FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Broward County Public Schools’ superintendent and several Broward School Board members are speaking up a day after a marathon meeting of the board ended with a vote to give the superintendent three months to provide a plan of action, as her job hangs in the balance.
At the end of Tuesday’s 11-hour meeting, board members voted unanimously to verbally reprimand BCPS Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright and give her 90 days to demonstrate to the board that she intends to implement real changes going forward.
“I will say I’m very grateful for the very candid conversation that our school board engaged in this evening,” said Cartwright. “It was very fruitful dialogue. We are a learning organization; my attitude to all is that we must keep a growth mindset.”
When the discussion began, it sounded like the newly hired superintendent was sure to be fired.
Sharply critical of Cartwright’s job performance was Broward School Board Chair Torey Alston, who has himself held the position for less than three months.
“These conversations are tough, so I apologize to those in the public,” he said.
Alston is one of four new board members who were appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and nicknamed the “Reform Board.” The three others are Manuel “Nandy” A. Serrano, Ryan Reiter and Kevin Tynan.
“In this case, I’m going to own it. Everyone’s caught on to it, a reform board, because the ‘Reform Board,’ we do want change,” he said.
Alston and the other three new school board members were appointed after a grand jury report indicated previous school board members Laurie Rich Levinson, Patricia Good, Donna P. Korn and Ann Murray had poorly managed funds.
A simple majority vote was all that was needed to fire Cartwright.
“It was almost, like, an understanding that there was going to be action to terminate Superintendent Cartwright yesterday,” said Broward School Board member Lori Alhadeff.
With four other non-elected board members, they certainly had the numbers to terminate the superintendent.
“What you voted in messed up, so we’re here, and you have to deal with it now,” said Broward School Board member Daniel P. Foganholi, another recent DeSantis appointee.
Cartwright did have support from some board members, like Debbie Hixon
“The superintendent has done what she can, in the short time that she has been here,” said Hixon.
But it wasn’t going to be enough. Still, Cartwright fought back against the criticism.
“I remain committed to being the superintendent for all in Broward County Public Schools,” she said.
Cartwright refuted her alleged shortcomings point by point. Her efforts worked: she ended the night standing side by side with Alston, the man who started the day trying to fire her.
“The board is exercising its accountability and oversight function, and the superintendent has committed to come back to the board,” he said.
All but one of the school board members appointed by DeSantis will soon be replaced by voters after the Nov. 8 midterm election.
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