- April 26, 2024
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Four applicants for the school district's superintendent position — two of them with an existing connection to Flagler County — have made the shortlist of candidates who will be invited for interviews with the Flagler County School Board.
"With so many strong candidates, we had the luxury of choosing people who have been superintendents and could bring that experience. ... We were very fortunate with the folks who want to come to Flagler."
— JANET McDONALD, School Board member
The School Board chose the four during a meeting Feb. 25, selecting Vernon Orndorff, a former Flagler Schools assistant superintendent who is now a superintendent in Texas; Cathy Mittelstadt, a deputy superintendent in St. Johns County; Earl Johnson, the district's executive director of leadership development; and Janet Womack, an educational consultant in Texas and former superintendent of a district in Alabama.
Orndorff and Mittelstadt were both selected by all four School Board members, while Johnson and Womack were selected by three.
Colleen Conklin, the Flagler County School Board member and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University assistant professor who stepped away from her board position in order to apply for the superintendent position, won the support of only one board member — Maria Barbosa.
"Our colleague didn't move forward, but I would just say that if she's looking for the path as a superintendent, my weight was heavily on administration, having principalship, district administration. ... That was a deciding factor for me," Board member Andy Dance said. "I give her credit for stepping out of her comfort zone and putting her name in; I just think the district needs somebody to step in who's had that prior experience. ... I think she's a very good board member for us, and I want her to come back."
"I think that's what it came down to for me as well," board member Janet McDonald said. "With so many strong candidates, we had the luxury of choosing people who have been superintendents and could bring that experience, or had five or more years of district leadership. ... That's why I wanted to mention in the beginning, we had 10 exemplary candidates — the other ones were great too — but we were very fortunate with the folks who want to come to Flagler."
Soon after the selection was made, Conklin posted on her public Facebook page, writing, "Very proud of the community and my colleagues on the School Board. This was a very unique and unknown process. The top four candidates that have been selected by the Board for final interviews are top quality candidates for consideration and will serve our district well. Orndorff, Johnson, Mittelstadt and Womack will move on for the final round of interviews. Thank you for all your well wishes. I have no regrets and I'm grateful for the experience. I have no doubt the best candidate will be selected to lead the district."
All four of the applicants selected were also on a nine-person shortlist of candidates that was recommended by a citizen advisory committee. (A total of 35 people had initially applied, but three withdrew. Applicants' application packets can be viewed HERE.)
"With a position as public as the superintendent position, a position subject to routine criticism from community members, do we want or need a candidate whose instinct is to hire a lawyer and to sue parents of children with disabilities into silence?"
— STEVE FURNARI, EPAC chairman, about candidate Earl Johnson
The county's ESE Parent Advisory Council, EPAC, put forward a different list of recommendations, but two of the selected candidates — Womack and Mittelsadt — were also on that list.
One of the two who had not been — Earl Johnson — sent a cease-and-desist letter through an attorney threatening legal action to EPAC and its chairman, Steve Furnari, over EPAC's public comments about Johnson (view the letter HERE). The letter was copied to School Board members, Superintendent James Tager, School Board Attorney Kristy Gavin and to Bill Vogel, a consultant from the Florida School Board Association who has been advising the district on the search process.
Furnari mentioned Johnson's letter in his comments to School Board members during the public comment period of the Feb. 25 meeting.
"While that candidate may disagree with the statements made, the candidate had a choice," Furnari said. "He could have reached out to this community advocacy group, requested an audience, and discussed with us why EPAC was wrong about our positions. He can still do that. Instead, the candidate chose to hire a lawyer and threaten to sue community members into silence. And I ask you: With a position as public as the superintendent position, a position subject to routine criticism from community members, do we want or need a candidate whose instinct is to hire a lawyer and to sue parents of children with disabilities into silence, or do we want someone who has the fortitude to reach out and have a conversation?"
EPAC's stated concerns with Johnson centered on a perception that he had mishandled sexual harassment complaints against Belle Terre Elementary School Principal Dr. Terence Culver, who retired last year while under investigation. Johnson told the Palm Coast Observer that he had not been involved in the investigation surrounding Culver.
"Don't judge Dr. Johnson on something somebody else may have done; judge him on his ability to get the job done. I strongly support Dr. Johnson."
— RALPH LIGHTFOOT
Furnari's comments at the meeting followed several comments by community members who'd spoken in favor of Johnson, who was the only applicant to receive explicit statements of support from community members during the meeting.
Resident Ralph Lightfoot said there are benefits to hiring from within.
"Let's not reinvent the wheel here; let's hire someone who can hit the ground running," he said. "Don't judge Dr. Johnson on something somebody else may have done; judge him on his ability to get the job done. I strongly support Dr. Johnson. ... We know Flagler County was the last county to desegregate; let's not be the last county to elevate an African American to a significant position."
Palm Coast resident Greg Davis also spoke of the benefits of promoting from within.
"My view is that you have qualified incumbent staff that are performing well, that you’ve prepared them for the next levels of responsibility, and there’s a team in place to move the organization to the next level," Davis said. "Culturally, when you can promote from within, that raises the tide for all boats in the organization and improves your processes."
