
you follow legal requirements with this funds? Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. [applause] Leonard. Next speaker is Alex Halderson. Be followed by Tanner Little. Good evening. My name is Alex Holderson.
I'm a current school psychologist serving students in Fort Worth ISD. In our work as school psychologists, we're required to make decisions grounded in comprehensive, meaningful data. We know that partial data leads to incomplete conclusions, which can lead to real harm for real students. I'm asking this board
to apply that standard tonight. The letter sent to families assuring parents that a reduction in force would not disrupt student services and that evaluation services would actually expand is questionable. I just wanted to address this directly because the data that we see as professionals doing this
job on the day-to-day tells a much more complicated story. As my speech language friends have already noted, our overall district enrollment has declined, but our sped enrollment has increased. As they noted, we do support over 10,000 IEPs. This is not just limited to our
K12 school age population. Fort Worth has reported a 32% increase in early childhood special education placement and evaluation since the 201920 school year. Childf find is a federally mandated process of identifying and evaluating young children suspected of
having disability. And that falls directly and squarely within our department and under our director, the director of evaluation, child find and psychological services oversight, a position that is being recommended for RIFF. Eliminating our director who oversees this pipeline at a moment where
early intervention [snorts] [clears throat] is so crucial for our early learners is not a neutral administrative decision in my opinion. Speaking as a school psychologist, I can agree with what our speech language friends have said that we are already understaffed. I know from psychological
services, we currently have eight unfilled vacancies that we have been working to fill over the the majority of the school year. This is resulting in higher case loads at a time where emotional, social, and mental health needs are increasing. We also have other
vacancies in areas of evaluation and related services including diagnosticians, speech language professionals and occupational therapists just to name a few. The director of evaluation child fine and psych services. Our director along with our coordinators have been stepping directly into campuses to support art
meetings and evaluations on top of their full-time administrative responsibilities to support our gaps in staffing and ensure compliance is being met while students are maintaining and retaining their services. [snorts] Eliminating this position does not just trim administrative overhead. It removes a critical piece of infrastructure that
keeps evaluation services functioning. I would also like to note that this school year brought an additional hundreds of evaluation requests tied to the Texas school voucher program. [snorts] Workload that fell on this same understaff department resulting in staff completing evaluations and additional
work outside of contracted hours on personal time. Fort Worth ISD families who were told that these services would not be impacted deserve accurate information and I respectfully ask that you reconsider your decision to eliminate these positions. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Miss Albertson. Our next speaker is Tanner Little and Tanner Little will be followed by Dusty Wood. >> Good evening, Superintendent and board members. Thank you all for your time and uh all the families, parents, teachers.
Um obviously there's a lot of concern in the room tonight. So um to the board and the members, I just want to thank you for stepping up and leading uh during this critical time for Fort Worth ISD. >> We are here to encourage a strong focus on student performance, academic
outcomes, and accountability. I just want to urge the board to comply with all applicable state laws, including SB12, uh, which bans DEI and GSA activities in school districts. I support directing district resources
toward core academic priorities and student success. I understand this downsizing is necessary, especially as the district has lost around, you know, 20 or so thousand students uh, since 2016. So specifically, we urge you to move
forward with cutting DEI related positions including specialists uh and restorative practices, specialists in equity and excellence and coordinators for restorative practices and the closure of the INA school. As Superintendent Licotta has stated, this
restructuring will not reduce bilingual or special education services and those services will be maintained or strengthened. I [clears throat] believe these changes ensure taxpayer dollars are aligned with academic achievement and legal requirements. I believe the board of
managers is working to move Fort Worth ISD in a better direction and we are here to support that effort. I will remain engaged and continue to support policies that improve outcomes for all students. Thank you for your time and your leadership. >> Thank you, Mr. Little.
>> Our next speaker is Dusty Wood and Mr. Wood will be followed by >> Alan Martin. >> Did we have enough? >> Okay, this is Dusty. You want to hold it? Okay. >> My name is Dusty Wood. I have been a
professional educator for 10 years. Every single one of them [snorts and clears throat] served right here in Fort Worth ISD. For those 10 years, I have worked exclusive exclusively with emerging bilingual. I do this because these children have my heart. They work harder than anyone I
have ever met. And they do it with smiles on their faces despite coming from war torn countries, being torn from their families, and witnessing horrors that most of you in this room could not even begin to understand. I was born and raised here in Fort
Worth. This is not just a district to me. It is my home. Last Thursday, I was nearly killed in a car accident when an individual ran a red light at a high speed and t-boned me. I am in excruciating physical pain and mental anguish.
I should be at home on bed rest, but I believe I am alive and in this room today for a reason. And that reason is to fight for these students and the future of the International Newcomer Academy. Dr. Lacata, you have spoken about mediocrity, but if you want to see the antithe antithesis of mediocrity,
spend more time at INA, not just a quick pop in. You will see teachers who don't just teach content, [clears throat] they provide a lifeline. You will see students who, despite having nothing, give everything they have to learn. The Statue of Liberty stands as the very
fabric of what America is. Declaring, "Give me you're tired. You're poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." That isn't just a poem on a statue. It is a promise. And when we keep that promise, the world changes. When America welcomed a physicist
fleeing the Nazis named Albert Einstein's, we change science and our understanding of the world as we know it forever. Every child walking through the doors of INA is a seed of that same potential. In our classrooms right now is a student who could cure cancer.
There's the engineer who could serve our solve our energy crisis. There is the leader who could bring peace to that very war torn region they fled. We are not just a program to be restructured. We are a lighthouse. By dismantling INA, you are not just cutting the budget. You
are extinguishing the light for the next great mind that could change the world. I realize that speaking today potentially jeopardizes my future employment with Fort Worth ISD, but my students futures are worth more to me than a paycheck. To quote Reverend Martin Lu Reverend Martin Luther King,
Jr., "A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right." >> A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true. I ask this board, choose excellence over convenience. Choose our students over
spreadsheets. Keep INA open for the betterment of everyone. As we say here in Texas, y'all may be sitting high on the hog now, but when it comes November, we're going to vote you out and you will be remembered for the actions that you do today. [cheering]
>> Our next speaker is Alan Martin. And Alan Martin will be followed by Rachel Carlson. >> [snorts] [clears throat] >> Hi, I'm Alan Martin. I I've taught uh math to sixth and seventh graders as
well as uh pre-education language learners at INA for the past three years. Um, a lot of these kids when I look at this the data that you guys posted, um, a lot of them I I taught them what a number is
and I still last year I'm 13 points away from the rest of Fort Worth ISD. We start at what a number is and we're still almost catching up to the rest of the district. When we look at the map data, I didn't bring that sheet out, but
I'm gaining 6% six percentiles. Every time we take that p that uh assessment, you're getting 0.26. [snorts] I I have no words because a lot of my colleagues speak so much better than me and and literally are in every way
better than I am. But we have done so much good work. We do so much in closing the gaps that it doesn't make one bit of sense to close us down. It would make more sense to empower and use us and
actually fund us. When I first started, I was at the Montgomery campus and I had a cart. I went to seven different classrooms to teach two different groups what numbers are. a group what sixth grade math is. Some of which could not
understand the numbers also, but they had schooling quote unquote in their home countries. So, I couldn't teach them what numbers are. We had to go straight into integers and all the complex stuff that is difficult for homegrown [snorts]
students who take the same curriculum every year. Now, [clears throat] after moving there, you guys spent $4 million to move us to another campus not not 15 months ago. What's the fiscal responsibility there
to go ahead and just say bye, that's enough. What's the intent there? when you introduced the fact that we are losing our campus um what a week ago um we asked what the point what the plan was
and I keep hearing the plan is going to be good the plan is going to be good in an interview today I saw I trust in the plan when there isn't a plan how can you trust in that when there isn't a plan you don't have options
I don't get it it's not intellectually sound. It doesn't make any mathematical sense. As a as a middle school math teacher, I live and breathe order of operations. Number one for a math teacher, for any teacher, is the plan.
We have to submit. We have to annotate. We have to do all these things with plans. Yet, you're cutting all these positions without the plan. [applause] Carlson Carlson will be >> mute your mic or move it because it's
distracting to breathe on the mic as the speaker. >> Okay. Okay. >> Rachel, >> you get two two for the price of one. >> Price of one. Aren't you lucky? >> Yeah, they sure are. Hi everybody. >> Pardon me back. >> I'm Rachel Carlson, the wife of Dusty
Wood. This is my mother who will be speaking on my behalf as she has been an educator and a pillar of the community for the past 35 years. >> I came just to hear that. Thank you so very much. You're welcome. [laughter] >> No, my daughter has been playing nurse
and so she really hasn't um been as well behaved. But I have to say [laughter] no hasn't been is prepared. Isn't prepared. No, she is behaved. >> [gasps] >> I just have to say that I came tonight mostly
100% because I am um I'm a lover of Fort Worth. We raised we chose to move our family to Fort Worth from Dallas and we were so honored to be um teachers.
Unfortunately, not in Fort Worth ISD, but um at Trinity Valley School. I served there for 33 years and my husband is still there and um he's the guy over there with without the cap. Okay. And um
I am totally those who know me and some of you on the board know me, you know I'm not a humble person. I just I'd love the limelight. I taught drama. Duh. Okay. >> [laughter] >> So, but I also taught English and [clears throat] um
as a person who loves the lum life, I have to say I am totally humbled by the people and the passions that are on display tonight. These educators did their homework.
You all received many facts and figures, but and I also came because of this man right here, my son-in-law, who came out of surgery on Thursday night and said, "Well, I guess God has a plan for me cuz
I'm going to make that meeting." and um his his [laughter] surgeon had just given us the list of things that the car accident had done to him. But he feels so strongly about this
school. And I know [snorts] in the big scheme of things, it's just one small school in all of Fort Worth where you have thousands and thousands of students that you have to take care of and that you have to worry about. And
I'm sure it's not easy to sleep at night. But something that I think [clears throat] would be a question that I hope would wake you up at night is since when did community
where teachers are int intentionally and highly trained and passionate and tireless in welcoming oh really welcoming and embracing every student. >> Where when did that become >> I hate to cut you off expired. Thank
you. Great presentation. [applause] Next speaker is Jeremiah Taylor and Mr. Taylor will be followed by Nathaniel Shook. Good evening. My name is Brother Jeremiah Taylor and I'm in the pride of Einstein and we'll be attending TCU
majoring in business finance. Keep this implanted in your mind while I speak. Stop 6 is historically and culturally recognized as a predominantly colored neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth, Texas. Again, stop 6 is historically and culturally recognized as a predominantly colored neighborhood
in southeast Fort Worth, Texas. Moving on, I'm here to speak about the current TEA takeover and what it actually feels like inside the classroom. Because from where I sit, this is not the help I was requesting a couple of [snorts] meetings back. Right now, we sit in rows with one classmate next to us, facing forward
with limited time to even speak to the people next to us. It feels less like a place of learning and more like an environment designed for control to make everyone learn the same way, almost like an asylum. And like in the past, that doesn't really work now, does it? On top
of that, the new bathroom policies and restrictions only add to that feeling. School is starting to feel more like a prison than a place where students can grow, think, and collaborate. And that's the problem because collaboration is not extra. It's essential. The ability to
work in groups, share ideas, and learn from each other is a core part of how students actually succeed. By removing that, you're not fixing education. You're stripping away one of the most effective tools we have. Instead of improving struggling outcomes, these changes are making school more rigid,
more stressful, and ultimately less effective for students. That leads into bigger issues. These policies don't actually address the root problems they claim to solve. If a school is struggling, the solution isn't to impose stricter control across the board. It's
to invest in resources, support teachers, and understand the specific needs of those students. Standardizing discipline and structure at this level doesn't fix gaps in learning. It just creates a system where students feel discontin disconnected and disengaged,
which only makes these problems worse. And finally, I want to ask you something that I think deserves a really good answer. Going back to the fact that Stop 6 is historically and culturally recognized as predominantly colored neighborhood. Why are you making my collegiate level A-rated campus follow
the same terms designed for failing schools? Is it because of the zip code it's in? Or is it because of the people in the zip code? Because from where I stand, it feels like students who are already succeeding are being held back by policies that were never meant for them. And if that's the case, then who
is this really benefiting? You or the students? [cheering] >> Our next speaker is Nathaniel Shug and he will be followed by Christina Sers. >> Good evening. My name is Nathaniel.
I'm a bilingual speech and language pathologist. I specialize in literacy, language, and culturally and linguistically diverse populations. I'd like to focus tonight on the connection between speech language services, literacy, and equitable access for all students.
