FORT WORTH, Texas — After a short, closed-door executive session, the Fort Worth ISD School Board held a special meeting about the future of Superintendent Dr. Kent Scribner Tuesday, March 29.
In January 2022, Scribner announced he was stepping down from his position. His contract was set to expire Aug. 31, 2024.
During tonight's closed session, the school board agreed upon the following motion: "I move that the district accept the resignation of Dr. Scribner as Superintendent, effective Aug. 31, 2022."
Scribner is among almost a dozen superintendents in the North Texas area calling it quits. The school board's unanimous vote to accept his resignation immediately opened the door to interview four different companies bidding to do the search for his replacement.
Prior to accepting Scribner's resignation, school board members heard public comments from speakers who had three minutes to voice their concerns.
This all comes as the school district launches a search campaign for new teachers.
If you're on the roads headed out of Texas toward Oklahoma or Louisiana, you can't miss them: big, red highway billboards recruiting teachers for Fort Worth ISD.
"Your future is in a Fort Worth classroom," the billboard reads in large, bolded font.
According to the district, there is a high demand for teachers in Bilingual Education, Math, Science, and Special Education teaching spots.
Fort Worth ISD officials said they offer hiring bonuses starting at $2,000 for any teacher hires prior to May 1, 2022 and a starting salary ranging from $58,000 to $69,500, including incentives. Hiring bonuses for Bilingual is $5,000, and the bonuses for Special Education, Math and Science positions are all $3,000.
Claudia Garibay oversees external communications for the Fort Worth ISD. "You know, we are paying higher than Louisiana and Oklahoma," she said.
So, to help get the word out, the district has placed the advertisements along Texas roadways toward its neighboring states to the north and east.
"We're turning every stone," Garibay said. "We're looking for teachers that have a servant's heart, they like to work with students that are ready to make an impact on their communities."
There are seven digital and print billboards that have been up for several weeks encouraging people to become a teacher in the district.
"It is just another way we are adapting our strategy to ensure a highly qualified teacher in every classroom,” said Fort Worth ISD chief talent officer Raul Peña.
Fort Worth ISD serves more than 76,000 students on 144 campuses. The district currently has more than 11,000 employees, according to a press release.
Right now, Fort Worth ISD hopes to fill more than 200 teaching jobs.
For those interested in teaching at Fort Worth ISD, visit the district's website.