FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Superintendent Vickie Cartwright will soon be stepping down after Broward County school board members unanimously voted to negotiate a mutual separation agreement, Tuesday afternoon.
“Of course I would like to stay, but again, I want to do what’s in the best interest of children,” said Cartwright.
Earlier in the morning, there were two items on the agenda during a meeting that potentially affected the acting superintendent; the first would go into effect after the school year in July whereas the other would impact Cartwright’s career in March.
Cartwright was hired as an interim back in August of 2021, and in February 2022, she was hired as the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, making her the first woman superintendent to run the school board in the county.
After a grand jury report in 2022 indicated funds were mismanaged in the previous years, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed five new republican board members who all voted to fire Cartwright.
In November, four newly elected board members voted to rescind that decision, which led to this meeting that will decide the future of the superintendent.
Cartwright outlined a list of accomplishments on issues she agreed to tackle, like declining enrollment and mediocre student achievement, most of Tuesday morning.
She spoke about a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade she attended where she felt she had many supporters in the community.
“As I walked the parade in front of the band, I made it a point to go out and just talk with people — interact with people who were lined up on the side celebrating what a wonderful day it was to remember,” said Cartwright. “[I heard] nothing but positive comments. Not a single critic. Not one.”
Cartwright does not seem to have support from Lisa Maxwell, who is with the Broward Principals’ Association; she was one of the first speakers to address the board after the superintendent’s presentation.
“Principals need support, need support. Without that we can’t continue as a district, and we need a superintendent who has the kind of leadership that can take us to the next level,” said Maxwell.
Without Maxwell’s support, the situation could be troublesome for Cartwright.
“This is a tough day,” said Maxwell, “but it’s one that’s necessary. The principals and assistant principals in this county do not have confidence in the superintendent. There are so many things that are going wrong. It could take hours [to go through].”
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