Saturday, October 11, 2008
Board approves Miami superintendent's contract
MIAMI (AP) -- Following months of upheaval, Florida's largest public school district approved the contract of its new superintendent Friday amid controversy over a racy batch of e-mails allegedly exchanged with a newspaper reporter who covered the district.
The Miami-Dade school board voted 6-3 in favor of Alberto Carvalho's $275,000 annual contract. The decision comes after a month of controversy since he was first named as a successor to Rudy Crew, a nationally recognized schools leader who had fallen out of favor with several board members over the state of district finances.
Carvalho, a former science teacher and associate superintendent, had originally sought a three-year contract. But it was modified to two years during the meeting Friday.
From the announcement of his selection last month, Carvalho has been embroiled in an e-mail scandal and debate about how he was chosen.
E-mails allegedly sent between Carvalho and a former Miami Herald education reporter suggested the two had a romantic relationship when she covered the district and were passed on to reporters. They were not sent to The Associated Press.
Carvalho denied he had an affair, and the e-mails have not been authenticated. The reporter, Tania deLuzuriaga, had gone on to work at the Boston Globe and recently resigned.
All those issues were raised during Friday's meeting, but ultimately a majority of the board voted to put a stamp of approval on Carvalho's contract.
"We need to continue to move forward," said board member Martin Karp, who voted to approve the contract.
Carvalho spoke briefly and urged reporters to focus on education topics like graduation rates, school closures and teacher contract issues.
"Come back when one of our children falls through the cracks, that too is important," he said. "Actually, I believe that is the most important function that you should be reporting on."
Carvalho's task now will be to mend fissures with the board and establish his credence as the district's leader. Crew, his predecessor and the former New York City schools chancellor, brought in a number of new initiatives to improve struggling schools. But he also was accused of failing to build ties with the community.
Carvalho was chosen in part because of his 18-year career with the district.
"Mr. Carvalho has a much deeper understanding of this community than Dr. Crew did or does," board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla said.
Diaz de la Portilla voted against Carvalho's contract Friday because he thought the decision to hire him came too quickly after the board voted to buy out the remainder of Crew's contract.
"The selection of the superintendent is the most important decision this board will ever make," he said. "We should have followed a process that was fair and transparent."
Still, Diaz de la Portilla said he respected the decision.
"We're going to be working together and hopefully move this district forward," he said.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
