A crowd gathers before the School Board meeting on Tuesday, many to protest the potential closure of some schools. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
Published on May 7, 2024 at 9:37 pm
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The Duval County School Board selected two candidates Tuesday as the finalists in its search for a new superintendent.
All seven board members agreed to invite Christopher Bernier, who resigned as the superintendent of Lee County schools in Southwest Florida last month, and Daniel Smith, the chief of staff at Loudoun County (Va.) Public Schools, to visit Jacksonville next week for a two-day series of interviews and events.
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Two board members, Warren Jones and Chair Darryl Willie, had advocated for also inviting candidate Cheryl Proctor, a deputy superintendent at Portland Public Schools, to the list of finalists.
Willie said he would like to hear from Proctor because “she offers a very different lens and experience to look through.” Proctor was the only woman and one of two Black candidates among the final five.
Jones said he was concerned about choosing just two finalists because if one were to withdraw from consideration — as two candidates have already done during the search process — it would make the decision for the board.
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“If one drops out, then we’re stuck,” Jones said.
Board Vice Chair Charlotte Joyce said choosing fewer finalists would afford the board more time to spend with each candidate because they would divide their time two ways instead of three.
“For me, these two are the more serious — for me — and I would like to be able to spend more time with just the two that are being considered,” Joyce said.
Willie and Jones ultimately agreed with the rest of the board to advance just two finalists.
Duval County’s search for a new superintendent began a year ago when former Superintendent Diana Greene announced her early retirement. The board paused the search in October after deciding the original pool of applicants was insufficient. A second call for applicants this spring produced 21 candidates, which the board narrowed to six semifinalists in mid-April. Two semifinalists, including Proctor, were also in the original group of applicants.
Five of the semifinalists submitted answers to seven “deal-breaker” questions — one from each board member. One semifinalist withdrew his name from consideration.
Bernier spent almost two years as head of Lee County schools. He announced his resignation, effective the next day, April 8. Bernier also served for three years as chief of staff at the Clark County (Nev.) School District and for nine years as an associate superintendent at Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools. He began his career in education as a history teacher.
About 40% of Florida’s school districts appoint their superintendents — Duval County among them — and the rest elect them. Bernier was appointed as Lee County’s superintendent shortly before voters approved a referendum to instead elect them.
Smith has been in his current position at Loudoun County Public Schools for about two years, and he spent nine months during that time as acting superintendent. He has also served as a principal at several schools across Virginia. His first teaching position was at a middle and high school in Kotzebue, Alaska.
The candidates will both be in Jacksonville on Monday and Tuesday. The school board is hosting a community meet-and-greet with Bernier and Smith on Monday at 6 p.m. at EverBank Stadium. Here’s more information on the event.
