Fort Worth school district
Fort Worth school district Superintendent Kent Scribner announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of his contract, the last day of August 2024.
On Twitter, Scribner, 55, shared a letter he presented to the Fort Worth school board on Dec. 16. In it, he said he hopes the timing of his announcement will help “support a smooth and thoughtful transition,” including time for an adequate search that includes community input.
“We appreciate Dr. Scribner’s communication and transparency in sharing his plans,” Fort Worth ISD Board of Education President Tobi Jackson told the Fort Worth Report. “Among his many accomplishments, we especially applaud his leadership in transforming our secondary schools with collaborative spaces and modern, career-focused classrooms that will benefit students for decades to come. That is an outstanding legacy.”
Scribner initially took the job in 2015, replacing Walter Dansby as the full-time superintendent. Dansby abruptly resigned after disagreements with the board. Dansby, who had been promoted through the ranks of the school district, was replaced by Pat Linares, who served on an interim basis.
The board extended Scribner’s contract twice, most recently in 2020 at a salary of $330,000 a year, plus potential bonuses.
During his tenure, the school district successfully passed two voter-approved bond measures, accounting for almost $2 billion in construction projects.
“We have renewed our focus on early literacy and early math,” Scribner said in his letter. “We have seen a 12-point gain in our state accountability rating resulting in significant improvements in college, career, and military readiness. Career and technical education saw both participation and completion rates increase dramatically. Post-secondary merit scholarships grew from $36 million in 2015 to more than $158 million today.”
He also noted that the district had realigned student attendance boundaries district-wide for the first time in 20 years.
There has been controversy, too, most notably over the district dipping its toe into the school of thought of critical race theory, a concept initially developed in the 1970s. It explores the impact of racism in the U.S. CRT, as it is known, is not taught in Fort Worth schools, though the district’s Racial Equity Committee and Division of Equity and Excellence — established during Scribner’s tenure — offers teachers an introductory course on the subject matter as a voluntary professional development opportunity.
That has been met with protest from some parents and community activists.
“I am most proud of our work in the area of racial equity,” Scribner wrote. “Through the creation of our Division of Equity and Excellence, we have taken actionable steps to address gaps in academic achievement and dismantle systems that have historically reinforced those disparities. These efforts guide our pandemic learning recovery plan for students. Our plan, developed from this lens of equity, provides additional instructional time, increased social and emotional support, and an expanded academic calendar.”
Scribner began his career as a high school Spanish teacher and guidance counselor in Philadelphia. He climbed the ladder as principal and central office administrator before taking the job as superintendent of Phoenix.
At the time of his hiring, Scribner was actually the board’s second choice. Joel Boyd was named the sole finalist as successor to Linares but withdrew from consideration when it appeared some on the board had reservations about the hiring.
“While we have accomplished a great deal, there is much more to be done,” Scribner concluded. “Pleased know that I am committed to our mission of preparing all students for success in college, career and community leadership for the remaining time we have together. I stand ready to help facilitate a productive transition process to the extent, and according to the timeline the Board deems appropriate.”