Speech and language skills are foundational to literacy. Before students can even read and write, they must understand and use language. For our students with communication disorders, these skills require explicit, specialized instruction. SLPs
and assistant SLPs support these foundational language skills every day through therapy. When these needs are not effectively addressed, our students are at an increased risk for reading, writing, and academic challenges. Because of this, speech language
services, services assistant SLPs are crucial in providing are not separate from literacy outcomes. They're a core part of how our students access the curriculum. I also want to acknowledge the district's plan to increase full-time positions to replace impacted assistance
and part-time staff. Strengthening services is needed, important, and appreciated. However, as it's been said many times tonight, this plan creates additional SLP vacancies when Fort Worth ISD has historically struggled to fill
our current vacancies. This this raises concerns about whether these full-time SLP roles can be fully delivered in a timely and sustainable way. When these positions remain unfilled, the responsibility does not change, but the capacity to deliver
consistent highquality services is significantly reduced. This is especially important in a district where many of our students are emergent bilingual learners. Access is not just about availability. It's about whether services are linguistically appropriate.
Many of the assistant SLPs affected are bilingual and support our monilingual SLPs. Without these assistant SLPs, hundreds hundreds of students will not receive quality bilingual speech language therapy or interpretation for evaluations. Because language is the
foundation of literacy, this directly impacts bilingual students reading, writing, and academic outcomes. I urge the board to consider not only the intent of this plan but its practical impact on staffing access and student outcomes specifically on literacy and
emergent bilingual learners. Thank you guys for your time. [applause] >> Next speaker is Christina Sers and Christina Sers will be followed by Adam Gonzalez. >> Hello. Uh my name is Christina Sers and um I know you've already heard from a
lot of speech language pathologists tonight. Um, I'm also one of them and I want to assure you that we are on your team and all very concerned about our two Dickies arenas full of students not reading on grade level. I also want to remind you that one of those arenas is almost entirely full of students with
disabilities. As overall enrollment has declined, special education enrollment has increased significantly. We've talked about it a lot tonight. Assistant SLPs, SLPs, PTs, OT's, diagnosticians, and school psychologists are frontline
workers on campuses directly working with students, and we have acutely felt the budget squeeze that declining general education enrollment has brought to our increasing number of special education students. I have heard the assurances that special education services will continue uninterrupted
because they are important to this board and legally mandated. I want you to know the reality is that staffing shortages are already impacting special education services. Our six ARD managers, also on the list to cut, have
scheduled, coordinated, and completed 200 to 300 IEPs each this year, taking about 1,500 IEPs off the plates of already overloaded diagnosticians. Even with these extremely professional, organized, and efficient AR managers in
place, central office special education administration have been pulled away from their job duties, managing staff and ensuring compliance with the law to cover for vacant diagnostician positions across the district this spring. I also want to let you know that our SLP
coordinator retired in December and Fort Worth ISD has not yet posted that position. Leaving SLPs without a coordinator has resulted in unfilled vacancies that I am now worried have been eliminated to balance the budgets. And though the efforts of our small but mighty team of folks trying to cover
this gap have been heroic, I believe not posting this position has and will add significantly to attrition. The SLP coordinator is an expert in recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining speech language pathologists, and we have already gone through a prime hiring season without this critical position in
place. As we have mentioned, there are nationwide shortages for special education service providers, and we need the best tools in our tool belt to recruit and retain these folks. Part-time positions are one of those tools in our tool belt to retain top quality talent.
Part-time positions tend to float to a variety of staff members as we go through different phases of our lives and careers, myself included. We have part-time staff members um who are published authors in our field. We have part-time staff m members who are
dedicated innovators that when Fort Worth ISD says we don't have any money for that, they pulse GoFundMes plural to to get the need met um and get what they need for their students to meet their goals and succeed. Fort Worth ISD is not
currently in a position to cut the jobs of any special education personnel who still want to work here next year. We need all of them and a lot more. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Adam Gonzalez
and our speaker after that is Jo Hoseiah NA. >> Yes. 79. >> Hello, my name is Adam Gonzalez and I'm here representing uh my local dual language program and also Fort Worth ISD fan, which is a group of families and
community members who are, you know, we're in this for the long fight. I want to say something that simply doesn't get said in these rooms enough. Uh for the past 30 years, the state of Texas has built a report card that penalized poverty and called it accountability. It
started it starved districts like ours of adequate funding, imposed high stakes testing that punished schools serving immigrant families and English learners, and then graded us on a curve designed for districts that look nothing like this district and nothing like the
people in this room. >> [clears throat] >> And when those grades came back low in a system where almost no high poverty district scores well, the state didn't ask what it had built, it didn't ask how it could help. It asked who it could blame. Now, the same apparatus that
engineered these conditions has appointed itself the solution. Elected trustees accountable to you, to us, to this community, to the ballot box, have been replaced by nine managers, most of them from the wealthiest zip codes in
this city, governing a district where four out of five students come from lowincome families. Appointed by the same state that created the problem, answerable to no one in this room. You don't get to dismantle dism
democracy and call it an intervention. [clears throat] We are not against change. The district has failed countless children for too long. And I think everyone in this room understands that on some level. >> But [snorts] there is something this community deserves to name out loud
tonight. Fort Worth built this economy on the backs of families who speak Spanish at home, who pray to their God in Spanish. >> [snorts] >> You guys want the takquitas, the panaderas, you want the margaritas.
[clears throat] You want the labor, the culture, and the color. But when it comes time to fund the schools where those kids sit, the same children who built that who will build the next 30 years of this city, maybe more if we're lucky, suddenly there's nothing left but asurances and
restructuring plan with no implementation details. You don't get credit for fixing what the state broke. And as agents of the state, that is on you. Yesterday, the Fort Worth report quoted
Dr. Lacata saying, "We are not reducing special education services. We are not reducing bilingual services." We're going to hold that statement to two specific questions. We want answers. First, the district is cutting diagnosticians, the people responsible for completing federallymandated
evaluations within 45 days. That's not a re recommendation. That's the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act idea, and that is federal law. Thank you, [applause] Josiah. [applause] Amanda
>> [applause] >> Hi, my name is Josiah. I am in third grade and one reason I do not want to be in this district is these A and B partners. It's not good. The seconds is
too short. I cannot finish my sentence. Another reason before the time goes off. Another reason is the DOS are stressing for me and other kids. These reasons are
bad for me. Even though I got masters, I and >> I still need help and stop th this injustice. [cheering] >> [applause]
>> Laura Rose and Laura Rose. [snorts] How do I follow that? You're so cute. My name is Laura Rose and I am a proud parent of a freshman in Fort Worth ISD. I also serve as the president of the PTSA at Young Men's Leadership Academy.
The mission of the Texas PTA is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. The concern I bring before you tonight directly impacts that mission
and the future of every student at YMLA. We were recently made aware of Fort Worth ISD's intent to reduce the post-secary specialist position at YMLA. We believe this decision directly conflicts with the district's stated commitment to college career and
military readiness under pillar 4. On page 49 of tonight's agenda, the board is being asked to approve theou for the PEK program at YMLA. We support strong pathways for our young men, but reducing the very position responsible for
helping build and manage those pathways does not align with that goal. My son will speak next about his personal experience and how helpful Mr. Santiago, YMLA's postsecondary specialist, has been to him and other students. Over the
last four years, YMLA has already lost several critical support positions, including the college and career readiness coach, MHMR navigator, interventionist, de data analyst, testing coordinator, and the family
engagement specialist. Removing the postsecary specialist position now and expecting the assistant principal to absorb these responsibilities is unacceptable. This is not a small administrative duty. This is a full-time role that supports
CCMR, testing, post-secary planning, and the PEK program. YMLA serves both middle school and high school students across seven grade levels, which makes this work even more complex and essential. Our young men
deserve dedicated support as they prepare for life after graduation. They deserve more than minimal coverage. They deserve intentional guidance, consistent planning, and someone whose role is focused on helping them succeed beyond high school. We respectfully ask the
board and district leadership to reconsider the reduction of the postsecondary specialist position at Young Men's Leadership Academy. And earlier, Mr. Walker stated that the transformational change can't happen when you uh he he mentioned trans
transformational change and that can't happen when you reduce this position. Thank you. [applause] >> Next speaker is Elijah Rose. >> Hello, my name is brother Elijah Rose from the private dumbar. I attend Young Men's Leadership Academy and I'm on the
student council. Um before I begin, if anyone is wondering, that is what we call a wide greeting. It's meant to establish a strong first impression and inform others what direction our life is going. Um life direction is a major topic of my speech. Recently, it has
come to my attention the post-secary specialist position, the position in charge of dual credit and key coordinator of our ACT and SIT scores is being reduced. This is a decision I strongly advocate against. Um, I have always believed in the importance of
pursuing a higher education. I personally want to pursue and have made it my goal to achieve a doctoral degree in the fields of health because I believe in helping and giving back to my community. To further my goal, I take AP
honors uh dual credit courses and uh several other courses to help further my objective of attaining an associates degree before I graduate. The post-secary specialist position in
my school is held by Mr. Santiago who is a excellence um man. He's helped me throughout my year with my dual credit courses. I've had several issues with
contacting my professors and IT issues. I know without a doubt I would not have been able to get through this year without his assistance and help. Uh now to credit is a very valued course at Wimle
that course would not be possible without our specialist Mr. Santiago [snorts] um who helps achieve or helps us achieve our wonderful establishment of the AP
and SAT scores and ACT scores in our school. Removing this position would jeopardize the success of future WLE scholars and many scholars from around the district by preventing them from taking a major leap to their future. However, in the ends, I respect your
final decision, but ask that you reconsider the reduction of his position and the postse secondary specialist position. Thank you. [applause] >> Speaker is Michael Cohen and Michael
Cohen will be followed by Dia Hester. Go take my medicine. [snorts] [snorts] Good evening. Mike C76123. I'm a concerned Fort Worth taxpayer and a Tarant County precinct chair. I am a proponent of public education. It has
served me well. I support a robust focus on student performance, academic outcomes, and accountability. I call upon the board to adhere to all applicable state laws, including SB12,
which bans DEI and GSA, GSA activities in school districts. I support directing district resources toward core academic priorities and student success. I understand that that this downsizing is
necessary and particularly given the district has lost around 20,000 students since 2016. Specifically, I urge you to proceed with eliminating DEI related positions to
include specialists in restorative practices, specialists in equity and excellence, the coordinator of restorative practices, and the closure of the INI INA school.
As Superintendent Lacado has stated, this restructuring will not reduce bilingual or special educational services and those services will be m maintained or strengthened. I believe those changes ensure taxpayer dollars
are aligned with academic achievement and legal requirements. I believe the board of managers is working to move Fort Worth ISD in a better direction and I support that effort. I have faith in
you. You will succeed. However, accountability is key. Thank you for your time and leadership. >> Our next speaker is Dia Hester and Dia Hester will be followed by LSE Castro. >> [snorts]
>> My name is Dia Hester. I started in Fort Worth in the year 2000 at Leonard's sixth grade campus. It is no secret that Fort Worth has a literacy crisis. Last year as librarian, I worked with every teacher in the English department at Western Hills High School. I had classes
visit the library each month to check out books for class assignments and personal reading time. I checked out more books per student than any other high school in the district. In the second week of school this year, an English teacher came to me and said, "The English classes will not be
visiting the library this year. We now have a scripted timed curriculum. There is no time to visit the library or for students to read for pleasure in class. There's no drop everything and read time. There's no sustained silent reading time. There are no book reports. There are no reading projects. There are
no research projects. This year, I checked out one-third as many books as last year. I spent most of the year in the library fixing MacBooks, broken screens, Wi-Fi connection issues, class link app issues, getting a device
to our new students, and turning in devices from leaving students. I don't mind learning about these new technology issues because I like learning about new things, and I do expect my role as librarian to change over the years. But I did not expect my entire role and
most of our students learning to now be in front of a MacBook screen. Our students are on their screens for the majority of the school day. [snorts] Their assignments are on devices. They sit in AB rows facing the front of the room staring at their screens. Some of their courses are taught without a
teacher on campus. They sit in the library or another room on campus. And they click through modules until they pass. They take tests on their MacBooks. They take practice tests on their MacBooks. They watch YouTube on their MacBooks.
Is this how you learned in school? Or do you remember certain teachers who told you amazing things and projects where you engage deep with the learning, finding a skill or an art you never knew you had inside you? Did you read whole novels? Did you learn how to research
how to prove your point? This is the kind of learning that we remember our whole lives and make some of us want to go into education to pass on to our students. Last year, the librarians were not included in the statewide longevity raise for teachers. Again, this year,
librarians are not included in the 5% raise that teachers are getting. We still love our jobs. It is no secret that Fort Worth has a literacy crisis. What students are not doing is reading. If you want students to read, consider prioritizing books over MacBooks. And
please value your librarians. [applause] [cheering] Next speaker is LS Castro is all right. Is Anna Carlson here? >> Okay. Uh
Tren Dorsy Hollands. No, she's [clears throat] Cindy Johnson. Gerald Marcel, [clears throat] >> thanks for hanging in there, Mr. Marcel.
