The Fort Worth Independent School District is expected to officially name the current superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona as the new leader for the district.
The Fort Worth ISD Board of Education named Dr. Kent Paredes Scribner, currently superintendent of the largest high school district in Arizona, as the sole finalist for the job of permanent superintendent on Aug. 10.
Following a state-mandated 21-day waiting period, trustees are expected to officially name Scribner as superintendent at Tuesday’s meeting.
“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,” said Board President Jacinto Ramos Jr. in August. “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.”
Scribner has been superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District in Phoenix, Arizona since 2008. Phoenix Union serves more than 27,000 students in grades 9 through 12.
“Although leaving Phoenix will be difficult, I am eager to serve the students and community of Fort Worth. Leading Fort Worth ISD is a tremendous opportunity for me both personally and professionally,” said Scribner in a news release. “My parents, sister and her family live in the North Texas area. I am convinced that Fort Worth ISD is poised for great success. The District’s impressive Board of Trustees, talented staff and engaged business community are among the ingredients required to build a prosperous school-community.”
Scribner also serves as commissioner for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. He has a passion for empowering students; in fact, his Twitter account lists his vocation first as “student advocate.’
The district has been seeking a new superintendent since Walter Dansby stepped down last year. In February, the board seemed set on Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Joel D. Boyd but he withdrew as a candidate following lack of support from some school board members.
Patricia Linares has been interim superintendent since Dansby stepped down. She said she was not interested in the permanent position.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Scribner earned a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from Carleton College in Minnesota, a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Arizona State University. He began his education career as a high school Spanish teacher in Philadelphia. He moved to Arizona in 1992 as a graduate research assistant at Arizona State University, where he examined issues of quality and diversity in Phoenix Union regarding the district’s court-ordered desegregation.
In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Scribner to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.