By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
The Westside Gazette congratulates Dr. Pete Licata for being selected Broward’s next Superintendent of Schools.
Dr. Licata hails from West Palm Beach where he currently serves as Regional Superintendent of about a third of the district’s schools. Licata is no stranger to Broward. In his “acceptance speech” he simply said through a slew of emotions that he is coming home. Licata attended school in Broward and has strong family ties here. He is a University of Miami Hurricane Alum.
In a 7-2 vote, Licata was able to squeak a comfortable win away from sitting superintendent, Dr. Sito Narcisse from East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who was the Westside Gazette’s choice if Dr. Wanza wasn’t selected. The Board later accepted Licata unanimously with a 9-0 vote that resulted in two usually embattled Board members, Torey Alston and Alan Zeman giving each other a surprising high five to signify that the long awaited deal to hire a new Superintendent was successfully brokered.
But was it? The process outlined and approved by the Board was often riddled with twist, turns, debates and last minute changes. The Board brought in a superintendent hiring firm, and it also has a department that handles human resources. It was painfully evident that they (the Board members) collectively did not trust nor respect them to run the process. Or maybe, it was neither of these things. It appears that there was a constant ploy to move the ball and manipulate the outcome at every single level of the process.
Let me stop here and say this. The Westside Gazette welcomes Licata and is eager to work with him to ensure the children in Broward and more specifically Black, Brown, poor and other marginalized groups are addressed and cared for in the manner Licata spoke to in his various interviews. Licata spoke overwhelmingly about accountability for these students in the quest for making Broward an A-rated district. He assured the public that he would hold others accountable with support and urged the public to hold him accountable. We heard you, Ol’ Peter Traceit and the Westside Gazette will be here to do just as you have asked.
The top two final candidates, Licata and Sito Narcisse, interviewed well and while there appeared to be a landslide victory, it appeared that a few Board members were split and may have changed their minds within minutes of voting. It is rumored that at least one made a sudden change after checking the box on the official voting ballot.
Board member, Jeff Holness of district five spoke from the dais and said that each candidate was at one time behind and then overtook the other the last couple days of intense interviews.
Strangely, each Board member recorded their vote on a ballot and then vocally shared their vote in public format. It is uncertain whether the actual vote that was written on the paper matched what was shared vocally to the public. It would seem that the vote card would have been collected and read into the record.
The manner in which votes are tallied via roll call is concerning because it can appear that some Board members are counting the votes and strategically making adjustments to keep people in and/or out. With the roll call being done alphabetically, it allows the most shrewd, calculating and politically driven Board member to go last. It has been noted that this particular Board member, Zeman, has used the strategy on more than one occasion to not vote his conscious or for the good of his constituents, but rather exercised a vote to do what was politically expedient for himself. Zeman’s outward support for Narcisse flipped in the final minutes and seconds as he became keenly aware where the vote was headed during the roll call. It makes me wonder if he ever really supported that man… maybe it was a decoy.
For votes that are as politically charged as this one, they should be made public. If done on paper ballot, the results should be collected and read into the record. Even better, they should be done by electronic ballot so that Board members are not calculating and recalculating their votes as they hear them called into the record by their colleagues. An electronic ballot secures the vote and assures that there is no political maneuvering.
Board member Brenda Fam stated that I, Bobby Henry and the Westside Gazette flip when it comes to the support and relationships with Board members. For the record, The Westside Gazette reports the news using facts and resources, and editorials are a matter of opinion when considering all facts. This brings me to Board chair, Lori Alhadeff and the disparaging comments made in her address to the public regarding Narcisse. I was disappointed because Alhadeff has most often presented as blunt and truthful, but extremely measured in her speech. It might be safe to say that she became worried that Narcisse might clench the job and decided to slander the man during her commentary regarding who she would support as the new superintendent. Alhadeff’s words were so reckless until each Board member who spoke after her slanderous address publicly stated that they would not engage in public criticism of the candidates. They each thanked the three candidates for applying and going through the process.
In today’s social media age, nothing ever goes away. Narcisse is a young talented man and Alhadeff’s words will be in the social media air space for a lifetime. To add insult to Narcisse’s injury, Alhadeff’s words were not proven facts and she is responsible to have known that. Or, maybe she did and simply didn’t care. She was intentional in her comments and it worked. After the Board chair spoke her words with such conviction and condemnation, it is no wonder that Narcisse was only able to secure two of nine votes. My hunch is the vote was closer to 5-4 in favor of or against Narcisse, but not 7-2. I believe Alhadeff strategically and successfully bullied at least three of her colleagues into switching their votes.
This is not about the Broward superintendent position. This is about the reputation of a man whose wife and three-year-old daughter were sitting in the Board room. I have a peculiar feeling that Narcisse may have or need an attorney.
Consider this, there was so much negative conversation about former superintendent Runcie, Board attorney Barbara Myrick and four removed Board members (Good, Korn, Murray, Rich-Levinson) being allowed to use district funds to defend themselves against criminal charges and lawsuits. Let’s see if the same holds true if Narcisse files a lawsuit against some of these Board members for defamation. You know how this Board flips when it’s expedient and convenient for them.
In a desperate attempt to eliminate and discredit Dr. Valerie Wanza, Sara Leonardi, also made derogatory comments about Wanza to the press. Leonardi alluded that Wanza is partly responsible for the corrupt culture in Broward and for that reason, she did not support her in becoming superintendent. If Wanza ever intends to apply for a superintendent positions outside of Broward, this quote from a Broward member is easily found online. The real truth is members of this Board individually and collectively are the causes of the corruption. The way that some of them collude with the Broward Teachers Union and refuse to protect principals, particularly Black women, from verbal assault and abuse is unconscionable. It would be nice if Leonardi would wag that same finger of condemnation she uses for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community to defend Black, Brown and poor students and employees who are persecuted. If she and others would use the same indignant tone when speaking to and about Narcisse as when they address the disproportionate suspensions and arrests of Black and Brown boys, Broward wouldn’t have some of the highest numbers in the state. But, let me stop short before I am canceled in the same way as Dave Chapelle.
I watch the Board meetings. I observed the way Smiley, Wanza, Narcisse, Eric Chisem, to name a few, are addressed. The tone that is used when speaking to Blacks is just markedly different. It is more harsh and condescending and it needs immediate correction.
In closing, I reemphasize that The Westside Gazette welcomes Dr. Licata and is here to partner with the new Superintendent to engage the Black community and its children and families. It is our sincere hope that this is the beginning of true healing for the district. It’s been a long time coming. Welcome, Dr. Licata.
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