We were on a bad streak there. >> Wouldn't you miss it for a world? I'm Gerald Marcel and I'm an I FWD volunteer. I was born and raised in Fort Worth. I went to public schools here. When I
retired, I moved back to Fort Worth in 2020 and via my church, I immediately got involved with INA. Since that beginning, I have continued helping set up classrooms, multiple campuses. You
guys keep moving them to [sighs] helping direct students on the first few days of school cuz they can't read. They don't know right from left. They don't understand our English. They can't get where they need to get.
and donations helping the families behind the students. Our church, other churches, we have worked with them to get things that those people need. They don't understand
all of the rhymes and reasons of the United States when they don't understand the language. So these kids and these teachers are unique in every way. The students initially
come here without knowing English. So everything is totally new to them. They're scared. They're timid. But after I interfaced with the school later in the year, things were looking up. They were able to talk to me. They they had
some English. Yes, we are making progress. They know English. They know math. They know social studies and science. They're on their way to success. But their future is in that being able to
learn the language. This could not occur without dedicated teachers who have learned over time how to properly help these students succeed. It is a gift and a passion that these teachers for these students have.
>> [clears throat] >> I think if you, the board, do not properly support these new American students in a dedicated school like INA, your ratings on other schools where these kids end up and don't have the
understanding of the English language. Your ratings are going to go down on those campuses and you're not going to achieve your numbers that you think you want. I've heard a lot about plans, but I hadn't seen or heard anything that makes
me feel that y'all know what you're doing and you haven't talked to the right people to get the information. All of you are to blame for that. >> Thank you, m Mr. Marcel. [applause] Our
next speaker is Adrienne's foresight who is a minor. So Adrien may have had to go home to bed get ready for school. Is Adrien not here? So um
and I'm guessing that Trisha Foresight was with Adrien and she's not here either. So um Bahista and I may mispronounce this name probably will
s e r yeri >> thank you miss will be followed by shainus starks >> good evening my name is beha It is tricky, so don't worry about that. And I'm a parent at North High and also a Fort supporter. I'm here tonight
because I'm deeply concerned about the proposed staff reductions, especially in areas that directly support our most vulnerable students, including our sped therapist and bilingual education. I've spoken directly with professionals in our schools, those that work in dualia,
dyslexia, dual language, and speech pathology. And what I heard was consistent. These cuts will reduce support where students need it most. Our sped specialists are already stretched thin. There is concern that they may be asked to cover multiple campuses even
more than they are or lose time with students. When that happens, intervention time decreases. And when intervention decreases, students fall behind, but not just individually in the classroom as a whole. We've seen this before in this district. This is what
I've been told. When leadership has been reduced and too many roles are placed under one director, support breaks down, needs go unmet, and staff become overwhelmed. That is not a theory. It's our history. There is also concern that dyslexia services will be targeted next
when the goal should be one specialist per school. Dyslexia, speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, these are not optional programs. These are federally protected services under special education law. Reducing them doesn't eliminate the
need. It just shifts the burden onto already struggling systems, teachers, and families. And beyond job titles, these staff members are part of the fabric of our schools. They run programs. They support events. They build relationships with students, even
the ones that they don't see. When you remove them, you remove stability and connection. I also want to highlight the impact on bilingual and dual language programs. Both my kids are in dual language at North High. These programs have already seen reductions in support
staff and somehow the teachers are persevering. Coordinators who once helped teachers and supported cultural programs are disappearing. We could lose our special summer program where we have the students come from Mexico. These programs don't just teach language. They build identity, culture, and belonging.
Losing them is not just an academic loss. It's a community loss. So I ask, what is the plan to replace these positions in their services? Where is the data showing that these changes will improve outcomes? And how will you ensure students don't fall further behind? Because from where we stand,
this does not look like efficiency. It looks like a reduction in support for the students who need it most. In fact, it feels like Fort Worth ISD is pushing a culture that doesn't emphasize differences. I'm hearing from families, unfortunately, including my own, who are considering other options if student
support and opportunities are reduced. We can afford private school, but we don't want to. We support public school. We are proud. We are proud citizens from public school. And many of our students are currently the district's highest academic performers. So, think about how
that's going to contribute to overall outcomes. This isn't about comparing students. It's about recognizing that strong programs help all students succeed and sustain district performance. Thank you, Miss [applause] Esby. Followed by Shaina Starks, um [clears throat]
Ryan Martin. >> She left. So, they passed a note. Uh [snorts] Diane Simons Ryan Martin. >> Oh, Ryan Martin. All right. >> Yeah. I don't know how you missed me. >> I can't say you slipped up on me,
>> right? >> So, my name's Ryan. Uh, I'm a parent of a sec fourth grader at North Highman Elementary. Sorry. Okay. I'm a parent of a fourth grader at North Highman
Elementary. Good. Uh, my sign here just says Fort Worth ISD board. Don't drink the Kool-Aid. [applause] And uh, yeah, I'm aware that I look a little foolish tonight. In fact, when I told my wife I ordered this outfit, she
said, "Surely you're joking, right?" And I said, "You know, that sticks with me because that was the reaction I had when I read the plans presented by y'all tonight. [snorts] I was I was shocked to hear that among this administration's first order of
business that you would consider closing the International Newcomers Academy and eliminate dozens of special education and speech pathology jobs. The parents and community members who have spoken here tonight have expressed concerns with more passion and specificity than I ever could. So, I'll simply echo the
core point. The path you've chosen feels both premature and incomplete. Dr. Dr. Lacata, I've appreciated your weekly email communications outlining goals like delivering more student resources right where they're needed, narrowing achievement gaps, and expanding programs to better prepare our
kids. Those are the right priorities, but we need more than intentions. We need clarity. I respect I respectfully ask that the district provide campus level staffing plans, clear timelines, and defined metrics for success. Without specifics, the decisions we'reighing
tonight feel like they're happening in reverse. Actions first, plan second. And I trust that you've heard many of us make that same point here tonight. So, in closing, I ask the board to consider three simple things. [snorts] Please don't force awesome, dedicated Fort
Worth ISD employees to lose their jobs. Please don't eliminate positions or close INA before a clear plan exists to maintain or enhance student services. And please don't approve major changes simply because you've been told that big changes are needed fast. The decisions
you make today will shape our district for years to come. They deserve transparency, deliberation, and care. Without that, if board members simply forge ahead and drink the proverbial Kool-Aid, I fear that you'll find yourself up here feeling remorseful and
looking as foolish as I do tonight. Thank you. [applause and cheering] Next speaker is Diane [applause] Simons. Is Miss Simons here? Next speaker is Wendy Dwire Johnson, Zanetta Crawford,
Jayen Salvador, Drew Brown, >> [snorts] >> Gordon Appleman I don't see him here Jelene Turner and number our speaker 104 Sergio Arisal Zabal and requires a translator
and a person with a translator is entitled to six minutes. >> Good evening. It's been a rather passionate night, hasn't it? Have a people that have feel very strongly about the reasons that they have come
here. My name is Jill Turner. Jack and Jill Turner rhymes with learner. I've been an educator for 23 years. >> [snorts] >> Three of those years were spent at Brigham Young University as I got my bachelor's degree and master's degree in
child development and emphasis in early childhood education. We moved to Fort Worth in 1992. We over in the white settlement area. I substituted for two years in the white settlement district and then we moved to
Fort Worth in 2000. So, I've been in Fort Worth, Fort Worth ISD for 26 years. Six of our nine children are products of Fort Worth ISD. I substituted for another eight years in Fort Worth ISD,
5 days a week. That's a lot of schools. That's in a lot of classrooms all across our district. I then went into resource and inclusion for three years. And then I went into special education where I've been for
nine years. And I was so excited when I saw that we were going to get a 5% salary increase. The teacher was saying in uh the lunchroom, we're getting a 5% increase. My husband said, you're getting 5% increase. And then I looked at the fine print.
Even though I hold a master's degree and I have 23 years of education experience, I'm a teacher assistant. That 5% does not apply to me. Yet, I bring all of that experience every day
into my classroom. Somebody needs to do that. Don't you want the best qualified to do that? Because those teachers that have an assistant in their classroom cannot do their job without the assistants there.
Not only our assistants, but you want this beautiful curbside appearance, our custodians, our cafeteria, our nurses that are there, everyone in this
building, these are Fort Worth ISD employees that deserve that 5% as well because we are here for every child, every student in our classroom. Yeah.
Say, did anyone understand what I was saying? I counted to 10 and I said the days of the week in Cantonese. You got a firsthand experience of what it is like for these language learners.
Yeah. [cheering and applause] >> You know, I may I ask you to say your name because I we had gotten >> it is Jelene, but I said Jill because I want you to remember Jack and Jill. Turner rhymes with learner.
>> Okay. >> Thank you. [applause] Next speaker is Sergio Arisabal. Next speaker is Annette Crea Yaro and she will be followed by David Rodriguez. Before I get started, I know that somebody
walked in right after you called their name, so I wanted to see if >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. [gasps] Okay. In 1978, the Office of Civil Rights wrote a letter to Fort Worth ISD
pleading for improvement in support of less than 2,000 LEAP students, limited English proficiency. Coincidentally, 1978 is when my mother was moved from Mexico. She was 15 and
did not attend Fort Worth ISD high school at Fort Worth ISD high school because she did not have the support that she needed to approach a high school education at that time. I attended Fort Worth ISD as an ESL student and then when I was transferred
to a different school district, I was the only child in my first grade class that could read an entire book in English on the first day of school. >> [snorts] >> I elected to bring my child to attend a Fort Worth ISD school because of the support that I knew was here. He is now
thriving in a dual language program and I couldn't be more proud of him. I also have had the privilege of providing therapy to various students in Fort Worth ISD, Tarant County and in eight other surrounding counties within the past few years. And in that
position, I collaborated a lot and very closely with the faculty members at numerous schools in all of those counties to help ensure that the students have their needs met and that the families have their needs met as well. And I say all of that because I have been so impressed by the support that
the students receive at the International Newcomers Academy and by the student outcomes that I've observed throughout the years. The dedication that I have seen there has really been unmatched. I am personally very moved by the work and the outcomes that I've seen produced
by the emergent bilingual department at Fort Worth ISD. They are actually and I promise you all signs that lead to that is they are the biggest reason why we chose to bring our kid to Fort Worth ISD schools.
Closing down INA and critical positions in the emergent bilingual department means stripping approximately 28,000 students in Fort Worth ISD of equity and access to content and comprehension that is necessary for them to succeed.
Meaning directly impacting approximately 40% of the student population in Fort Worth ISD today. That's slightly less than 28,000 students who currently qualify for language support services in comparison to 2,000 students in 1978.
These students do not if these students do not have targeted content and support that they need, we will see lower success rates in the district. And if they do not succeed in their education, we as a city do not succeed either. Thank you.
[applause] Our next speaker is David Rodriguez and Mr. Rodriguez will be followed by Saya Sad. [clears throat] So I'd like to start off with I don't have any skin in this game to be honest. I'm just a Fort Worth taxpayer. But I'd like to say that as a
proud son of a migrant, I want my tax dollars to go to supporting migrant families and their education. This decision and it's been heard and I've heard it echoed all night about this supposed plan that y'all have that
doesn't appear to be a plan at all. And so what's going to happen with these staff when you decide to get rid of their jobs? Are they and some people said they haven't even been contacted for any jobs. And then if they can't
find a job, are you just going to sit there and place the blame on them because they somehow weren't prepared enough in order to remarket themselves or whatever. And on another note, as far as I keep hearing
financial impact, financial uh fiscal responsibility, all these things, but once again, we're ranked 47th in the state of education. Uh we have a $24 billion surplus held by Greg Abbott. And amongst 254 counties in the
state of Texas, if that was distributed equally, Taran County would have at least received $94 million, which I'm sure is enough to cover any kind of shortfall that we have here.
And you know, another thing is that I heard this there's this thread that keeps being brought up and this is and this thread keeps being brought up all throughout Karen County Commissioner's Court, Fort City Council. It's this idea of legality. Well, let me tell you, everybody knows slavery once was was
once legal at some point, >> right? >> Child labor as young as 3 years old was legal at one point. >> And then now you're using and we're hearing this rhetoric, this framework of legality in order to once again displace
these migrant children from their friends and from their loved teachers. And as far as core academics, refocus on core academics, I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, my
fellow teachers out there. Math, that's a core academic, right? >> Yes, sir. >> Y'all teach that there? >> Yes, sir. >> Science, >> reading, >> oh, well, it kind of looks like they're already focusing on all the right things. Thank you for your time.
