FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Broward County School Board is hosted interviews on Wednesday afternoon for the three finalists for the superintendent position.
There were more than 1,000 candidates who applied for the job and after an independent research firm looked into them, 39 were selected.
From the eight semi-finalists, Dr. Vickie Cartwright, Michael Gaal and Quintin Shepherd remained.
Gaal is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former deputy chancellor for Washington, D.C. Public Schools. He also worked in Detroit for several years.
Gaal has worked in the military, private sector and several school districts over the course of 25 years.
“I’ve been a network superintendent, a chief of staff and a deputy chancellor in Detriot, Oakland and Washington, D.C.,” said Gaal. “I have walked hundreds, if not thousands, of classrooms in the years of those times. I have served as a principal manager. I have helped develop with TNTP teacher evaluation tools. I was responsible for the TIF grant in one of the locations that I was at, we developed internal pipelines for teacher leaders, as well as aspiring principals. Again, I understand what are the needs, particularly of the urban public school setting.”
He said he’s already visited over 80 schools in Broward County, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Gaal said he visited the school to better understand what happened back in 2018, emphasizing school safety is among his top priorities.
Dr. Cartwright spoke of her past being homeless with her family while growing up. She said she also had a disability and speech issues so she understands what some students go through.
She said relationships with her teachers, music and band directors helped her make it through the tough times.
“I persevered because of the power of those relationships. I wanted to share that information with you because of the fact that, on a personal level, I understand what it means for many of the struggles that our students go through on a daily basis,” she said.
Dr. Cartwright has an extensive resume doing just about every job in the school district from teaching to now working as the interim superintendent.
Shepherd who is currently the superintendent for the Victoria Independent School District in Texas, was eliminated.
“I just wish you all the very best and it’s all about finding that right fit,” said Shepherd.
The Broward Teachers Union feels like the choice is easy and that the candidate is already here.
“Vickie was very articulate and professional and answered hers not only within length but with fidelity, and actually gave answers of what she has done and what she’ll do,” said Broward Teachers Union, Ana Fusco.
The school board said more work needs to be done before the superintendent is chosen next week.
“We will all be meeting individually with the candidates, we will have the community event and then we will come back and have another discussion as a board with questions for the finalist, and then make a decision at that point,” said Broward School Board Member, Laurie Rich Levinson.
Those two candidates will likely be interviewed once more on Feb. 8 before a decision will be made on Feb. 9.
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