As the search for the next Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools begins for the 9th largest school district in the country, seven Community Forums have been scheduled to allow for public input with two additional meetings, by invitation, for community partners and students. Parents, employees and community stakeholders will also be able to complete a survey that will be open from March 28th through April 8th. School Board members would like as much input as possible as they move forward with the approved search timeline.
Participants will be able to provide input in the following three areas related education in Orlando:
- The strengths of Orange County Public Schools
- The critical needs and challenges facing Orange County Public Schools
- The personal qualities and professional experience needed by the next Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools
Community Forums will be held March 22nd through April 5th from 6pm to 7pm. The schedule for the OCPS community forums is:
- District 1 – University HS – March 22nd
- District 2 – Lake Nona HS – April 5th
- Community/Business Partners – RBELC – March 28th (12pm-2pm)
- District 3 – Freedom HS – March 28th
- District 4 – West Orange HS – March 29th
- District 5 – Jones HS – March 30th
- District 6 – Edgewater HS – March 23rd
- District 7 – Apopka HS – March 31st
- Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (students) – April 5th (3pm-4pm)
The public is welcome to attend any meeting and if they cannot attend in person they will be live-streamed. The link to the live stream is available on the front page of www.ocps.net by clicking on the Superintendent Search graphic.
The online community survey results will be presented to school board members on April 12th. The next Superintendent Search Advisory Committee Meeting will be March 21st from 6pm-8pm before the community forums begin. There are two other meetings scheduled for April 14th at 6pm, followed by another on April 19th at 6pm, after the community forums. The school board work session to discuss the applicant screening process to determine semi-finalists and finalists is scheduled for April 27th at 10am. The application submission period is set for May 2nd through May 20th.
Earlier this month, Orange County School Board members received a presentation by the Florida School Boards Association to coordinate the search for a new Superintendent. The presentation included information on a portal (website), the search timeline, input (including an electronic survey and forums), creating an Advisory Committee, qualifications, compensation, vetting, interviews and costs. The following documents were reviewed by school board members: Overview and Suggestions, Advertisement venue options, and Key decisions for School Boards.
After 10 years as the Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, Dr. Barbara Jenkins announced her retirement. Dr. Jenkins will open the 2022-23 school year, but officially retire in December after dedicating more than 30 years to serving the needs of OCPS students.