[applause] Rodriguez our next speaker say did I get it close and then after that Dr. Lzelia pinon >> I am say and uh I would say from
last two and a half years I'm following forward ISD from the only speaker to 111th speaker that's the performance of forward ISD and uh the I would say more
informed parent showed up to uh this meeting. Well, my favorite topic a lot of people know here but uh this board probably does not uh hear me uh before it was it is Tarant appraisal district. Whenever I showed up I talk about
appraisal district. So the last year Tarant appraisal district overvalued 190,000 residential properties property owners pays property tax based on those values. Uh
this information is obtained through an open record request. Only one Tarant County resident did it and that calculated the lowered market values for for over 190,000 properties but did not release it to the property owners and
the only reason behind that is their own reappraisal plan. uh chief appraiser showed it to them several on several occasions but uh they just denied it in an executive session. The only reason this information is public because one
resident requested it. Tad is doing the same thing again this year. So most pro people think that they do not need to protest because their property values are not changing this year. That assumption is not will cost thousands of
people just like it did last year. Most property over value. They never seen this data unless someone someone show it to them. I encourage every property owner or business owner in Tran County to please go and protest your value. The
deadline to protest is May 15. Uh uh some people know that the Chandler Crouch is having a property tax uh property tax protest town hall this Saturday, May 2nd at 10:30 a.m. at Komao Center. And uh uh for this board, TED
has a closed dooror entity meeting. You can show up as a board member. Uh April 30 at 10:00 a.m. only your CFO has that information and uh you you know get this information directly from chief appraiser about your new values. When
you are charging them premium prop uh amount as a property taxes, people deserve premium services as well. My own school district is a recapture district. I do not live in forward ISD but over
the period since the re uh Robin Hood started they already paid over billion dollars to the state. Uh I am on November ballot for tenant appraisal district. So hope to get votes from uh not only forward ISD residents
but the rest of the county as well. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you ma'am. Our next speaker is Dr. Listelia Pñon and she'll be followed by Lynn Craig. >> Good evening, board of managers and
superintendent Buenastaldes. My name is Dr. Alles Pon and I'm an education associate with IDRA, an independent nonpartisan nonprofit committed to achieving equal educational opportunities for every child through strong public schools that prepare all our students to access and succeed in
college. We have been fighting for emerging bilingual students for over 53 years in Texas. I have spent my career as both a bilingual educator and a mother advocating for students who too often must fight just to be seen. For the past three years, I served on a TA
committee that developed the bilingual special ed teacher certificate, a certificate that was newly adopted by the SBOE in September of 2025. That work was about building stronger systems so emerging bilingual students, especially those with the greatest needs, receive
the specialized support that they deserve. So, I come to you not as an advocate, but as someone who has helped build solutions at the state level. This current proposal raises some serious concerns about educational equity, program effectiveness, and compliance
with federal and state obligations to serve our emerging bilingual students. Fort Worth ISTD serves approximately 28,000 emerging bilingual students, including more than 2100 newcomers. Many of these students are navigating not only the challenge of learning English,
but also interrupted or limited formal education. Some arrive without literacy in their home. Many arrive without English. Some are unschooled. Some can't even yet read or write in any language. That's the key word yet. Because INA
changes this. As a TCU College of Ed student, I was an educational leadership doctoral student. I observed INA and I was so inspired by what I saw. The research is clear that newcomer students, particularly students with limited or interrupted education. They
require specialized intensive coordinated support to succeed academically. Prods like INA are designed specially to meet these needs. The proposed closure of INA and the distributing of students appears to be framed as a shift of
services rather than an elimination. However, research and experience demonstrate that when a supports for emerging bilingual students are fragmented or diluted, student outcomes suffer. Strong programs require intentional coordinated systems,
not scattered or inconsistent services. Let's talk about some practical and legal concerns. Under Plyer and DO, all children regardless of immigration status have the right to a free public ed education. Under Lao and Nickels, student districts must take affirmative
steps to ensure that students who are not proficient in English can meaningfully access to education. District data further underscores the urgency of this issue. with overall enrollment has declined. Emerging bilingual student has increased
indicating a growing need. So I urge you don't make short-term decision that creates long-term harm. Do not dismantle the very support that makes success possible. Listen to your community. Listen to the LAA. Listen to the law and protect the students.
>> Thank you Dr. Pon. [applause] >> Next speaker is Lynn Craig. Hi, I'm Lane Craig. As a reminder, you were appointed to improve student outcomes. You were not appointed to balance the budget. It is shocking and confounding to me that one
of your first moves to improve these academic outcomes is to remove the bloat from the departments that serve the students most at risk, the students who should be your top priority. The special education and bilingual populations are not shrinking in the
same way district o enrollment overall is. To make cuts in these areas is not only inequitable but illogical. If cuts are needed, they need to be made in areas where we are actually seeing enrollment loss. Moreover, the kinds of positions being cut raises a lot of red
flags to me as it should for all of you. Many of these positions, particularly in special ed and speech therapy, but also in the bilingual departments, are held by specialists with post-graduate training and or certification in their specific fields. These are highly trained professionals, some of some of
whom have given up more lucrative work elsewhere to contribute to public education in their communities. While these roles are being eliminated, roles like learning facilitator are being created. This job, which involves overseeing mastery labs, where students are supposedly going for enrichment
after they have completed their DOS, not only doesn't require a teaching certification, but does not require any post-secary degree, not even an associates degree. As professionals yourselves, do you truly think that replacing a number of degreed and credentialed employees in
your workplaces with untrained and uncertified workers is a path to improve outcomes? If you have children in the district, are you excited about some of the most specialized employees at their schools being let go while facil facilitators without qualifications are hired?
If you didn't attend public school or didn't send your kids to Fort Worth ISD, do you really feel comfortable declaring through your actions that kids like mine don't deserve the bare minimum of being taught by teachers with certifications or at least college degrees? I understand that you've been formed
that this is that this is your first year and your job is to say yes. And I think we can all think of examples where people's whose job it is to say yes have said no and history is better for it [applause] to say your name. I'm afraid
>> lame. >> Okay, that's what I thought who I thought you were and they were passing me notes saying that you weren't. I I remember you from your days of all advocacy. >> Don't forget. >> Um, our next speaker, and I don't see
her here, Juliet George. Oh, there she is. Welcome, Miss George. >> Oh, dear. Sorry. Can you hear me? I'm Juliet George of Fort Worth, an [clears throat] alumni of several public
schools in our Fort Worth's Arlington Heights, an educator's daughter, a retired teacher of Spanish and social studies, former world languages department chair at North Side High School, and former adjunct instructor of
US history at Weatherford College. I'm retired. Um, I'm going to save thank yous till the end in case I have a few more minutes in hopes that I am addressing people who are not completely galvanized against
educating and welcoming as we educate. I tell you that doing away with the International Newcomers Academy and dismissing its faculty and staff not
only makes learning and adapting more much more challenging. It also telegraphs yet another brazenly xenophobic message to those students, their families,
everyone who knows them and works with them and to the world. It says, "Newcomers, your new managers have removed the lamp that was lifted long ago beside the golden door."
There's another door that I'm thinking about. It's the door to the auditorium at Strippling Middle School. Um the words inscribed there are by Miraabo B Lamar.
An educated mind is the guardian genius of democracy. And I hope you will think about that because those who succeed thanks to something not like this academy are very
likely or more likely to come come about into the world and contribute some great things. Uh I want to thank fellow educators Shaughness and Ali Czecha
uh and als for their media po uh social media posts that alerted me to this and local reportage by Ker News Fort Worth report and probably the star telegram I didn't see that and I want to thank Mr.
Garin for unfailingly diplomatic moderation. Thank you. [applause] >> Next speaker is Gabriella Ramirez. >> Next speaker is Norma Garcia Lopez. >> Okay.
Good evening. Um, I really don't know how to follow up, you know, behind these educators and these parents. Um, listening to all of them is just enrages me more than ever. Uh, it's heartbreaking. Um, and I want to ask y'all, where is your introduction to the
community been? Um, because we y'all haven't been formally introduced to the community. Y'all haven't gone out there. Um, how many of you board of managers attended with Dr. Lacata to the newcomer Academy? I mean, your job is to hold him accountable. So, how do you know what
he's doing is correct? And how do y'all know that the decisions y'all are being or you're making is accurate? How many how many of you have you visited these educators, this newcomer academy? Um, the community is we're we're right now
you don't your information is vague. Um, and decisions like this are not explained. Of course, it creates confusion, mistrust, and anxiety. Um, these are students learning English while also adjusting academically,
socially, and emotionally to an entirely new environment. I was an undocumented student at Fororth ISD. I know what it feels like, and I wish I had an INA when I started my academic uh journey in
Fororth ISD. Uh now I make noise to be here. I am a thea that will continue making noise. I want to know how will these students be supported once they supposedly if they are placed in their home campuses. What specific training,
staffing and ongoing resources will be provided to ensure teachers are fully prepared to support emergent bilingual learners not just academically but also in terms of language development and social emotional needs. How will the schools are already managing large class
sizes and limited resources be equipped to absorb these students with specific instructional needs? But most of all, I want to acknowledge something that many families, including myself, I take this very personable. In a time when our communities are being attacked by the
racist, hateful rhetoric that's going on and especially of some people that were in here, how are you making these decisions? the your your p the perception matters because if even though it's not the intent that's what it looks like for many immigrant
families this can be unsettling and it raises real concerns whether these children are still fully valued and supported in our district so I I ask again where are the actual plans the decisions you're making what are you
basing it on I haven't seen the videos or the introductions on NBCA news yet, but I look forward to it. But board of managers, it's your job to make sure Dr. Lacata is doing his job, but also it's our job to hold you accountable, that
you're doing what you're supposed to, doing the research and everything else. >> Thank you for your comment. [applause] I was passed a note that Diana Simons um >> I beg your pardon
>> Janetta Crawford's on the list and she's here >> and Janetta Crawford has returned. Um and beggar pardon what is your name? >> Diane Simons. >> Okay, thank you Miss Simons. >> Oh, thank you. Well, glad y'all are still awake. So hopefully I'll avoid the
death. So, uh, I'm trying to stay awake myself, but, um, I'm here today to speak about our international newcomer Academy students. Young people who are already overcome enormous challenges just to sit in our classrooms. These students are
not just learning math, science, and history. They're learning English, learning a new culture, learning a new school system, and often healing from major life disruptions like migration, displacement, or separation from family.
A new C newcomer academy exists for a reason. It provides a safe and supportive environment where students can build language skills, confidence, and stability before transitioning into a traditional campus. But when students are forced to leave chirly before they
are academically, emotionally or linguistically uh ready, we are not setting them up for success. We are setting them up to struggle. Imagine walking into a classroom where everyone speaks a language you're still learning. Where the lessons move faster
than you can process and where asking for help feels intimidating. That's the reality for many newcomer students who transition too soon. And the impact is serious. Students can fall behind academically. Their
confidence can drop. Attendance can suffer. Some may disengage entirely, not because they lack ability, but because they lacked enough time and support. Education should meet students where they are, not rush them to where the system wants them to be. Transitioning
students should be based on readiness, not timeliness. It should be based on language growth, academic progress, and emotional preparedness, not seat count, or administrative convenience. When we invest in newcomer students, we invest in our future. These students bring
resilience, culture, perspective, and determination into our schools. They deserve the chance to build a strong foundation. I urge this district to reconsider policies that push newcomer academy students out too early. Give educators
flexibility. Trust the professionals working directly with these students. And most importantly, listen to the students and families themselves. Success is not about how quickly a student leaves a newcomer program. Success is about how well they thrive
after they transition. Let's make sure they are building bridges for these students, not barriers. And um also um I wanted to give this to the board today. Um it says we matter and the students
actually signed this from [applause] >> [applause] >> Oh, I got seven seconds. And they also said, "This is my safe place. Um, it's the best school. It's my house. Please don't close the school."
[applause] >> Now, someone said that someone who had been passed over has shown up. Um, >> and what is your name? >> Zanetta Crawford. >> All right. >> Yes. >> Thank you for being here.
>> Thank you. >> My name is Zanetta Crawford. Uh, good evening trustees, superintendent, and members of the community. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight and thank you to the INA community.
I serve I serve as the biliterary spe special specialist at international newcomers academy. Every day I work directly with students who are learning English while simultaneously developing literacy in their home language.
Students who are building the foundation for their academic future in two languages at once. For our students, this work is not optional. It's essential. Closing INA and dispersing
our students to their home campuses may seem efficient on paper, but in reality, it moves the very supports that allow them to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.
As a biiteracy specialist, I see firsthand what our newcomer students require. Intentional language development that integrates reading, writing, and speaking and listening across two
languages. Specialized instructional strategies designed for students with interrupted or limited formal education. Culturally responsive teaching that honors their linguistic
identities and builds confidence. A safe, supportive environment where students are not isolated as the only newcomer on a campus. Staff trained specifically in newcomer and
biiteracy pedagogy, not just general ESL. These supports are not addons at INA. They build they are built into every classroom, every schedule, every hallway
interaction. They are the reason our students make rapid academic and linguistic growth. When newcomer students are sent to traditional campuses, though cam those campuses are suddenly expected to
replicate a system that took INA years to build, most campuses simply do not have the structures, staffing or training to meet these students needs at the level required. Thank you for this
time and I appreciate that you have listened to our voices today and I wish the best for the INA students because they are valued and I'm grateful to work in such a community where we value their
education and academics. >> Thank you, Miss Crawford. [applause] Our next speaker is Manuel Valdez. Following Mr. Valdez, Felicia Alba, [snorts] and after Felicia Alba at Barrett Monk.
