And Then There Were Four
The Monroe County School Board is down to four candidates to replace long-time Keys educator and Retiring current Superintendent Teri Axford.
Now It’s your turn to have a say on the next leader of the Monroe County School District.
The Monroe County School Board interviewed its four finalists for the position of Superintendent Thursday in a public workshop. Those interviews can be viewed here.
The four candidates — Edward Tierney, Laura Lietaert, current Assistant Superintendent Amber Acevedo and Darren Burkett — are participating in one-on-one interviews with School Board members today (Friday).
The four remaining candidates are The applications and resumes for all the finalists, as well as their answers to written and video questions, are available on the School District’s website or by clicking the headings for each candidate.
Tierney is currently the Deputy Superintendent of the Palm Beach County School District. He cites his current school district’s A rating for the 2023-24 school year and an increase in graduation rates to exceed the state average as two major accomplishments among others. He has experience as a teacher, K-12 school principal, high school principal, Instructional Superintendent for the Central Region, and the District’s Chief of Staff.
Tierney holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University. In his current position, he has been involved in all aspects of leadership in the district. He was also recognized as Principal of the year twice.
Prior to his experience in the field of education, he was a decorated Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps serving in Rwanda, Somalia and in Operation Desert Storm
The current Principal of Coral Shores High School, Leitaert, grew up in Monroe County and graduated from the Monroe County School District.
She has worked for Monroe County Schools since 1994, and has earned the title “Principal of the Year” twice in her career as well as leading district efforts in strategic planning, school safety, collective bargaining and employee wellness.
Under her leadership, Coral Shores High School was named as one of the nation’s top 8% of schools by U.S. News and World Report.
She has held positions as teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal of Key Largo School and in her current position since 2021. She has a Masters Degree of Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Leitaert has also been involved in many local community organizations including Rotary, Community Foundation of the Keys, United Way and the Chamber of Commerce as well as sitting on numerous school district committees.
Acevedo currently serves as Deputy Superintendent of the Monroe County School District. Acevedo grew up in Monroe County, graduated from Monroe County Schools and has served in the Monroe County School District for 40 years, as a teacher, assistant principal, principal of Poinciana Elementary school and Key West High School, and in her current position since 2021.
She cites her involvement at all levels and in all areas of the district as major strengths in her candidacy for the position, along with her extensive involvement and familiarity with the many aspects of the unique Florida Keys community.
Acevedo has been Principal of the Year three times as well as Teacher of the Year. She was named Best Educator in the Keys in 2019 by the Florida Keys Weekly and is a graduate of Leadership Monroe and the Department of Education Leadership Academy in 2015.
She has also been a member of numerous Monroe County civic and community organizations over the years including Rotary, United Way, Samuel’s House and Take Stock in Children.
Deputy Superintendent of the Collier County School District, Burkett has worked for Collier County Schools since 2009 as an assistant principal, high school principal, and Executive Director for School Leadership.
Burkett previously worked in Massachusetts schools, progressing from a position as a football and track coach into a paraprofessional position and then into teaching, eventually becoming an assistant principal.
He points out the similarities between Collier County and Monroe County in the areas of cost of living, employee retention and workforce housing.
Burkett was named Principal of the Year in 2020 and holds a certificate from the National Institute for School Leadership. In his current position, he has been involved in all aspects of the district from financial planning to community involvement, policy initiatives and collective bargaining. Burkett attended the National Institute of School Leadership in 2017, and has taken leadership courses from Harvard University. His community involvement includes Rotary, Leadership Collier, United Way of Collier and the Keys, and Florida Association of School Administrators.
Please take some time to view the finalist's interviews and provide feedback via the survey here. The School Board will make its selection for their next Superintendent Tuesday, May 6 during their meeting at Coral Shores High School which starts at 5:00 p.m.