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Educator's Options: Lead Pinellas Or Miami-Dade Schools

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By STEVEN GIRARDI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

Updated: 09/10/2008 06:31 pm

LARGO - Passing over one of their own today, Pinellas County School Board members reached out to South Florida for a new superintendent.

In a 4-3 vote, the board decided to offer the job to Associate Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, a rising star in the Miami-Dade County School District.

Whether he takes the job remains up in the air. The Miami Herald reports on its Web site that Carvalho has been offered the same job in Miami-Dade after the school board there voted today to part ways with current leader, Rudy Crew.

Carvalho, at 43 the youngest of three finalists, impressed board members with his experience in progressive education programs, obtaining grant money and lobbying at the state and national level.

School district officials will begin contract negotiations with Carvalho, with the board expected to make a final vote Sept. 23. Carvalho is expected to make $200,000 to $240,000 a year in leading the 23rd-largest school district in the country, with a $1.5 billion budget.

After nearly three hours of sometimes contentious debate, board members bypassed the interim superintendent, Julie Janssen, 59, the former deputy superintendent who has led the district since Clayton Wilcox departed in June. Janssen was the favorite of three board members, the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, the PTA and other community groups.

The third finalist, Nicholas M. Gledich, 55, chief operations officer in the Orange County school district, drew praise from board members for his expertise in developing efficient operating procedures and for his calm demeanor.

Board Chairwoman Nancy Bostock and members Jane Gallucci, Janet Clark and Carol Cook voted for Carvalho. Linda Lerner, Mary Brown and Peggy O'Shea voted for Janssen.

Carvalho has spent 18 years with Miami-Dade, beginning as a high school teacher in 1990 and quickly moving through the administration. He has a bachelor's degree from Barry University and a master's degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, where he is a doctoral candidate.

He was considered a favorite to replace Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew.

Carvalho, who did not attend the school board meeting, was seen by some board members as an agent for change, with the vision and negotiating skills to lead the district into the future.

"Mr. Carvalho was the candidate that most got that across to me," Clark said. "He was looking for communication, and two-way communication."

He promised "no surprises," Clark said. "That, to me, was a big plus."

Gallucci liked Carvalho's experience with Miami-Dade's vocational school for failing students, called Turner Tech; a Parent Academy funded by the business community to teach adults; his involvement in high school reform; and his success in obtaining grants.

"We've got to do things differently," she said. "He said you've got to start in preschool, and I agree with that."

Bostock said she began to have reservations about Janssen in recent days as people have e-mailed and groups have publicly campaigned for the board to keep the 23-year district employee.

"The negativity of the last couple days has just overwhelmed me," she said.

She said it seemed divisive and "overtly political." She didn't blame Janssen.

Janssen's backers said the support was the kind of public input the board had said it wanted and should be considered a benefit.

Brown and Lerner said Janssen has the skills, which she proved during her interim term, and the familiarity with Pinellas schools to begin moving forward right away.

Janssen was a teacher and principal before becoming Wilcox's deputy. Carvalho has never been a principal.

"I didn't see where any of the outside candidates has done anything so great that Pinellas hasn't done," Brown said.

Lerner noted that Carvalho, who has worked as a lobbyist and spoken on national education issues, is an eloquent speaker. "But we want to get beyond someone who can give a good speech," she said. "This is a doing position."

"I don't think Mr. Carvalho is the right fit for this district," Lerner said, though she vowed to work with him.

Jade Moore, executive director of the Pinellas Classroom Teacher's Association, along with union President Kim Black, were among those who spoke in favor Janssen. They warned about the uncertainty of hiring outsiders and praised Janssen's experience as a teacher and principal.

Janssen, who sat alongside board members during the meeting, thanked them for the opportunity to serve as interim superintendent. She said she and her team would try to make the transition easy for him.

Reporter Steven Girardi can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or at sgirardi@tampatrib.com.

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