Dr. Karen Molinar is the new superintendent, but is no stranger to the ISD. | Photo courtesy of FWISD
During its board meeting on Tuesday, the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) voted its lone finalist, Dr. Karen Molinar, as the new permanent superintendent. Molinar has served as interim superintendent since October, succeeding Dr. Angélica Ramsey.
Molinar steps into her new role with 26+ years of experience, having joined the FWISD in 1997 as a teacher and holding several leadership positions during her tenure. As superintendent, she’ll oversee many departments, including budget and finance, talent management + safety and security.
Background
Molinar earned a Doctorate in Education Administration from Texas Wesleyan University. Her previous FWISD positions include assistant superintendent, chief of staff, and deputy superintendent from 2020 to 2023. She’s also been a member of professional organizations like the Texas Association of School Administrators and has been recognized for her outstanding leadership skills.
Reading is high-priority
When Molinar accepted the position as interim superintendent five months ago, her primary focus was on improving students’ literacy. In January, FWISD adopted this mindset, as the district is the lowest-performing big urban district in the state. Molinar’s plan to reverse poor performance includes reframing literacy instruction, aligning resources + monitoring students’ progress more closely.
Events
Events
Thursday, March 13
Artist Talk: Jean Shin | 6-7:30 p.m. | Amon Carter Museum of American Art | Free | Former museum curator Maggie Adler will be joined by artist Jean Shin to talk about her work in the exhibit “Jean Shin: The Museum Body.”
Friday, March 14
Luck & Abundance Spell Jar Workshop | Friday, March 14-Monday, March 17 | 1-7 p.m. | Embodii Crystals Express | $15 | Stop by anytime to channel the luck of the Irish and craft your own spell jar + a custom spell.
Saturday, March 15
Cowtown Goes Green | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Fort Worth Stockyards | Free | Mosey on down to Exchange Avenue, where you’ll find festive food, live music, armadillo races, and lawn games + the Irish-Western parade starts at 4 p.m.
Old Town Burleson St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Old Town Station, Burleson | $30+ | Grab your Paddy Pass and check out each of nine participating locations for exclusive food and drink specials.
Texas Street Food Festival | Saturday, March 15-Sunday, March 16 | 12-8 p.m. | Texas Live! | $8+ | Sample recipes from 30+ food trucks, participate in food-eating contests, jam to DJs, and ride mechanical bulls.
Sunday, March 16
Rock ‘n’ Roll Rummage Sale | 12-5 p.m. | South Main Micro Park | Free | Shop your way through the open-air vintage & art mini-festival featuring live music and 130+ vendors in Near Southside.
Starting this Saturday, March 15, Abe Fromage will be serving up hot grilled cheeses and more outside of Tulips FTW at 112 St Louis Ave. From chef Scotty Scott, the popular food truck will offer tasty eats like the Abe burger and the goud butt from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m daily. (CultureMap Fort Worth)
Kids
Looking for something to do with the kids over spring break? Between Saturday, March 15 and Saturday, March 22, the British storybook character Paddington Bear will visit 18 library branches. Take the kids for photo opportunities, storytime, and more activities.
Travel
If you use Dallas Love Field airport, make sure to brush up on Southwest Airlines’ new checked bag policy. Starting Wednesday, May 28, fliers who do not qualify for free bag options will get charged for their first checked bag. But why travel Love Field when there are more reasons to use DFW airport? (CultureMap Fort Worth)
Development
The city showed its support for a 350+ unit apartment complex to be built in southwest Fort Worth. ONM Living pitched to rezone a 39-acre lot at 9705 Old Granbury Rd. this week, and city leaders unanimously backed it. Stay tuned for updates on the project. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Trending
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County (BGCGTC) announced its 2025 Youth of the Year, Ja’Miyah G. Finalists were selected based on leadership and service. Ja’Miyah, a high school student at Mansfield, founded and coaches a cheerleading team for the BGCGTC + wants to open a nonprofit organization. (Fort Worth Magazine)
Sports
Former TCU football player and NFL running back LaDainian Tomlinson is moving back to DFW to join the coaching staff at The Oakridge School in Arlington. WFAA journalist Paul B. Livengood shared the news on X this week. (WFAA)
Listen
Will the Dallas Mavericks be moving to Irving, or won’t they? The team has called Dallas home for the last 45 years, plus Dallas has been scoping out sites for a new arena already. Stay up to date on the Dallas Mavericks every day with the Locked On podcast.
Finance
High interest rates are a major concern, and paying down debt is a top priority for many Americans. If we told you there was a trending card that now has 0% intro APR on balance transfers into 2026, would you believe us? You should.*
Wellness
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Travel
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I’ve got to get down to Tulips immediately to try Abe Fromage. Grilled cheese is my favorite comfort food. I mean, who doesn’t love it? That, paired with the creamy tomato soup from Central Market. *Chef’s kiss*
Answered
Answered
We asked our readers to tell us their brunch preferences, and the results are in.
53.8% of readers prefer a savory and sweet brunch, while 46.2% prefer just savory. Omelettes were the most popular brunch food with 53.8% of votes, followed by pancakes and waffles with 38.5%. And most importantly, we agree with the 61.5% of readers that think brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast.
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