All we want for Christmas

From Bobby R. Henry, Sr. 

 Dear Governor DeSanta. 

All we want for Christmas is for Cartwright to be gone. I do not wish her any ill will. I just wish for her to be gone.

Make our wish come true. All we want for Christmas is for BCPS to start fresh and clean.

Superintendent Vickie Cartwright is pointing her finger of blame at staff again. This time she has conveniently thrown former Chief of Staff, Jeff Moquin in the path of a loaded freight train with steel. As only Cartwright can do, she expressed outraged at a teacher who is accused of molesting two students at one of Broward‘s high schools… for a second time. How was he back at a school for this to happen a second time? Keep reading.

Cartwright told the press she was disgusted by the teacher’s actions and assured them that she would be reviewing the practices of the Professional Standards Committee (PSC) and how the committee does business. She also maintained that she will be making recommendations to the School Board for changes.

And the award for best actress for a drama performance goes to…drumroll please, Vickie Cartwright.

Really Superintendent?

This is beyond ridiculous and just another reason why Cartwright must go. How much drama is this Board willing to endure? If it’s not one thing, it’s two, three or more. She simply refuses to take responsibility for any of her missteps.

The teacher at West Broward had a similar discipline incident in the past. PSC made a recommendation to the Superintendent for discipline as a part of its process. The discipline consequence was reduced when presented to the Board for approval. That reduction did not come from Chief of Staff, Jeff Moquin. That reduction came from Cartwright. It is the Superintendent  responsibility to recommend discipline for employees to the Board. If, at any time, Moquin or a Chief of Staff becomes involved in coordinating a reduction in the discipline of this or any employee, it is at the request of the superintendent.

Let’s not play games here. Cartwright is well aware of what she’s doing and she is conveniently putting  Moquin in harms way. What better person than one who is not here to defend himself. But, if Moquin is smart, he will find his voice.

This is not the first time Cartwright has failed to act in disciplining a teacher who clearly demonstrated poor professional conduct with ESE students. A teacher at Cross Creek Center used the N-word 10 times in the classroom in the presence of ESE students. It was captured on audio. Cartwright excused herself from this incident even after she was asked by several others to intervene. Citing that Robert Runcie was superintendent she chose not to get involved.

Contrarily, Cartwright has conveniently interjected herself into other discipline incidents that occurred before her tenure, but she didn’t want to do so with the N-word incident. She seems to pick and choose and if things go awry; she blames staff.

In case you’re wondering why both Cartwright and Runcie would allow the most fragile students in the district to be victimized by mal-intended adults, the long and winding road leads to 6000 North University Drive, Tamarac, FL.

Not only does the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) own this particular property, its president claims to “own” superintendents and Board members. If you own property then you might feel that you can do with it what you like to suit your interests; perhaps to influence decisions to help BTU members and BTU in decisions beyond unethical and detrimental to schools, students and employees.

As for the teacher who used the N-word 10 times in a classroom, Runcie may have given into the pressure of the BTU president. He inserted himself into the PSC investigation and halted it while in progress. The investigation was ending and was scheduled to go to the committee for discipline consideration. Runcie stopped it. He cleared the teacher of any wrongdoing without even a letter of warning or reprimand for her behavior. Within a month Vicky Cartwright became interim superintendent and the ESE Advisory Board and dozens of others urged her to take another look at this shocking case. Cartwright refused to investigate it despite tension at the school.

The situation became toxic, the school’s staff were bitterly divided and its once healthy culture begin to suffer. The school climate began to be hostile. One of the employees who overheard and reported the incident was targeted by BTU. He attempted to join the BTU and was refused membership specifically by Fusco. The teacher came to two Board meetings and spoke out with public comments. His outcries fell on deaf ears. Even Rosalind Osgood, the sole Black Board member was silent. Marsha Ellison of the NAACP too was silent; leaders were silent.

The Westside Gazette reported on.

This teacher, a Black male, subsequently filed a bullying and harassment complaint with the district against Fusco for violating his right to become a union member. Michael Walker, Executive Director of Professional Learning investigated the complaint. It is alleged that Walker’s unfounded investigation result earned him the promotion to Executive Director, a job he didn’t qualify for, didn’t apply for, didn’t interview for, and admits he has no idea what he is doing now that he has the job.

This is not the only incident in Broward schools where Cartwright has been pressured by the BTU to provide a less than appropriate consequence for an employee. In one instance, Cartwright alleged that someone came into her office while she was out sick and changed the discipline for an employee. She failed to name the person who came into her office under the cloak of darkness. The Board didn’t ask her to expose the supposed burglar for obvious reasons. They all knew it was possibly a lie. The Board tabled the employee’s discipline and directed Cartwright to come back with a more appropriate discipline consequence. In this case, that long and winding road could lead back to 6000 North University Drive.

It is also alleged that Fusco ordered Cartwright to place principals under investigation as a quid pro quo. Could this be  part of the threats from Fusco retract support of the BTU for the Referendum which benefits teachers? Was Cartwright willing to put principals under investigation in response to threats by the BTU? How unethical!

Last year, the principal of Flanagan High School, Paula Peters was removed from her school and placed under investigation for an incident that was clearly a witch hunt. Fusco alleged that Peters abused a student based on video footage. Child Protective Services was called, reviewed the video evidence, and saw nothing that warranted concern. Staff from the Special Investigative Unit reviewed the video evidence and saw nothing that raised concern. Fusco was adamant that the principal be removed and all of a sudden, poof; the district officials from SIU thought all of a sudden there may be something there. Peters was removed from her school and placed under investigation. She missed the graduation commencement services for her students only to be cleared of any wrong doing a few weeks after graduation.

It is interesting how Cartwright was willing to remove Peters from her school based on a video that showed no evidence of wrongdoing, yet she sits on her hands with evidence of a teacher spewing the N-word 10 times in front of students. How is this possible? It’s that long and winding road again back to 6000 North University Drive.

Another principal, Tarshe Freeman at Gulfstream K-8 experienced similar targeting by the BTU. Tarshe complained that she was being bullied by a School Safety employee assigned to her school. Her claims were substantiated by a letter from Fred Stolper, a former Director of Safety who wrote an email detailing he believe Freeman was being harassed. Stolper removed the alleged bully and Cartwright had him placed back at the school to continue victimizing the principal. Stolper’s email was clear. He said he believed Freeman was being bullied, and he removed the alleged bully to protect her. Fusco represented the alleged bully and fought for him to be returned to the school because of due process. The employee lost no wages. He was just removed from that building and placed at another. Despite this, he was returned to continue. Freeman was subsequently removed from her K-8 school at the conclusion of the school year and placed at an elementary school. Freeman is subject to a pay reduction. Stolper resigned as a result of this incident.

Again, all roads lead to 6000 North University Drive .

Maya Angelou says when someone shows you who they are, believe them. Cartwright continues to show who she is, and most of this Board doesn’t want to believe it. It is time for both Cartwright and Fusco to make a not so graceful exit.

If the Board won’t intervene with Cartwright and Fusco, maybe DeSanta can intervene with the Board. It is all we want for Christmas