Broward school board discusses future of superintendent, general counsel, chief auditor

Broward Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright has only been on the job since February and she is already facing the possibility that the new school board members could push her out.

In her recent 33-page self-evaluation, Cartwright rated herself as “highly effective.” Six of the nine Broward County School Board members ranked her as “effective.”

The other three School Board members — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees Manuel Serrano, Kevin Tynan, and Torey Alston — did not submit written evaluations.

Alston, the chair, listed 15 areas of concern and said Cartwright had displayed “questionable judgment” and “failure of leadership.”

DeSantis said a 2021 grand jury report after the grand jury indicted former Superintendent Robert Runcie and former General Counsel Barbara Myrick required “reform” at Broward County Public Schools. But DeSantis’s appointments, except for Alston, have until the Nov. 8 election.

The members want to decide the fate of Cartwright, Interim General Counsel Marylin Batista, who replaced Myrick last year, and Chief Auditor Joris Jabouin.

“If you believe in the Constitution, allow us to choose our leaders and allow us our freedoms,” Matthew Sparks, an Oakland Park commissioner, said in protest.

Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, the Broward Schools Facilities Task Force chair, was among Cartwright’s critics. She accused her of not building bridges with communities.

“Find a way to put an end to having a bad superintendent before the superintendent becomes worse because that is where this is going,” Lynch-Walsh said.

Shea Ciriago, of the Broward Education Foundation, was among Cartwright’s supporters.

“You are doing the absolute best that you can,” Ciriago told Cartwright during a recent public meeting.

Bobby Henry, the publisher of the Westside Gazette, warned Cartwright about the nature of the discussions and said, “Now Mrs. Cartwright, it has become personal.”

Alston’s list on Cartwright

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