TEA names new superintendent, Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers in state takeover

FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Tuesday appointed nine members to a new board of managers and named a new superintendent to lead Fort Worth ISD through a state takeover.

The transition follows a move by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in October 2025 to intervene in the district following years of struggling accountability ratings.

TEA appoints new FWISD superintendent

What we know:

Dr. Peter B. Licata has been named the district’s new superintendent. Licata, who has more than 30 years of experience in education, most recently served as the superintendent of Florida's Broward County Public Schools, the sixth-largest district in the nation. Under his leadership, Broward County earned its first ‘A’ rating in 14 years.

Licata begins work Tuesday under a 21-day interim contract. He will serve in this capacity until he receives formal approval from the newly appointed board of managers.

Fort Worth ISD's Board of Managers

Dig deeper:

The nine-member board, which replaces the elected board of trustees, is responsible for overseeing district management and the budget. The members include:

• Bobby Ahdieh: Dean of Texas A&M School of Law and COO of Texas A&M-Fort Worth.
• Rosa Marie Berdeja: Attorney and chair-elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
• Luis A. Galindo: 35-year veteran attorney and adjunct professor at Texas A&M School of Law.
• Laurie George: Current FWISD parent, former educator, and specialist in multilingual learning.
• Pete Geren: Former four-term U.S. congressman and former U.S. Secretary of the Army.
• Courtney Lewis: Finance professional and board member for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
• Frost Prioleau: Technology executive and 25-year Fort Worth resident.
• Jay Stegall: Fort Worth native and business operations veteran in the retail and restaurant sectors.
• Tennessee Walker: Attorney, FWISD parent, and board chair for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Tarrant County.

What they're saying:

Licata spoke about the opportunity, and the task at hand of improving FWISD's grades and image in a press conference Tuesday morning.

"This is an opportunity for me to bring my skill set to a place that deserves the best," Licata said. "This has been difficult for the community. I will say I've been in the background watching, waiting and understanding. It's been very difficult, but now we have an opportunity."

"The urgency of incremental growth or beyond incremental growth, is far too significant to be happy with the one or 2 or 3 point gain. It's good, but we have to be great," he continued.

"So educating is more than just in the classroom. It's making sure that the facilities. And let me be very clear, when I walk into a facility, I should not know the neighborhood I'm in. They all should look the same. Regardless of what town with zip code, they should all look the same because that's a sense of honor."

Skepticism over TEA takeover

The other side:

Dr. Tiffany Clark is a member of the Texas State Board of Eductaion whose district covers Tarrant County. She questions the timing of the announcement, calling it a distraction for students before state testing begins.

"I wholeheartedly agree that more information needs to be provided," Clark told FOX 4's Dionne Anglin.

"I got the information I received I info about this yesterday afternoon and all I was told was it’s going to happen and to watch the news in the morning to see who would be named what. So if that’s the level of transparency I received as an elected state board of education member, what is the community getting?"

She's skeptical of the process being run by the state. 

"They now have the capacity to go in and make whatever changes they want. Principal, when you bring in a new superintendent, they can change your principals. We don’t know how fast or slow that could happen, if it’s gonna happen tomorrow."

Texas State Senator Taylor Rehmet, whose district covers Tarrant County, had shared Clark's concerns about the TEA running the search for FWISD's superintendent, but said he was excited to work with Licata and the new board.

"Our community, parents, teachers, and leaders alike, all have the same goal: for Fort Worth ISD students to be successful.

When we imagine truly successful schools, we don’t just imagine strong state test scores. We envision places where students feel safe, supported, and challenged. Where teachers and staff can focus all their energy on effective, creative instruction that’s customized to their students’ needs, not a scripted model. Where our kids are prepared for whichever path they choose, whether it be higher education, the trades, or the military.

While I remain skeptical that a takeover by the state is the most effective strategy, I am grateful for the new board members' and superintendent’s willingness to serve our community. I look forward to working with them to improve student outcomes, better support our teachers, and restore control of the district to our community-elected board as soon as possible."

TEA takes over FWISD

The backstory:

The state takeover was triggered by a history of poor academic ratings. While the district reduced its number of F-rated schools from 31 in 2024 to 11 in 2025, one now-closed campus received a failing grade for five consecutive years.

Despite the district's decision to close the school in 2023, the repeated failing grades mandated the TEA intervention. 

Fort Worth joins Houston ISD as the second major Texas district currently under state control. The Houston intervention, which began in 2023, is expected to last until at least 2027.

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