>> All right. Good evening. I'm number 118 in case anybody's wondering. Um, I am an educator for for Worth ISD as well as a parent to two students here in this district. I am speaking today against the potential closure of
International Newcomer Academy. I began my career as a teacher at INA in 2013, which was actually when the school was housed in this building. During my six years [clears throat] During my six years here, I was surrounded by colleagues who
were passionate about their work, a school cultural culture that was positive, welcoming, joyful, and collaborative, and a student body that was diverse and incredible. Because the school was so unique, we had the privilege through a grant to receive
deep and sustained professional development of an educational program based in social cultural theory. The entire campus used this pedigogy as a foundation to our teaching, engaged in collaboration, refined our craft, and became excellent teachers. We were a
lighthouse and a model for newcomer schools, not just in Fort Worth, not just in Texas, but in the country. Aside from the fact that INA develops and sustains incredible educators, the most important reason to keep INA open is the
students. INA serves newly arrived immigrants and refugees and throughout its 31 years of existence has provided a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for these special students. Students who are not only navigating learning English, grade level
content, but a life in a new country. Through robust community and business partnerships, INA is able to provide students and their families with resources, a sense of community, and a find and a foundation to which to begin
their life, their new life upon. And this is all on top of ensuring that students are engaging in accessible, rigorous, highquality education. I have had the privilege of educating hundreds of students who have continued on to become successful and amazing adults.
many of which will tell you because they come back and they tell us was due in some part to INA and the adults who taught them, mentored them and cared incredibly deeply for them. The closure of INA would be detrimental and have a lasting negative impact on our students,
their families and the district as a whole. Thank you. [applause] Next speaker is Barrett Monk. And then following Barrett Monk is Pamela Bennett. Good afternoon. My name is Barrett Monk and I currently serve as the choir
director at the International New Cumber Academy. I've had the privilege of teaching there for the past three years and I'm deeply grateful to call INA my professional home. Music has been central to my life, but my journey as a musician began as it does for so many in
a public school classroom. I did not start my musical education early. I joined choir for the first time in 9th grade and found myself in a class of 70 students, every one of whom had prior experience except me. I could not read music. I made frequent mistakes. I felt
out of place. Music, a universal language, was completely unfamiliar to me. I was embarrassed and discouraged. My choir director, one of the most skilled educators I have ever known, was honest with me. He explained that the pace of the class would not allow him to
retach years of foundational material. Instead, he advised me that if I truly wanted to succeed, I needed to learn the fundamentals on my own, beginning at the piano. So, I did. During winter break, I dedicated myself to learning music theory from the ground up. With a small keyboard and borrowed books, I worked
relentlessly. Over time, I progressed from not being able to read music at all to being asked to conduct a song for our concert. I succeeded, but I succeeded largely because I was forced to teach myself. Now, at first, this story may
sound like a testament to determination. However, it is a cautionary one. No student should have to self-educate simply to access learning. If INA is closed, students who are learning not only a new language but a new culture
and an educational system will be asked to do exactly that across every subject every day. Mainstream classrooms, regardless of dedication, often lack the time and specialized resources required to meet the needs of unschooled
immigrant and refugee students. INA exists to bridge that gap. I understand decisions may already be in motion, but I respectfully ask you to reconsider. Future Fort Worth ISD students deserve
access to meaningful instruction, not survivalbased learning, which will happen if INA is closed. INA makes that possible. City leaders cannot sit on the sidelines and hope for the best to quote one of
you. So make ina an elevated newcomer pilot program so it is a solution to your goals rather than an obstacle. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you for your remark. [applause]
Next speaker is Miss Bennett. Thank you for joining us again. Good evening. First of all, I want to thank y'all because me coming to speak to y'all two weeks ago, I was able to get uh one of our campuses that we were supposed to feed into contacted me and I
thanked them, but that wasn't a solution. Also, transportation contacted me and I thanked them, but that was not a solution to my problem. Also, y'all sent someone out to me that was able to see what my problem was, and
she was able to see exactly what I was talking about. So, I'd like to thank y'all for that. But what I'm here for today is not The problem is not that. The problem is closing of my campus. Y'all hold my campus in y'all's hands. The first set of people are not here
anymore. So, we're going to close them out cuz y'all are controlling my building. Now, the thing of it is we have students that walked home. She got to see exactly how many students walk home with me. Not the 60 that we have after school, but she got to see a majority of our students that walked.
And I thank her for walking with me. We have parents and grandparents that walk our kids to school, which one of them is 85 years old, and she walks her grandkids every day and comes back and meets them every day. The thing of it is we have a lot of health issues students
at our campus. So if we call the paramedics, the paramedics controls the problem, but the parents still have to walk them home because they don't have transportation. So if you move us to another campus, how is that parent going to get there to get their child that is sick or their grandchild? That's the
point I'm trying to say in closing of our campus. Another thing is besides that, y'all are saying y'all going to give us a school bus. How would you want your four-year-old or 5-year-old to stand out on a bus stop waiting on a bus that may never come because some of the buses don't even come to our school?
They don't come on time. So, they would be standing out there waiting on the bus. Our kids walk theirel to school every day. I know cuz some of the days I do a walking school bus. So, I walk with them to school every day. As I spoke to you on the last time, it's 1.9 or 1.8 miles to the schools that they are
trying to send us to. I want you to know that besides that, we have a food pantry. So that gives our students and parents food. But to think about I had a student that came to talk to one of our teachers that I feel so strongly about.
I've knew her for over 18 years. We had a student that cried to her and says, "Do you not love us anymore? Is that why we're closing our school?" Do you know how that made that teacher feel? I have never seen a teacher feel that way before. So I heard it for her. I heard from my parents that come and tell me,
"Miss Pam, what are we going to do? Because I have no way to get my child there." When I say a school bus, the still the point is, "How are we going to get our student home if something goes wrong with them?" So, to let you know that a lot of our parents are planning on homeschooling, do you know how that's going to be? Just think about how the
pandemic was when our kids came back one year or two years later and they're so far behind trying to come back to school. That's the way it's going to be if they should try to come back to Forward D. to let you know you hold 300 students and parents in your hands. That's their education. That's their
well-being and that's their future. So, please think about what you're doing. You have a chance to change that cuz you're not the people that's decided to close us. I thank you very much. >> Thank you, Miss Bennett. [applause] >> Next speaker is Mindia Whittier. And Mindia will be followed by Kristen
Clott. My name is Mindia Whittier and I'm a Fort Worth ISD parent including a child with a 504 plan. The media quoted Dr. Laida this week saying, "We are not reducing services. Actually, it probably will increase. How would you know?
You've only been here for 5 weeks. That is insufficient time to conduct credible robust analysis and planning for follow-through. All we've heard is dog whistles about isolation models and segregation based on language. What we have not been provided is concrete
concrete strategies and tactics for what comes next. I hold a master's degree in leading organizations through transition. So I know what scholarly research says about systems change. It overwhelmingly rejects fast and rash change without analysis. The evidence
points to a disciplined, well-prepared approach. The research says that effective organizational change is achieved by moving with urgency but not recklessness. Research explicitly warns that executing change without preparation is likely to fail. If you
skip analysis, stakeholder buyin, and readiness, you're not being bold. You're setting us up for failure. Momentum matters, but urgency must be constructed and communicated, not chaotic. What you are doing with this process is chaotic.
That's why you have more than 130 speakers here tonight. Despite the threat of tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail, you've only been in your roles for five weeks. It would be arrogant to perceive that you are anywhere near informed enough to vote on such
significant matters as reducing emergent bilingual staff or closing the International Newcomers Academy. So where should your focus be? Since most of you have no experience in the classroom, I want to educate you on the most important thing I've learned over two decades as a teacher. Students are
only able to be as successful in the classroom as what their experiences and their circumstances beyond the classroom permit. If you want to quickly impact student achievement, focus your attention there first. Cutting bilingual services does the opposite. Moreover,
the speed and recklessness with which you are pursuing these cuts is a phenomenally bad PR move. It is counter to all the best practices of stakeholder engagement. That's why you had standing room only here tonight. And if you don't want the stakeholders here who are angry
month after month, you need to pump the brakes. Do this right. Speak to the members of the impacted community prepare and present a proper plan to support support the emerging language learners in our district. And shame on you for calling this meeting after
cancelling all the activities tonight. You placed us at risk. The severe weather may not have materialized, but that was only because you dodged a bullet. And if we can't trust you to look after our basic safety, how can we trust your judgment to serve the well-being of our most vulnerable
children? [applause] >> Our next speaker is Reverend Kristen Claude and she'll be followed by Kesha Brazil. >> Okay. Thank you all for hearing us tonight. I'm going to jump right into it. I'm Kristen Claud and I'm addressing you tonight as the secretary of Fort.
Um, first I want to reiterate that Fort wants the district to succeed. Every one of our board members, six of us have kids in the district currently and we agree it is our moral imperative to ensure every child, not just ours, uh, succeeds and fulfills their potential. In that vein, the actions the board is
taking tonight, I think they have unintended consequences that cancel out the stated intent of this reduction in force. How do I know? because I've spoken to many staff on the ground, highly educated and highly successful staff who are being unceremoniously
haphazardly and unilaterally let go. Many of those let go have no intention of reapplying in Fort Worth ISD due to the chaos and perceived lack of care for staff generally. Common sense would tell us that our most highly educated teachers and support staff will be the
ones to easily get jobs in other districts and even other industries, which is happening as we speak. and it's a tragedy and has really long-term consequences. Now, I appreciate the explanatory email that was sent out. I really do. Um, but I have some concerns.
My biggest concern is that your intent to ramp up sped and bilingual district classroom services will be hamstringed by the fact that very few staff are going to want to reapply to work in such instability and chaos. In that email, you said, "Students will continue to receive the support they need. We are
restructuring positions." I ask how how specifically are you restructuring positions? You said this is a change in how support is delivered. Every student will retain access to the same level of support. And again, I ask how. You've heard from so many incredible speech language uh pathologists that have
testified that that's not very probable that they're going to receive the same level of support. [snorts] You said that special education services will continue without interruption. And again, I ask how. You cannot promise that when sped staff are reorganized in any way, services are interrupted. These staff
are not immediately interchangeable. My daughter is a sped student with an autism code, ADHD, and an unusual neurological diagnosis about which staff must be specifically educated. I sent them all PubMed articles. When I met them, they hadn't heard of it. They're amazing, but they had not heard of it.
[snorts] Learning what works for her takes time. Um, her FIEE is over 30 pages long. Um, now I understand that there's going to be staff turnover. I'm I'm I'm sympathetic to that. Um, but it doesn't have to be exacerbated like this. And if you insist on doing it this way, please don't send out emails making
lofty promises that go against common sense. We need more details. We need more transparency, not broad assurances, not false promises. We need a plan that makes sense. And for uh we'll continue to ask for guard rails, please. Uh dialogue with the community. Uh we
believe that uh we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We believe we can save the baby. Thank you. [applause] [applause] Kesha Brazil, Annex Ramos. Okay. Miss Ramos will be followed by
Aaron Perks. Good evening. I'm a little vertically challenged. [snorts] Um, can you all hear me? Um, I'll get right to it. Teachers are continuously told to remember their why. This making it very complicated for me to comprehend decisions that directly affect our wise
like the micromanaging of thermostats and light in rooms and dust, how they're arranged. Scripts and curriculums that strip away our authenticity and the humanity behind teaching and learning. the use of manpower to oversee these things that could be better employed in other urgent matters. The exaggerated
amount of testing where students click away exhausted and frustrated like it has been the past two weeks and the week ahead which is teacher appreciation week. Thank you for that. Nothing says we value you like burning you out and closing a school. >> Testing that will not address our most
serious issues like student apathy. And finally, but most importantly, the elimination of positions and campuses that serve our most vulnerable populations, newcomers, ESLs, special needs. As a newcomer myself, I know what it feels like to be lost and placed in
onle classes, sinking and feeling that I am the most stupid person in the room. These students will be placed in already packed and struggling rooms like my two rooms of 32 and 33. This is an unjustifiable act with all the parties involved. It will not set up students
for success. It will accomplish the contrary and continue to hurt those wonderful test scores districts are so obsessed about. What is the plan besides pretty words on a website? What training will be provided for general ed teachers receiving these students? What supports
for staff to overcome language barriers besides telling us to use Google Translate? How do we expect these students to be successful in onle classes like history or English at the speed you want us to go with these curriculums? And if this is really about budget cuts, why not evaluate cuts that
affect our that don't affect our wise like apps you've purchased in the past year, for example, that I've only used twice for two diagnostics at the sound of $198,000. Schools cannot be run as businesses. And if you choose to run a school as a
business, you need to take care of your employees and your customers. All of us need to remember our why and that includes this board in front of us. Good evening. [applause] >> Our next speaker is Aaron Perks and Miss Perks will be followed by
Charles Bills. I think I saw him leave. Oh no, I see Charles. >> My bad. Good evening. My name is Aaron Perks. I participated in the Lonear governance training with quite a few of you up here and I've also been working
in the community also with many of you. And during that training, we were asked to continue to bear in mind that we are all ultimately working towards the same goal to improve student outcomes. I understand and do not doubt the commitment you have made to the students
of Fort Worth. I also would like to bring into consideration the proposed reduction of force changes that the superintendent has submitted to the board to vote on this evening and its ultimate impact on student outcomes. While Dr. Lrada has addressed a generalized sweeping change that needs
to be made, he has not yet transparently addressed his complete dismantling of the emergent bilingual department and gutting changes of the already overburdened special education program. I am a parent to three students in the two-way dual language program which when
we began this program it was completely unsupported and unstructured except by the teachers in my very own school setting and now it runs as a fully structured and flourishing program under Dr. Mendoza and her department supervision supervision and
implementation with fidelity. I have a child who began with s with speech services with child find and is currently continuing to receive speech therapy from a therapist that you all are considering a vote to eliminate her position for this evening. A speech
therapist who has a full case load and yet has still given my child the gift of words and also made him feel like he matters most when he sees her tomorrow morning. I am also actively working for my child to receive dyslexia services
which he was recently diagnosed with. Something I and others should not have to work so hard to advocate for. But instead, I am met with a long wait while my child is floundering in his class. And yet you want to move diagnosticians. I am still in quue for their services.
