Parents of a seventh‑grader and a first‑grader stood outside Fort Worth ISD’s District Service Center on Tuesday, joined by volunteers from Literacy Fort Worth, to call for the district to honor its special‑education commitments. Both families say they have become de‑facto caseworkers for their children, a burden they argue should not fall on families.
Parents describe a second job
“I’m a nurse by trade, but I’ve become my son’s caseworker,” said Kim Medford, whose son Noah entered sixth grade reading at a first‑grade level. “It’s not our job to act as daily auditors,” added Ashish Talwar, whose first‑grader spends much of the day in a self‑contained classroom despite a plan that calls for regular general‑education time.
Caroline James, executive director of Literacy Fort Worth, has attended more than 100 special‑education meetings across ten Tarrant County districts. “We are failing students and families at scale,” she said, noting that none of the districts she observed are meeting basic expectations.
District response
FWISD Deputy Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury responded that the district monitors service records against each student’s individualized education program (IEP) and reviews any missed services. “When services are missed, the district documents and reviews the circumstances, assesses the impact on the student, and takes corrective action to address gaps in service delivery,” the statement read.
Evaluation delays and staffing gaps
State‑submitted data obtained through an open‑records request show that last school year FWISD completed 52 of its 1,859 special‑education evaluations late, resulting in a 97.2% on‑time rate – the district’s lowest in at least five years. In twelve cases the district cited a lack of available staff as the reason for delayed testing.
Medford turned to Literacy Roundup, a city program that screens students for learning disabilities, after encountering obstacles securing testing for Noah. Volunteers identified signs of dyslexia, and the program helped her navigate an admission, review and dismissal (ARD) meeting where educators and parents decide on services.
Classroom implementation challenges
Despite an ARD decision, Medford reports that teachers have been unresponsive. She emailed each of Noah’s teachers at the start of the school year and received no replies. One teacher eventually read the email two weeks later, acknowledged the concerns, and later resigned. Another told Medford that Noah would need to request accommodations himself.
Talwar’s son, who attends an A‑rated elementary school, has not received the required general‑education classroom time for months. When he raised the issue with campus leadership, the school blamed staffing constraints. The problem resurfaced in August when his son began first grade and the plan was not followed during the first weeks of school.
Calls for transparency and partnership
Both parents stress the need for clear, consistent processes. “If a school lacks the staff or systems to follow an IEP, that’s a problem the district needs to solve,” Talwar said. “My son shouldn’t lose out on services because the adults haven’t figured out how to make the system work.”
James described attending an ARD meeting where educators appeared disengaged, noting, “That’s not collaboration, it’s not partnership and it’s certainly not how you build trust with families.” She urged districts to deliver promised services promptly, adding, “Our students deserve a system that sees them, hears them and serves them — not a system that hides behind computer screens.”
Procedural timeline
According to Choudhury, when a parent submits a written request for an evaluation, the district has fifteen school days to respond. Once consent is given, the evaluation must be completed within forty‑five school days, and the ARD committee must meet within thirty calendar days after the evaluation to decide on eligibility and services.
Rebecca Montgomery, a Literacy Roundup volunteer, emphasized the importance of training teachers to recognize signs of dyslexia and provide timely support. “This isn’t about pointing fingers; it’s about working together to make sure no child with dyslexia falls through the cracks,” she said.
Looking ahead
Medford expressed optimism at the start of the school year, noting that her son’s campus is part of FWISD’s new turnaround model and that the principal had spoken publicly about additional tools for students. “I was optimistic that there were going to be tools in the toolbox for my son’s success this year,” she said, before noting that the reality has been the opposite.
As families continue to advocate for their children’s legal right to a free appropriate public education, district officials say they are reviewing staffing and procedural gaps to ensure compliance with state and federal mandates.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
