FORT WORTH - Unrest has spread throughout the Fort Worth Independent School District after more than 500 teachers received letters telling them they were terminated from their jobs.

The Fort Worth Independent School District letters informed the teachers that by the year's end, they would be out of a job. However, FWISD is now calling those letters a mistake.

Now, the teacher's union wants an apology, and attended the Tuesday school board meeting to demand one. They also said they want the misunderstanding to be cleared up in writing. As it stands, any teacher who got the official notice legally has to claim they have been fired from their teacher's job.

"I almost had a heart attack," said Rachel Henderson of when she received one of the letters.

Henderson has taught in FWISD for a decade and holds an active Texas Teaching Certificate. While she isn't certified as a librarian yet, she currently works as one in the district.

"I was told there would be no problem," she said. "I had three years to finish my masters. I have one year left to go."

But according to the letter she received, she has officially been terminated. So have 559 others of the 4,800 teaching in FWISD. The letters were sent to those that haven't yet been certified in Texas.

The letter says the termination is in the best interests of the district, and the board's final decision.

"We want the district to take ownership and clean this mess up," said Larry Shaw, of the United Educators Association.

Shaw pointed out that FWISD is currently experiencing a teacher shortage and have launched a nationwide recruitment campaign.

"As one teacher told me last night, come to Fort Worth and get fired," he said.

The district declined an on-camera interview but sent an e-mail Tuesday afternoon with an apology and a clarification that teachers just need to meet certification requirements for the upcoming year on time.

"This letter just made me feel unimportant to this community," Henderson said.

Several area schools are desperately searching for teachers. Fort Worth needs 200, which is far less than the Dallas Independent School District. DISD has 1,200 open teaching positions for the next school year.

For some of the jobs, signing bonuses are available.

E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com