Ask any special education family in our district and we will tell you changes need to be made. But the reduction in force issue is focused on changing only the adult inputs and not how it will impact or improve the student outcomes.
Um, also I'll finish with this noting that I only have 40 seconds. According to TEA's own board governance framework, which we all received, the board of managers must set guard rails, superintendent, interim guardrail metrics. These guard rails should reflect and uphold community values. The
haste at which you all are being asked to vote on this measure without fully setting goals, goal progress measures or guardrails is concerning and is outside the scope of TEA's own framework for a board of managers. I ask that you each fully reject the reduction of force
proposal until basic TEA board governance framework has been met so that any changes made are done so purely and to positively impact student outcomes going forward. Thank you. >> Thank you. [applause] Next speaker is Charles Bills and Mr.
Bills will be followed by Carrie English. I'm wondering if there's any precedent of announcing you're going to close a campus and then a week later you're going to vote on it without any public input at all except this. Uh, and I'm
wondering about the veracity of your claims that it's just a that having a a special academy for newcomers is a plan that will go fail and you want them just to integrate in the regular stu schools. And I can see the idea. you want them to
sink or swim and the kids that sink are going to drop out. They won't be tested and you could pretend they never existed. Um, or maybe you just are think our glor glorious leader Greg Abbott is going to send all the non-English speakers to detention camps or get them
deported. Or maybe you think the charter schools with their new government taxpayer large are going to take on these students out of the goodness of their heart. Um, I implore you to delay this at least and
tell us exactly how you're going to integrate these students. You know, give us some time to discuss it. Thank you, [applause] >> Carrie English.
Carrie's not here. David Hayer [snorts] and Mr. Hayer will be followed by Katie Wilggas. Wow. I I've learned so much tonight, but I was stunned by one troubling fact that I heard just a few minutes ago
that librarians have been cut out of the teacher raise that you're proposing for next year. Librarians are teachers. A school librarian in Texas must be a certified teacher before becoming a school librarian.
So board members, I'm going to ask you direct the superintendent to correct that injustice. Now what I really came to speak about, there's nothing really that I can add to what's already been said about the value
of INA to our community. So I'm going to start by expressing my appreciation to you board members for agreeing to take on this monumental task. I, like you, gave up a weekend that I'll
never get back to attend that very odd lonear governance training. I recognize that this is not easy, but I trust that you as community members, community leaders will do what is right
and not what is expedient. Remember, student outcomes are to take priority over adult outcomes. We learned that in in that that training. Dr. Lacata, when your appointment was
announced, I was willing to give you the benefit over my doubt. However, in the last week, your actions and your statements have caused my doubt to be confirmed.
With all due respect, sir, you've not been here long enough to know to know our community, our culture, and our school district. The way you have rolled this out is
[snorts] disrespectful to our valued teachers and to all Fort Worth ISD stakeholders. So board members, I'm going to ask you tonight to do three things. One, don't act on
this tonight after midnight. Two, when it comes time to take this item up for deliberation and action, deliberate this in open session as called for in the Texas Open Meetings Law. I mean really deliberate. Don't decide how you will vote in executive session and come in here and just merely take a vote. If you
decide to vote in favor of closing INA, we want no, we deserve to hear you state why. Lonear Governor calls for us for you to build trust with the community. How you handle this will determine whether you
build that trust with the community or not. [applause] >> Thank you, Mr. Hayther. Katie Wilggas and Adrien Haynes following Miss Wilggas.
>> Yes. Good. Good evening, Dr. Lacata and board members. I am a Fort Worth ISD mom of four. Two are in school at Lily B. Two are at home with me. And um I'm also a Fort Worth ISD substitute and I teach
part-time elementary Spanish outside of the district currently. Um, this evening I wanted to offer a personal anecdote about my daughter who's a second grader at Lilybe. She receives speech therapy from a part-time speech language pathologist. And I credit her progress
so much to that one particular speech language pathologist and they happened to catch it when I raised awareness in her kindergarten year. I brought up my concern and they immediately jumped on it. And I think had there been a delay or not the appropriate staff amount that
would have been delayed for her and had more serious consequences. But thanks to them jumping on it when they did, I I feel like they value her. They've been so intentional. Her speech language pathologist has even catered to her little unique interest um with her
stutter. we were a churchgoing family and she mentioned how Moses stutters and so they talked about Moses and she got so excited and she um even did her little talent show in kindergarten and got on stage which for her was huge um just her confidence hasn't wavered. I've
seen that progress and my fear is that if the part-time speech language pathologists with whom they've developed relationships are taken away, which again I understand turnover, but in this regard it seems so immediate and um unnecessary to be honest. And so I just
think that if you could reconsider that um the reduction of force for speech language that would so immediately affect our kiddos, I think I would value that. And in addition, pardon me, um, yes, basically her speech language
pathologist has been incredible with helping Die find the beauty and the voice God gave her, and Doy's confidence has not wavered. I met with my SLP, our SLP, prior to this meeting and tried to understand why this might be happening. And as y'all heard so many times tonight, um the [clears throat] need for
special education has increased despite the reduction in um students. So, um, I fear I've I've been a teacher at a dual campus before where I have to travel in the middle of the day and I can say how exhausting that is, how
spread thin I felt, how I felt like I had a foot half in, one campus half out. I felt like I wasn't fully present for either campus to be honest and I did a disservice to the students by not being able to be there fully for them. So, I fear that that's going to happen to our
part-time speech language pathologists if they're required to be full-time or something like that or you have a speech language pathologist that's traveling multiple campuses. I just fear that they're going to feel that pull and um feel half-hearted at campuses. Um so, yes, thank you for your time. I
appreciate you being here tonight. Christopher Gomez after Mr. Gomez and Roxan Martinez. Uh good evening. My name is Christopher Gomez. Uh I'm a product of Forth ISD uh by way of Northside High School. Uh and
I'm here to speak about the proposed closure of International Newcomer Academy. Every decision this district makes answers a question about who they believe belongs, who they believe deserves protection, and whose future is
worth planning for with care. And tonight, that question is before this board. International Newcomer Academy serves students who are entering a new country, a new language, a new school system, and a new community all at once.
These are students carrying enormous transition on their shoulders and INA has been one of the places in this district built to meet that transition with educators that have the skills, patience, and trust of those students.
The district has said newcomer students deserve access to more opportunities and they do. They deserve the full promise of public education. They deserve the support that makes those opportunities real.
They deserve these incredible educators who understand newcomer instruction. They deserve staff who know how to help families navigate a system that may be unfamiliar or intimidating. They deserve language access that is ready on day
one. They deserve a school environment where being new is not a source of isolation, but a shared experience. the district has framed this as a civil rights issue, then the standard should be a civil rights standard. That means
transparency. That means proof. That means families knowing where their children are going before a vote is taken. That means educators seeing the plan they are being asked to trust. That means public data that is explained, disagregated, and honest about who INA
serves. If star data is going to be used to justify closing this school, then this board should know exactly what that data includes. Does it account for students who just arrived in this country? Does it account for students with interrupted formal education? Does
it account for refugees, unschooled students, English proficiency? Because the story of INA cannot be told through a chart that does not fully name the children behind the numbers. Recent news reporting says INA teachers
were told that a comprehensive plan exists, but that the specifics could not be shared. It also says district leadership knows where every returning INA student would be sent next year. A plan that exists behind closed doors is not enough for families who have to live with it. I'm asking the board to pull
this item from consent, separate the INA closure from the broader facilities vote, and delay any approval until the district publicly releases a transition plan. Explains the data and identifies the receiving campuses and shows how every unique support currently provided by INA will be preserved, staffed,
funded, and publicly monitored. [applause and cheering] [applause] Roxan Martinez >> [applause] >> I'm Rox Martinez, the elected forth ISTD trustee, parent and advocate for students.
First, let me be very, very, very clear. For ISD is not Broward County. It's not Miami Dade County. It's not Palm Beach County. Our Hispanic and Latino and refugee students are not monolithic.
You're being asked to accept a resolution that eliminates our newcomer academy and redistributes emerging bilingual and special education support. There's really not anything I can say that hasn't already been said, but one thing that stands out to me is there has
been no clear consistent evidence shown that this program change will indeed improve student outcomes. So, a few others just recently have mentioned it and I'm asking you to lean in on the Lonear governance that you were trained in. Should you approve this change, how
will you guarantee that every campus will have the proper staffing, expertise, scheduling, counseling, and academic supports to meet our students needs. If those conditions are not met, this change will reduce support and
integration becomes sink or swim. When it comes to these student supports, I urge you, if anything, tonight, listen closely to those who will be most impacted. This is not about adults and it's not about buildings, but about whole child
support. I'm not here to say things shouldn't change structurally. We must absolutely seek better outcomes for our students. But before moving forward, I ask you lean in on Lonear governance. Do your due diligence. Ask yourself if these
changes are student centered and ask the hard questions. What safeguards are in place to ensure campuses are fully prepared on day one for this shift? How will you ensure services are delivered with consistency and fidelity across our campuses? Because that's continued to be
a problem. How will you monitor impact in real time and intervene quickly if students begin to fall behind? And how will you ensure that our most vulnerable students are not set back by this decision? I'm mostly here tonight to uplift the voice of many forward students, parents, and community members
that could not be here. We need an evidence-based implementation plan. Our students deserve more than assumptions. They deserve a plan grounded in evidence, built to meet their needs, and executed with excellence. We owe that to our kids and our families. I know how
incredibly hard your job is. You were appointed to lead this district in a turnaround. I leave you with this quote by Marian Anderson. Leadership must be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it. Thank you. [applause]
>> Next speaker is Glenn Hutcherson and following Mr. Hutchinson is Karen Perry. >> [snorts] >> My Fort Worth, the Fort Worth I believe in is a welcoming place for newcomers.
I'm here to support the International Newcomer Academy, bilingual programs, and the dual language program in the Fort Worth ISD school system. Tonight, we've heard so many stories from teachers and students. That's the Fort
Worth I know. That's the welcoming place that I love. And so, I urge you to vote no tonight or at least table this vote so that we can talk about this complicated issue in further detail. My
name is Glenn Hutchinson. I'm the father of two students in the dual language program at North High Mount Elementary School. And I'm so proud of that school, the dual language program, and all that it offers for my four-year-old and for
my seven-year-old. And I worry now. I worry about the future of my school with cuts to some of the programs that has made this school district so great. So many great things have already been said tonight. Great points. So, I'm going to say three final things. First of all,
the context of when this is happening. We're in a moment where we're hearing such hateful rhetoric towards newcomers, towards immigrants, and we're talking about closing the International Newcomer Academy in my city. That just doesn't
make sense to me. Also, communication is the second point. I understand that that was not the intent that the services are going to be given to other schools, but none of us understand the details of that plan. We need better communication to the
parents and the members of this community. And the final point I'd like to make is what is your vision for Fort Worth and for our school district? I have been so happy the last four years to be part of a school district that values different
languages, that values different cultures, and I want to make sure that that is the school system that my two children are able to attend. So, I respectfully ask the district to vote no or to table this vote and think about
the Fort Worth that we want. Thank you. [applause] >> Perry and Miss Perry will be followed by Shannon Bull. >> Good evening. First, I just want to say thank you for hearing our voices. It's
been a long night and you guys may have more time than the rest of us do ahead of you. So, thank you. Um, I'm Karen Perry. my three kids and I as a parent volunteer. Um we've had great experiences over the past 10 years at um
five different Fort Worth ISD campuses. So I've got two things I want to say tonight. Hopefully it's not too repetitive. Um, number one, rapid systemwide decisions without clear
evidence that they are grounded in Fort Worth's specific context and community seem risky to say the least. Some of your proposed changes appear to dismantle. I've heard that word tonight
so many times, dismantle. what is working without a clear explanation of why or how you are going to fill the gaps you are creating for our administrative leaders. How are you identifying and protecting
positions and programs that are already producing strong outcomes? Second, transparency and communication are not yet where it needs to be. Right sizing
the district makes perfect sense, but as we've seen and heard tonight, lack of detailed information brought many more speakers here than normal. Families deserve to understand how Fort Worth ISD
is going to continue serving students who benefit from special ed services, INA, and the support support of restorative specialists, post-secary specialists, so many other special positions. Please tell us what the plans
are. Cutting positions is not a plan. Closing a school is not a plan. A plan would tell us who, what, where, when, why, and how our students are going to be served.
