The Fort Worth school board named Dr. Kent Paredes Scribner, who has served as superintendent of the largest high school district in Arizona since 2008, as the sole finalist for the job of permanent superintendent at tonight’s meeting. The trustees will offer Scribner the job after a mandatory 21-day waiting period.
“Dr. Kent Scribner is a proven leader who is nationally respected — and, quite simply, he is the right fit for Fort Worth. He will take our students to the next level. And, he will address the achievement gap,” board president Jacinto Ramos Jr. said in a press release. “I am proud of the work that the ‘Team of Nine’ trustees did in selecting Dr. Scribner, and I look forward to us being a ‘Team of Ten’ as we go into the future.”
After considering 67 candidates from around the country, the board made the unanimous decision tonight to offer the job to Scribner.
Dr. Patricia A. Linares has served as interim superintendent since June of last year, when Walter Dansby surprised most observers by vacating the position. Ramos thanked Linares for her stewardship of the district, noting that she gave the board enough time to find the right person for the job.
According to the release, “under Dr. Scribner’s leadership, Phoenix Union increased the number of “A” and “B” schools in the Arizona Department of Education accountability rankings. Honors and Advanced Placement course-taking more than doubled. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) curriculum was introduced on every comprehensive campus, and 250 teachers were trained in AVID strategies. The number of students applying for college and earning acceptance dramatically increased, along with merit scholarship awards – from $17.8 million in 2009, to $53 million in 2014.”
Eric, thank you for reporting on the hiring of the new super. Now that the Weekly has sort of eased back into reporting on FWISD, can you start to look into some of the real problems Dr. Scribner will have to address once he takes over. Such as mismanagement of district funds, bullying of employees, excessive pay for under qualified employees, rampant nepotism, and cover ups of inappropriate relationships between administrators/teachers with students that have been covered up rather than reported as required by law. The Weekly used to hold the FWISD accountable and did a great job of doing so. Please take up that cause again. Your paper will benefit and so will the people of Ft. Worth.