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The Change Equation in Action: A Conversation with Karen Molinar

Published: October 23, 2025
Read Time: 17 min
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Dr. Mort Sherman
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Every once in a while you meet a leader who reminds you that change work is equal parts courage and care. In Fort Worth ISD, Superintendent Karen Molinar is doing just that—re-centering the system on high-quality instruction, teacher support, and student voice while navigating accountability pressures, enrollment shifts, and tight budgets.

“ I’m an instructional leader. The work on campuses, down to the classroom, is my passion."
Karen Molinar
Dr. Karen Molinar – Change Agent

What’s changing in Fort Worth

Molinar’s theory of action is straightforward: guarantee Tier 1 excellence, free teachers to focus on delivery (not scavenger hunts for materials), and put the strongest educators where students need them most.

● Curriculum clarity: The district is rewriting its curriculum framework and aligning to HQIM (e.g., Amplify ELA; Bluebonnet Math) so every lesson meets the rigor of state standards.

● From coaches to demonstration teachers: 150+ instructional coaches are being redeployed half-time to teach targeted small groups and half-time to model instruction and run lab-classrooms. Early pilots showed 7-point gains for students receiving small-group support.

● Consistency with flexibility: Teachers get slide decks, anchor charts, checks for understanding, and aligned tasks—then adapt to the learners in front of them.

● Voice and partnership: Districtwide Parent–Teacher Conference Days, student interviews during walk-throughs, and a new strategic plan restore transparency and shared ownership.

● Balanced technology & AI: Limit tech in early grades, expand hands-on learning (note Fort Worth’s biology gains), and teach responsible AI use so students stay competitive.
“ Give teachers the what and why—then let them master the how for their students.”
Dr. Karen Molinar
Dr. Karen Molinar – Change Agent

Five key takeaways for change leaders

1.  Guarantee Tier 1 before Tier 2/3.

Coherent, standards-aligned materials plus clear expectations reduce variance and raise the floor for all students.

2. Put expertise where it matters.

Turning coaches into demonstration teachers tightens the feedback loop between curriculum design and classroom reality.

3.  Measure academic return on investment.

If roles or contracts don’t move student learning, redesign or retire them.

4. Listen systematically.

Student and family voice—surveys, conferences, in-class interviews—keeps the work human and responsive.

5. Balance is a leadership discipline.

Phonics and science-of-reading in early grades; project-based, hands-on courses and responsible AI use in secondary.
“ Parents and students experience a classroom, not a district. Every classroom must be engaging. "
Karen Molinar
Dr. Karen Molinar – Change Agent

Evidence behind the moves

● Trust & coherence: Schools improve when leaders align goals, roles, and materials and build relational trust (Bryk & Schneider, 2002).

● Belonging & engagement: Secondary students engage more deeply where they feel they belong; listening practices matter (e.g., classroom-level student perception research).

● Science of reading: Emphasizing phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in primary grades aligns with states that have posted notable reading gains.

● Implementation science: The Concern-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) reminds us that staging support to teacher concerns accelerates adoption and fidelity.
“Change moves at the speed of trust and sustains at the depth of relationships.”
Mort Sherman
Dr. Mort Sherman – Co-host of K-12 Change Equation Podcast

So what?

Fort Worth’s approach is a practical answer to a national dilemma: how to raise outcomes amid enrollment competition and fiscal constraints. The playbook is not more initiatives; it is better implementation of fewer, clearer moves—coherent curriculum, expert modeling, tight progress monitoring, and real partnership with families and students.

Because every child is more than a data point. Every child is the reason we lead.

Now what?

● Codify non-negotiables.

Publish the Tier 1 expectations (learning goals, aligned tasks, daily checks) and visit for them relentlessly.

● Scale lab-classrooms. 

Make demonstration rooms the norm so teachers can see, try, and refine new practices weekly.

● Use precision data.

Track standard-level mastery, small-group dosage, and attendance; pair data talks with wise feedback and next steps.

● Strengthen early literacy.

Embed science-of-reading routines K–3 and coach for transfer into content classes 4–9.

● Teach for the present and the future.

Keep hands-on science, arts, and CTE vibrant; build AI literacy that elevates writing, analysis, and ethical use.

In Fort Worth, the change equation does not depend on a lawsuit’s timeline or a news cycle. It rests on what happens between a teacher and a student, period. Molinar is betting on clarity, modeling, and trust. I’d make the same bet.

Because every child is more than a data point. Every child is the reason we lead.

Case Study Snapshots: Change Leadership in Action

District/State

Focus

Key Result
Henrico County (VA) Teacher-led PD (HCPSU), aligned curriculum Built coherence across 70+ schools; stronger Tier 1 instruction
Aldine ISD (TX) Coaching → lab classrooms & demonstration teachers Small-group interventions produced measurable gains in literacy/math
Long Beach Unified (CA) PLCs, leadership pipelines, instructional frameworks National model for sustained equity and coherence
Mississippi (Statewide) Science of reading, coaching, aligned curriculum Significant statewide reading score gains post-implementation
Lindsay USD (CA) Performance-based, learner-centered system Personalized pathways increased equity and student ownership

Resources & Research

● Bryk, A. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement. Russell Sage Foundation.

● Galinsky, E. (2023). The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens. HarperCollins.

● Naglieri, J. (2018). Research on cognitive assessments and intelligence measures—broadening

definitions beyond recall.

● Oleniacz, L. (2022). Belonging Helps Black, Latino Students Feel Engaged. NC State News.

● Bordas, J. (2013). The Power of Latino Leadership: Culture, Inclusion, and Contribution. Berrett-Koehler.

● Mississippi Department of Education (2019–2023). Science of Reading Implementation Reports.

● Education Elements Case Studies: Henrico County, Aldine ISD, Lindsay USD

Written By
Author
Dr. Mort Sherman
Dr. Mort Sherman, an educator for 40 years, served as superintendent in districts across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. He began his career as an English teacher in Delaware and holds a doctorate in educational administration from Lehigh University. Sherman is a founding member of Public Schools for Tomorrow and serves on several educational boards, including the executive committee of The Goldie Hawn Foundation (MindUp). He has received numerous honors, including the Pathfinder and Magna Awards. As former Senior Associate Executive Director at AASA, he led the development of leadership programs that continue to shape the next generation of school system leaders. He is a nationally recognized leader in education, speaking frequently about children’s mental health, student achievement, curriculum and staff development. He has written and published more than 400 articles, is currently a writer for Psychology Today, published a book on Personalized Learning in the 21st Century, and just released a co-authored book with his daughter Sara: Resonant Minds, The Transformative Nature of Music... One Note at a Time.

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