[applause] With this level of proposed change, governance and guardrails matter. Strong board oversight is really critical. And this is where we need you, board of managers, to represent Fort Worth with
the needs of our community top of mind, please. So, for the board, I say it again, you've heard it a couple of times already, have you established guardrail metrics for the superintendent? If not, when will you do this? And how
can you possibly vote on major changes before those guardrails are in place? in previous meetings. I'm out of time. We can't afford to to to mess this up, y'all. We're all in this together. Um,
our kids deserve for us to get it right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Perry. [applause] Next speaker is Shannon Bull. Is Miss Paul here? Uh, Russ Boyd. I think I'm next to last. So, everybody
get real excited. No. >> Am I wrong where they're like, "Oh, there's still more." [laughter] >> At some point, I was like, "Well, I'm number Okay. Anyway, >> I'm 136, I think." >> 13. >> This is 132. >> Oh, okay. All right. Well, good evening.
I'm Reverend Russ Boyd. Um, I have served as the senior minister at Ridgely Christian Church just a few blocks north of here uh for the last nine years. And I'm a parent of four uh Fort Worth ISD students in elementary, middle, and high school. Um, I wanted to speak to you
first as a pastor whose church supports INA. Um, I cannot stress enough how this incredible school makes it possible for churches and other community partners to support refugee and immigrant families
in a way that we never could if they were dispersed throughout the district. It has taken years to build this amazing support network of partners who care deeply about our newcomer neighbors. With the closure and downsizing of the
local refugee service organizations, INA has become an even more critical resource hub in Fort Worth for churches like mine who are compelled by the biblical call to support immigrants and refugees. Um, I have consumed to the
best of my ability every available piece of uh information I can find about the district's plan if INA is closed. And I don't see how churches and community partners will be able to effectively continue this work without a dedicated
community and parent coordinator for refugee and immigrant families in the district. And so one of the things I feel may be missing closing INA is is not just detrimental to these students and families. Um, I think it is a huge
loss to the district in terms of these long-term community partnerships that have been going for years and years. Second, I wanted to speak to you as a pastor who uh congregants and community members look to to help them understand
what is happening in our city um for better or worse. Um, less than 3 weeks ago, I came to a clergy meeting organized by Pastors for Texas Children to hear from Dr. Locata and Secretary Garin about uh what we can expect from our newly appointed district leadership
and how we can help. And after that meeting, I will be honest, I was optimistic and I felt like I want to give this a chance. Um and I really took to heart your encouragement to set aside my feelings about the state takeover and
focus on what we can do right now. And so coming out of that meeting, I have been looking for two things to earn my trust so that I feel like I can go to bat for you with my congregation and with others in the community. And the
first thing I have been looking for is are you nonpartisan? Because [snorts] as you've heard tonight, there is so much distrust following the takeover that this is a partisan exercise. That was that three minutes.
>> That is I timed it out. >> Thank you, pastor. >> Next speaker is Randy Jordan and the followed by Mr. Jordan is Alexander Montalva. >> I did not run for school board. I'm not a masochist and I don't like to be
underpaid, but I digress. [sighs] I've heard a lot of talk today. I haven't heard much on personal responsibility. The main job of a parent is to train their child.
And the attitude in this room is you handle it. Now, I come from the business world. When you got a government job, the price doubled. Government is not the answer. We cannot avoid our personal responsibilities.
They are God-given. This country was founded on Jesus Christ. Period. >> And if you move off that foundation, you'll destroy the country, which is what's happening. We got other things happening as well. Um, which of you is
an illegal alien here? Where are you? >> There's there's 17 of you there. >> So, one of you is an illegal alien. >> 20 million. The population 350 million
17.5. >> That is a tremendous financial burden. >> Please give every speaker proper respect. He directed his question at the board. >> Yeah. >> Now, that of course is violation of the
First Amendment. And there's another thing. When a pro football team blitzes a lot, that means they're covering up a weakness. If you are rational, okay? And you've got your packs together and you're standing on the truth will defend itself.
But if you have to overtalk somebody, you're blitzing. You're covering up a weakness. But it's a lack of personal responsibility. This is a problem with America in the schools. If you don't put this in the schools, everything you're saying here is cutting the weeds off at
the ground. It is really not going to work. But it is this. Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon thee. We beg thy blessings on us, our parents, our teachers, and your country. When the Supreme Court in ' 62 declared that unconstitutional, that was a diplomatic
insult to God. We have suffered from that. I was in the sixth grade and I watched it happen. My country is gone. We didn't lock our doors. We didn't have to. All the kids walked to school as much as a mile. Junior high and
elementary. We We got to get this back in the school. Anything you try, it's good intentions, but if you believe the Bible, it ain't going to work. If you don't teach your kids the Bible, their problems will fall
off because they ain't got nothing to hang on to. >> And my critics, >> thank you, Mr. Jordan. I appreciate you being here tonight. >> Really would. [clears throat] >> Our last speaker, Alexander Montalavo.
>> Oh, pardon me. That's not We have some that signed up late. You know, Mr. Montalva, before you got here, we had to uh cut off the mic for somebody who was making personal attacks. So, I'm going to make a deal with you. If [clears throat] you'll only attack me,
uh have at it. If you attack anybody else, then we're going to cut off your mic. But if you'll stick with me, as you're inclined to do, I know. Bring it on. >> Okay. You just made a deal with me, but you didn't cut this other guy off that was saying just racist, horrible stuff,
and you're trying to control my First Amendment right to be here. Give it up, Pete. You're You're not fit for this work. >> Oh, >> all right. So, I'm gonna, as one of the last one of the last speakers, I don't know if I'm the last one. I'm kind of take us back to
the beginning prompted here by Pete's little monologue here. So, y'all want certain decorum and y'all y'all are trying to tone police how we can show up and what we say and what we're fighting for. And I want to be clear,
my student and my kid, these teachers, the students they serve, you don't get to tell us how we show up to fight for them and what we say and what we demand. This is a hostile takeover by the state
of Texas and you expect us to lie down and Rosa you think this is noise if we say anything about this takeover. You are simply showing us that you and most likely Louise here are continuing
this trend of Latino leadership in Fort Worth and Tarant County that is weak and here to serve the Fort Worth way. And I'm not here to do that. So no matter how much you try to tone police the people and the community, it won't
happen because these are our communities, our kids, our families. Things need to be changed. That's absolutely right. Peter, you mentioned status quo in your opening speech.
Do you want to know what the status quo is in Fort Worth and Tarant County in Texas since you're so new here? It's Republican leadership. For 30 years, Republicans have controlled the state legislature. And for 30 years, Republicans have controlled local
government and leadership from the county into the city. And you want us to think that you're here to break status quo. No, Peter. You have joined the status quo. And that is what we are here to dismantle. And we
are in a moment here in Tarant County and Fort Worth. And I want to give a shout out to everybody who's been watching online. Everybody who is still staying in this room. Give yourself a round of applause because we are the future. We are the change that is going
to happen this year through elections, through what we build and create as community. And what you are trying to do to dismantle public education will not be accepted. And how dare you sit up there
to try to tell us that what we're doing is wrong. We will not handle abuse lightly. So be prepared to be removed. >> Thank you, Mr. Matala.
Our next speaker is Brandy Pace and Miss Pace will be followed by Sarah Fairley Luna. Is either >> I see Sarah back there. >> I couldn't hear you.
>> I see Sarah back there. There's [snorts] one more. >> The last speaker is John Sammons. If Mr. Sammons is here, if he would walk down to the front and get to wrap this up. >> Okay.
>> Might be the last. >> I might be the last. All right. Um, good morning. It's almost good morning. Um, I I took a lot of notes while I was while I was listening. I am Sarah Fairley
Luna. I'm a resident of Fort Worth. I'm a parent. I know a few of you very personally who sit on this board of managers. Um, I I have yet to be able to get to know you, Dr. Lacata. But I do I
do want to offer the board of managers an opportunity. You're about to potentially go back into E executive session. I'm not sure um if you all still have the stamina for all that, but I want to give you the opportunity to ask some necessary questions that I
think are very important. Um, I was very concerned to hear that the executive director of the emergent bilingual program had not yet met with the new superintendent and yet her and her
entire department are on the agenda to be removed. That's a concern. That's a great concern. As a board of managers, I would expect you to have this information before you make a decision. That decision that you all make is going
to impact all of these teachers and these students that you've just listened to. I have a son. He's not in Fort Worth ISD by choice. He is a child with special needs. And I do not trust that
there is a single or solitary plan in place. I haven't heard that tonight. I was the staggering facts of what the speech therapist assistants their case load alone. One woman with 123 on her
case load and you think my son is going to receive quality service. Do you know how hard it is to find a speech therapist in the city of Fort Worth right now? There's a 3 to six month wait for private speech therapy. and you want to terminate quality licensed
actual speech therapists from Fort Worth ISD. So, board of managers, I want to give you an opportunity to ask some questions of your superintendent. It's not your job to get into those administrative details, but it is your job to know that he has a quality plan in place for our
students. And you had you said something, Dr. Lutter, are we fighting for adults or buildings? And actually, yes, we are because you heard from the INA parents. That's a community. You have not been in the position, thank God, to be displaced from your home
where you've had to learn an entirely new culture and community. And then you're expected to perform at a level of excellence that you don't understand. And you have people who've been in here for 26 years in their positions that you're going to eliminate.
Is this your best board of managers? Is this your best? Thank you. [applause] >> That concludes our hearing for our speakers tonight. I want to thank everybody, particularly those who stayed to the very end, but everyone who made
the time to show up tonight. We have a couple of housekeeping matters and first I'll discuss the board training requirements. A notice of compliance with board member training requirements. Under state board of education rule, completing required
education each year of service is a basic obligation and expectation of any sitting board member. As board president, I'm required to announce the name of each member who has completed the required continuing education, has exceeded the required continuing
education, or is deficient in meeting the required continuing education. The requirements for training are measured as of the first anniversary of the date of the election or appointment or two-year anniversary of his or her previous training as applicable. There
are eight training areas for board member continuing education. Local district orientation required for all new members. Orientation to the Texas Education Code required for new members. Post legislative update to the Texas Education Code required after
legislative sessions. Team building required annually with entire board and superintendent. Additional continuing education, 10 hours first year and five hours subsequent years. Evaluating student academic performance and setting goals
every two years. Identifying and reporting abuse, trafficking, and other malreatment of children every two years, school safety every two years. All board members are currently working to complete these requirements by the
required deadlines under our requirements of notifying the public about grant applications. If you page six of the agenda shows two grant requests. One, Century Community
Learning Centers, a $2 million grant request under the Neidaloi 21st century bill. And the second is 2627 Title 6 Indian Education Formula Grants 7, pardon me, 78,000.
Um, those are the only two grants that we have pending before for the government. Are there any questions or comments regarding either report? >> Okay. If no questions, I'll turn it over
to Mr. Galindo to share an overview on behalf of the pardon me this subcommittee on renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary. Mr. Galindo. >> Thank you, President Garin. I will keep this brief. I know it's late. Let me go through this and explain what we've done
on this subcommittee. On Wednesday, April the 15th, Secretary President, excuse me, President Garin appointed a three-member special committee for PEDB local comprised of Rose Rosa Maria Blea,
Courtney Lewis, and myself, Luis Galindo to identify and codify a process that empowers the school community to generate, narrow, and recommend a new name for the Cesar Chavez Elementary School by May 19th. This committee met on Friday, April the
17th with all members in attendance and worked to draft that renaming process that was shared with the school community during Monday's community meeting. The renaming process includes open nominations and initial voting, which is
currently underway, as well as a community meeting held at the school on April the 20th. Then the top identified names from the community will be narrowed down into a single recommendation through multiple
rounds of surveys at the school ultimately resulting in a single recommendation being brought forth by the school's sitebased decisionmaking committee. We are thankful for the incredible community input that we have received to
date and we look forward to considering the final recommendations. That's my report, Mr. President. >> Thank [clears throat] Pardon me. I'm I'm run out of water and I'm losing my voice. Um, thank you, Mr. Gindo, for that report. And um, thank
you and the staff that did such an excellent job rallying the community and uh, having the community embrace this opportunity. uh the children there have turned it into an educational program doing research and making posters on the
the people that they would advocate that the school be named after. So thank all of you for your work on that. You know now last on the agenda before we go into executive session was the superintendent report and Dr. Lacata gave his
superintendent report earlier. I don't know if you'd like to make a few closing remarks before we head into executive session. >> Yes. Just just to be real quick because we're out of time. I I want to thank everyone for coming out here. I really do. I believe this is important in our
process. Uh there were so many questions. There was so much misinformation out tonight. I did hear so many folks talk about plans. I did hear folks talk about what's moving forward. I know one or two folks did not get contacted. Um, and we are working on that. You know, we're taking notes up
here and I want to make sure everyone understands this is not about one individual. It's not personal. U, but I listen. I listen. And some of the things that were said were very offensive. Some people are being very rude in the audience as we speak. And that's on
them. That's not on me. It's not on any of us. But we're going to get through this because we're working for kids. And I know what I saw the other day at INA was phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. And that'll happen in all the schools where most majority of our students are our new students reside. I think
threequarters of them reside in those schools. Change is hard. This is difficult. I understand and and I'm fine with it. I I take this position seriously. I take it seriously for kids and I understand the community. And some
of you were are right. I I'm only been here five weeks, been to 150 classrooms. I need to see more and I need to see more. But what I do know is we've hold our students right now at such a level that they can exceed.
