Broward superintendent prepares for new school year
It has been a year since Vickie L. Cartwright became interim superintendent of Broward County Public Schools. In February, the school board gave her the job permanently.
Cartwright, who earned a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi, took over as superintendent as the measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 disrupted students’ learning.
Cartwright said students’ progress in the subjects of mathematics, science, and English remains her focus.
“By honing in on that and really setting the bar high, we know that our students will rise to those expectations,” Cartwright said.
Preparing for the new school year means focusing on the schools that need improvements.
The Florida Department of Education gave Broward County Public Schools a “B” rating in early July after 45% of traditional public schools remained or improved to an “A” rating and 55% remained or improved to an “A” or “B” rating.
SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS
Cartwright said surveillance cameras at schools are geocoded so that the Broward Sheriff’s Office knows what is happening.
Students from sixth grade to 12th grade will be subjected to random screenings with handheld metal detectors.
The schools are also getting rid of the emergency code systems and teachers and students will be learning procedures for “HOLD,” “SECURE,” “LOCKDOWN,” “EVACUATE” and “SHELTER.”
“Rather than using colors, we literally just say the words hold and they know exactly what they should be doing at that point,” Cartwright said.
FINDING TEACHERS
Making improvements amid a nationwide shortage of teachers is challenging. BCPS has dozens of openings to fill. Cartwright said Florida ranks as one of the states with the lowest funding for teachers’ pay.
“People just don’t want to go into education anymore,” Cartwright said.
New Florida laws related to race and sexual identity could also be dissuading some teachers to step into classrooms.
“There are some teachers that are very nervous about that,” Cartwright said adding, “I want them focused on the curriculum. I want them to be focused on the content that they should be teaching.”
Cartwright said teachers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community need to know they are members of the BCPS family.
“We don’t want you to feel any different,” Cartwright said.
SCHOOL GRADES IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT
Two schools had the lowest grade. There were four schools with a “D,” 66 schools with a “C” and 14 with an incomplete grade.
Schools with “F” grade
Endeavour Primary Learning Center North Fork Elementary
List of four schools with a “D” grade
Plantation Middle, Walker Elementary Westwood Heights Elementary King, Dr. Martin Luther, Montessori Academy
List of 66 shools with “C” grade
Apollo MiddleAtlantic West ElementaryAttucks MiddleBair MiddleBennett ElementaryBlanche Ely HighCoral Springs Pre K – 8Cypress ElementaryDavie ElementaryDeerfield Beach ElementaryDeerfield Beach MiddleDeerfield Park ElementaryDillard 6-12Dillard ElementaryDrew, Charles ElementaryDriftwood ElementaryDriftwood MiddleFairway ElementaryHallandale Magnet HighHollywood Central ElementaryLarkdale ElementaryLauderhill 6-12Lauderhill Paul Turner Elementary.Liberty ElementaryLloyd Estates ElementaryMargate MiddleMarkham, C. Robert ElementaryMcArthur HighMcNicol Middle MagnetMeadowbrook ElementaryMiramar HighMorrow ElementaryNew Renaissance MiddleNew River MiddleNorth Lauderdale Pre K – 8North Side ElementaryNortheast HighOrange Brook ElementaryOriole ElementaryPalm Cove ElementaryPark Ridge ElementaryParkside ElementaryPembroke Pines ElementaryPines Lakes ElementaryPines MiddlePiper HighPlantation HighPompano Beach MiddleQuiet Waters ElementaryRickards, James S. MiddleRiverland ElementaryRock Island ElementaryRoyal Palm STEM Museum MagnetSanders Park Elementary MagnetSeminole MiddleSilver Lakes MiddleSouth Plantation HighStephen Foster ElementaryStranahan HighSunrise MiddleTaravella HighTedder ElementaryVillage ElementaryWest Hollywood ElementaryWestpine MiddleWilliam Dandy Middle
List of 14 schools with Incomplete grade
Anderson, Boyd H. High: It was a “C” from 2015 to 2019.Coral Springs High: It was a “C” from 2016 to 2019.Coconut Creek High: It was a “C” in 2019.Crystal Lake Middle: It was a “C” from 2011 to 2019.Deerfield Beach High: It was a “C” from 2016 to 2019.Gulfstream Academy of Hallandale Beach K – 8: It was a “B” in 2019.Hollywood Hills High: It was a “C” from 2016 to 2019.Lauderdale Lakes Middle: It was a “C” from 2017 to 2019.Monarch High: It was a “B” in 2019 and a “C” in 2018. Nova MiddlePioneer MiddleParkway MiddlePasadena Lakes ElementarySawgrass Springs Middle
Related link: View the BCPS grades
