Fort Worth voters still have work to do
From the Star-Telegram Editorial Board:
No matter how the voting went Saturday, the Fort Worth school board was in for a shake-up.
Except that the shaking isn't finished.
The 8,000 or so voters who cast ballots for president were closely divided between banker Ray Dickerson, 63, and trustee Chris Hatch, 61, a CPA, to replace Bill Koehler, who stepped down after a four-year term. A third candidate, William Winnett, got just enough votes to force a June 14 runoff between the other two.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board had recommended Dickerson largely because his experience managing a successful financial operation would be beneficial is overseeing the 80,000-student district, especially as it undertakes a $593.7 million bond program that voters approved last November.
But Hatch has four years of board service representing District 6 in southwest Fort Worth and chairs the district's audit committee.
Koehler brought order and coherence to board meetings and a better focus on making sure the district's mission drives the budget and not the other way around. The district will continue to need that kind of leadership.
Voters in District 1 overwhelmingly chose former principal Carlos Vasquez, 40, over incumbent Camille Rodriguez, 40.
Let's hope it was for his experience as an educator and passion for improving achievement -- and not for his claims that the students of the district were better off under ex-Superintendent Thomas Tocco than under current Superintendent Melody Johnson.
Some of the gains during Tocco's 10-year tenure were illusory, and the district fell behind in key ways while millions of dollars were lost through waste, fraud and mismanagement that went undetected for too long.
The district still faces a challenge to see more students through to graduation.
But the bond program is designed to improve facilities and technology districtwide to help instruction.
Administrators continue to refine a comprehensive new curriculum that was introduced this year. And a pilot teacher incentive pay program is designed to attract and reward better teachers for some of the district's most struggling schools, including Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School in District 1.
There are serious commitments of time, effort and money behind these efforts to boost achievement. And the board will need to monitor them closely to make sure the investments produce positive results.
Vasquez has promised to be outspoken. That can be beneficial to proper oversight. But it's important for all trustees to recognize that they have a responsibility to help move the district forward -- not just for one section of town, but for all children.
Thoughts, anyone?
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