And that is unfortunate because when we look at it, our students are doing the worst in large urban districts in Texas. And no matter how you slice it, no matter how you dice it, our students deserve a lot better. And we can argue for institutions. We can argue for what
we're doing. And I will listen all day long. If you noticed, I did not blink. I did not get up when all 130ome speakers and I respected every word you said even when you offended me and that's the way I will always be. I will act the way I expect students to act. But most
importantly, we have to be better. We're here for kids and I know your teachers are doing your best and I've watched some great stuff, but we just because we're think we're doing our best doesn't mean we are. And at this time, I'm really, really proud of what I saw tonight. [snorts]
I understand your compassion, and it is about children, but we have to provide more services for them. We do have to provide additional coaching. And I do I do mean it when I say we're not blaming teachers. We're blaming leaders. And I'm
the first one. If we can't support you guys in doing what you do in the classroom, it doesn't always roll out perfectly. We are subject to taxpayer dollars. We do have to be fiscally sound and we aren't fiscally sound right now. And I know that comes as a as a hard thing to understand sometimes, but we
just don't have an open checkbook. So, we have to make the most of it. And all monies that we are all the monies that we have received from the state and from the feds will continue to go to the students it deserves to. As a matter of fact, we'll probably overdraw that from
general fund to help fund our ESSE as well as our ELLL population. So we'll have to excuse me. So we will continue to work together. I heard every single one of you and I will continue to hear one of every single one of you and when I see you or I step in
your classroom I will be as cordial and respectful because I know you guys are doing a very very good job and I appreciate that. But we have to do better by our students and I thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Lacata. The time is now 11:56.
It's still April 28th. Uh, we will now recess and reconvene for executive session as authorized by chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code under sections 551, 071, 072, and 074.
>> [music] [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. N. [music] Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I feel so good. I feel so good.
I feel so good. [music] I feel so good. [music] [music] >> [music] >> I feel so good. I feel so good.
Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] >> I feel so good. [music] I feel so good. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] >> When you're feeling down, want to come
my way. Going to lift you up. Let me hear you say, [music] "Yeah, we're living on love." Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living on love. Yeah, we're living on love. Yeah, we're [music] living. Yeah, we're living on love. Oh,
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When you hit the ground, don't you lose your way. [music] Got to get back up. Let me hear you say, "Yeah, we're living on." Yeah, we're living. Yeah, we're living on Yeah, we're living on. Yeah, we're [music and singing] living. Yeah, we're
living on. Oh, oh, we going to take you higher. Oh, we going to lift you up. [music] Oh, we going to take you higher.
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[music] [music] ooh. >> [music] [music] >> You take me higher. [music] You take me higher. Higher. >> [music] [music] [music]
>> You take me higher. [screaming] Higher. You take me higher. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> You take me higher. [music] You take me higher. [music] You take me higher.
Hey, hey, [music] hey. >> [music] [music] >> Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat.
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>> Hey, [music] hey, [music] hey. [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]
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>> Heat. Heat. [music] Down. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music]
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Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] Heat. Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Good morning.
>> Morning. >> Good morning, Victor. >> So, it starts here. >> Yes, it starts here in the morning. We greet our kids. >> Good morning, Kaitlyn. just help them in and they get their day started. >> Good morning. >> This is a good opportunity for us to kind of mingle with the parents as well,
so they're used to seeing us every morning. >> Kids don't want to be late. They want to tell their parents, "We want to be on time. We want We're missing school." >> Is being at [music] school important for you? >> Yeah. >> How come? >> Cuz I study health um reading and and writing. >> Good morning, girls. Are you ready to check attendance? >> Yes. [music]
>> Students are walking around with our community and partnerships, Miss Jenna Aila. >> We're going to make sure who's here and who's not. That way I can be able to call parents and see if we can get students to get here before 10:00 a.m. Okay. >> Okay. I'm Kipy and attendance matters to me.
>> I'm Bridget and I'm serious about attendance. >> This year our kids were all about making sure that we are um exposing that attendance matters by either creating posters, even holding each other accountable and passing as hey don't forget to be here tomorrow. Get here on time. >> Good morning Mr. Nava.
>> Good morning. >> Is it a good time for attendance? >> Make it student driven. I think you need the kids buy in because teachers are teaching and absence bell doesn't ring until 10. So the kids are the ones kind of tracking that in the morning. >> Hi Miss Sanchez. >> I'm here to check up who's absent.
>> Okay. >> So I know something that's very popular with them is those social media platforms um after school hours where they're holding each other accountable and asking each other questions like where were you today? >> Hey, have y'all seen Randy? >> No. >> Um we try to text him in the group chat.
>> Yeah. He hasn't responded. It keeps them accountable. They all know, oh, if we're not there on time, Kia is going to come and see that I'm not there on time. >> I think students, they know that if they're here, there's going to be incentives. And so, that's why they want to be here. >> Oh, here we have a student here ready for a token.
>> That is cool. What? [music] So, what does that mean to you? >> That nobody is absent. >> You're going to see tokens outside their classroom and that means that the all the class is here and they were here on [music] time. Who's absent today? >> Uh, in my group, nobody's absent. >> Nobody. Okay, perfect.
So, I'll call you right now. But, >> hi, good morning. I was calling to see why Salvador was in its full day. >> Attendance matters. [music] Um, and not only to be here, but be here on time. Are you ready to start your day? Wherever Pete has been, the kids win.
Everywhere, every time, Pete's kids win. Under his leadership, our kids will win. Please join me in welcoming Pete Lacata, one of our newest Texans, to Fort Worth, Texas. We're very excited for being
here. There's no question about it. This is an opportunity. It's an honor, but it's a responsibility. It's children. You are not a public educator if children are the first thing you think of when you address anything regarding
school related activities, [music] education, classrooms, personnel, HR, rules, buses, health, food. It means we look at children as a whole person. Fort Worth ISD is honored to welcome our teacher candidates from across our
pipeline programs to our spring 2026 signing day. All of these seniors here will sign letters of intent to launch their teaching careers right here in Fort Worth ISD. These candidates represent the very best of [music] our teacher residency program and our bilingual teacher assistant program, two
of our district's most innovative and impactful ways into [music] the profession. You have an opportunity to change the world. Change the future of the world. Give me another profession that can do that. You can. You have the opportunity to see children in front of you every single day and make their
future brighter. >> From Texas Tech University, we have Ana [music] Boss and Cassandra Garcia. Ana and Cassandra, please sign your letter of intent. Being in the classroom every day has allowed me to build [music] connections with students, to learn from
the teachers, and to truly understand what it means to show up for the kids, how important these [music] programs are to our schools, to support our students, and for our own personal growth. >> And now we have Vanessa [music] Flores and Leslie Bharin from Texas
Wesland University. Vanessa and Leslie, please sign [music] your letter of intent. >> I really enjoy working with children. I love them. I think they bring so much joy, not just into the classroom, but into our lives. You know, as educators, >> we want you to stay here. We need you to
stay here. And [music] I'm going to make it a little more guilt. The kids here need you to stay. Parents that are here, be proud of your children. They have chosen the best profession in the world. >> We are proud of each of you and we are grateful that you have chosen Fort Worth
ISD as a place where your journey begins. >> [applause] >> Fort [music] Worth ISD is launching a bold new approach to learning through the ACE initiative, [music] bringing higher expectations, new ideas, and more opportunities for students to
succeed at six district campuses. But what really [music] powers ACE isn't a program. It's the people, the teachers and staff who show up every day ready to make a [music] difference. and be paid for it. ACE teachers can earn up to
$100,000 with [music] an extra $10,000 in stipens for coaching, bilingual, or special education roles. Keith staff can also get these stipens. ACE campuses have 25 additional days for fun enrichment, [music] deeper learning, and
focused support for students and staff. If you have at least two years [music] of certified teaching experience by May of this year, have a strong professional [music] track record, or are rated recognized or higher in the teacher incentive aotment, then join [music] us
where students need you the most, and you are paid for the difference you make. Apply today. Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat.
Heat. Heat. [music] In accordance with the open meetings law, the board opened the meeting at 8, pardon me, 5:31 p.m. on April 28th with a quorum present, recessed open session,
convened exe executive session, adjourned executive session, and now reconvenes open session at 12:41 a.m. on April 29th with a quorum present. We're now going to turn to the consent
agenda items. Upon receiving the materials, all board members had the opportunity to individually send questions they might have directly to the administration. Those questions were compiled and answered by the administration. This question and answer document has been attached to this
agenda as a matter of public record. Are there any questions or comments at this time specific to the consent agenda items? Hearing none. Uh, is there a motion to accept the consent
agenda? We have a motion. >> I move that we >> accept the consent agenda. >> A motion from Miss Verdea. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. >> A second by Mr. Walker. Is there any discussion?
We'll now move to voting. All in favor vote yes. Opposed vote no. I have nine votes of cast, nine yeses, no nos and no abstensions. We now turn to the
amendments to the 2627 district calendars. Is there a motion concerning this item? I so move. >> Have a motion for Mr. IDA. Do we have a second? >> A second. >> Second by Mr. Steagall. Is there any
discussion? We'll now move to voting. The motion passes by nine yeses and none against. Now turn to approve proposal non-renewal of certain term contract employees
pursuant to chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code. Is there a motion concerning this item? >> I move to propose non-renewal of the term contract of Edwin Murphy pursuant to chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code.
>> Do we have a second? >> I'll second. Second motion by Madea, second by Miss George. Is there any discussion? We'll now move to voting. All in favor, vote yes. Any oppose, vote no.
The outcome of the vote 940 against. And item D, approve recommendation to terminate certain probationary contract employees at the end of the contract period in the best interest of the district pursuant to chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code. And we have two
employees. So we will have two two motions here. Do I have a motion? >> I I move to terminate the probationary contract of Gresela running at the end of the contract term in the best interest of the district pursuant to chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code.
Do I have a second? Um, >> I second. Okay. >> Have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion? We'll now move to voting. All in favor, vote I. Any oppose? Vote no. Nine. Vote in the affirmative. Motion is approved.
We have a second employee. May I have a motion for the second employee? I have a motion to terminate the probationary contract of Amaro Williams at the end of the t contract term in the best interest of the district pursuant to chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code.
>> We have a motion. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. Have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion? All in favor vote I. Nine vote in favor there none against.
The motion passes. >> I didn't. Still up from the last. Something's going wrong with our voting machine. Um, still have doesn't register a vote for Mr. Po.
Okay, we have nine yeses, nobody [clears throat] voting no. The motion passes unanimously. Uh E, consider a possible action to approve a resolution declaring a reduction in force due to program change and identifying the employment area to
be affected under board policy section D. Personnel DFB, reduction in force, program change local. Is there a motion concerning this item? >> So moved. >> Have a motion from Mr. Po. Is there a
second? >> I second that. >> Second from Mr. Galindo. We'll now Is there any discussion? >> I'd like some I have something I'd like to share. >> Madea. >> Thank you. First of all, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to
everyone that showed up tonight and spoke on all matters. Um, but specifically relating to the closing of the International Newcomers Academy, your passion and commitment to our community is truly inspiring and I encourage each and every one of you to continue showing up because we are
listening. As you have learned tonight, I am an immigration attorney. I will be doing this 16 years next week. And as someone who engages with immigrant families day in and day out, I feel an immense connection to their journeys.
I understand the courage that it takes for them to leave their homes and travel and resettle in a foreign country. Many are escaping danger and horrific conditions, some of which you were referenced tonight by some of our
speakers. They come here driven by their desire for opportunities. And these families come filled with hope. And we owe it to them to ensure that their children can achieve those dreams that have brought them here because these
childrens matter. And I am incredibly pleased to learn tonight that they know that they matter. They have been taught well. I wholeheartedly believe in setting up these children for success. Targeted support for immigrant children
is crucial and so is ensuring that they have opportunities to integrate into the broader community leading to better student outcomes social, personal, and academic. They deserve the opportunity to flourish surrounded by their peers
where they can build friendships, share experiences, and thrive in a vibrant learning community. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Preda. Any further discussions or comments hearing? None.
We have a motion. We have a second. All in favor vote yes. Any oppose vote no? Outcome of the vote >> 94 >> zero against. >> The motion passes.
>> You're not listening. >> This concludes the items on the agenda for tonight's meeting. I'd like to close by saying thank you to the many community members who came and spent the evening and part of the morning with us. We appreciate your participation in the
process. As there's no further business, the time is 12:49 p.m. and this meeting is adjourned. >> [music]