FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County Public Schools has named a new interim superintendent as they transition to replace Dr. Robert Runcie.
Dr. Vickie Cartwright was chosen in a 5-4 vote to lead the school board in the interim. She will hold the position for about a year until the school board finds a permanent replacement.
“Right now, I am feeling very grateful,” Cartwright said. “That is my number one priority is making sure we have a smooth beginning of school to the best of our ability, at this point.”
Cartwright was the superintendent of the Oshkosh Area School District in Wisconsin in 2018. She was a superintendent in Orlando from 2003 to 2018.
Dr. Robert Schiller, the other proposed interim superintendent, is from Stewart, Fla. He is an education consultant and has been for about 13 years.
“For the interim, perhaps me, perhaps someone else, to ready the district for a smooth and seamless hand-off to that permanent,” Schiller said.
Runcie and the school board agreed to terminate his contract was after he was indicted by a grand jury in April. He has since pleaded not guilty.
The focus of the interviews was how they plan to guide the school district to the full-time superintendent.
Board members said they liked Cartwright’s empathy and own life experiences.
“My seventh-grade year, we became homeless, and so, living out of friends’ garages,” Cartwright said.
“I liked all of her life experiences that would bring to this,” BCPS Board Member Debra Hixon said.
However, some board members raised concerns with her experience. BCPS Board Member Donna Korn said Cartwright only oversees about 10,000 students in Wisconsin in a district that lacked diversity.
“It’s one thing to sit in an interview and say what you want to do,” Korn said.
Both candidates were asked about four questions each.
“It’s really preparing, recovering from COVID, right now because we’re starting to get into that recovery period and continuing throughout the year on that and then preparing the district for your next superintendent,” Cartwright said.
One of the rules to Cartwright’s appointment is that she will not be eligible to become the permanent superintendent. However, there were some murmurs from some board members who would like to change the rule.
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