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By Beth Stibal |

Fired Broward School Superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright may be rehired

Vickie Cartwright
Broward County Schools interim superintendent Vickie Cartwright walks with American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten as they visit the New River Middle School, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Weingarten is on a nationwide tour of schools to stress the importance of safely returning to five-day-a-week in person learning. Broward County is one of numerous school districts in Florida with a mask mandate for students. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

(BROWARD COUNTY, FLA) — UPDATE — Recently fired Broward County school superintendent may get her job back. The school board voted yesterday to reinstate Dr. Vickie Cartwright after she was fired by a DeSantis-appointed board last month. Dr. Cartwright must submit her plan next month to address complaints about her job performance to the newly elected board who could rehire her or look for her replacement. Cartwright says she’s very grateful for the board’s decision, and she continues to look forward to working alongside every member in the future.

ORIGINAL STORY 11/15/2022
The Broward County school superintendent is out of a job after the school board voted last night, 5-4, to fire Superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright The vote to fire Cartwright came just two weeks after the board gave her 90 days to address their concerns about her leadership. The five ‘yes’ votes came from members that were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, and the four ‘no’ votes came from the members that were elected. Those five appointed members will be replaced next week by five others who were elected last week.

Board member Debbi Hixon voted to keep Cartwright, and she said after last night’s vote ‘this just sucks.’ She says the board broke a promise to Cartwright and their constituents, and ‘this is not right.’ Board Chair Torey Alston says leading the nation’s sixth-largest school district requires a hands-on leader and someone that will make real change. He adds the board will look for a seasoned educator who will make tough decisions and engage with all stakeholders.

An interim superintendent will be appointed today.

The Broward County school board Chairman Torey Alston held an “open discussion and action” on her future after a highly critical evaluation of her job performance in late October.
Alston accuses Cartwright of “a lack of vision in critical areas, questionable judgement and a failure of leadership.”
Governor Ron DeSantis recently cleaned house on the board and suspended and replaced four members at the request of a statewide grand jury. Cartwright’s future has been in doubt ever since the purge.
So, the current board with its newly appointed members, known as the “DeSantis Reform Board,” cast a majority of votes to get rid of the embattled superintendent who replaced outgoing school chief Robert Runcie.
Runcie resigned amid continuing criticism over the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and a perjury charge from a statewide grand jury.