The Tarrant County Democratic Party County Executive Committee, composed of hundreds and hundreds of dedicated, grassroots, volunteer precinct chairs, Wednesday night adopted a resolution censuring Fort Worth ISD’s Texas Education Agency-appointed Board of Managers over its vote to close International Newcomer Academy.

The censure specifically names Board President Pete Geren (a former Democratic member of Congress, Rosa Maria Berdeja (an immigration attorney and chair-elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) and Luis A. Galindo (an attorney), citing their public votes in support of closing a campus designed to serve newcomer students, including English learners, immigrant students, refugee students and families navigating a new country, language and school system.

“Tarrant County Democrats believe every child deserves access to a quality public education, including students who are new to this country and need specialized support,” said Allison Campolo, Ph.D., chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. “Closing International Newcomer Academy removes a trusted support system from students who deserve stability, belonging and focused instruction.”

International Newcomer Academy has served students with specialized needs, including newly arrived students requiring intensive language support and cultural transition assistance. The resolution states that Fort Worth ISD could have expanded opportunities for these students without eliminating the campus designed to help them succeed

Further, the censure, by the organization representing tens of thousands of primary and general election voters, references the Democratic Party Platform which specifically calls for equitable access to high-quality education for English learners, who have historically been underserved.

The resolution also criticizes the broader governance structure currently in place at Fort Worth ISD, noting that the district is being governed by a TEA-appointed Board of Managers while the authority of the duly elected Board of Trustees has been suspended.

“The issue is not only the closure itself,” Campolo said. “It is also about transparency, humility, local accountability and whether families most affected by these decisions are being heard with the seriousness they deserve.”

In adopting the resolution, the Tarrant County Democratic Party calls on the Board of Managers to reconsider the harm caused by the closure, engage directly and respectfully with immigrant and refugee families, and seek solutions that expand student opportunity without dismantling specialized support.

The resolution further calls on Pete Geren, Rosa Maria Berdeja, Luis A. Galindo and the full Board of Managers to show greater sympathy, deeper listening and a better understanding of the families who make Fort Worth stronger.

A RESOLUTION OF THE TARRANT COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CENSURING FORT WORTH ISD’S BOARD OF MANAGERS, PARTICULARLY, PETE GEREN, ROSA MARIA BERDEJA AND LUIS A. GALINDO FOR THEIR VOTE TO CLOSE FORT WORTH ISD’S INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER ACADEMY

WHEREAS, Fort Worth ISD is currently governed by a Texas Education Agency-appointed Board of Managers, while the authority of the duly elected Board of Trustees has regrettably been suspended; and

WHEREAS, the Tarrant County Democratic Party believes public education should be governed with transparency, humility and respect for the families most affected by district decisions; and

WHEREAS, the Democratic Party stands for quality public education for every child, including English learners, immigrant students, refugee students and students whose families are navigating a new country, a new language and a new school system; and

WHEREAS, the 2024 Democratic Party Platform states that every student deserves a quality education regardless of ZIP code or income, and specifically calls for equitable access to high-quality education for English learners, who have historically been underserved; and

WHEREAS, the International Newcomer Academy was designed to serve students with specialized needs, including students newly arriving in the United States who need intensive language support, cultural transition support and a school environment built around their success; and

WHEREAS, closing the International Newcomer Academy removes a trusted support system from some of Fort Worth’s most vulnerable students at the exact moment they need stability, belonging and focused instruction; and

WHEREAS, Fort Worth ISD could have expanded opportunities for these students without eliminating the campus designed to help them succeed, including through shared electives, partnerships, transportation, phased transitions or other student-centered solutions; and

WHEREAS, Pete Geren, a former Democratic member of Congress and current president of the TEA-appointed Board of Education, voted in a manner that this Party believes conflicts with Democratic values of public education, local accountability, immigrant dignity and respect for community voice; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Maria Berdeja, an immigration attorney, first-generation college student and Chair-Elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, voted in a manner that this Party believes fell short of the care and courage immigrant families, Latino families and English-learning students deserve from leaders in this moment; and

WHEREAS, Luis A. Galindo, an attorney and member of the TEA-appointed Board of Education with ties to the international border city of El Paso, voted in a manner that this Party believes failed to adequately protect vulnerable newcomer students and the families who trusted Fort Worth ISD to help them build a future; and

WHEREAS, the strength and future success of the United States of America depend on guaranteeing, promoting and ensuring that every resident has access to a quality education; and

WHEREAS, this resolution speaks directly to these individuals ‘public conduct, public vote and public accountability as members of a governing board; and does not question any individual’s professional license, personal character or legal qualifications.

WHEREAS, the Tarrant County Democratic Party believes Democrats, former Democrats and public leaders who benefit from community trust must be held accountable when their actions harm the very communities our Party exists to defend;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Tarrant County Democratic Party hereby censures Pete Geren, Rosa Maria Berdeja, Luis A. Galindo and the Fort Worth ISD Board of Managers, for their vote to close the International Newcomer Academy and for failing, in this decision, to uphold the Democratic values of educational equity, immigrant dignity, local democracy and protection for vulnerable students;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Tarrant County Democratic Party expresses deep disappointment in Pete Geren’s leadership of the Board and calls on him to conduct meetings with greater openness, patience and respect for the Fort Worth families whose elected representation has been displaced by state intervention;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Tarrant County Democratic Party urges members of the public, including members of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and all who care about immigrant families, including those considering selection of a lawyer, to pay close attention to the public votes and leadership choices of those who claim to represent or understand these communities;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Tarrant County Democratic Party calls on the Board of Managers to reconsider the harm caused by this closure, to engage directly and respectfully with immigrant and refugee families, and to seek solutions that expand student opportunity without dismantling specialized support; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Tarrant County Democratic Party asks Pete Geren, Rosa Maria Berdeja, Luis A. Galindo and the entire Board of Managers to show greater sympathy, deeper listening and a better understanding of the families who make Fort Worth stronger.

Adopted by the Tarrant County Democratic Party County Executive Committee on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.