JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A special meeting of the Duval County School District on Friday morning began with dozens of members of the public asking the board and the school superintendent to get along and adjourned three hours later with another meeting set for the board and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti to talk about how they can work together to help the children.
In between there was a lot of back and forth between chairwoman Ashley Smith Juarez, board members and Vitti about how to accomplish that, including how to talk to each other in person and not in the media.
The meeting came after a contentious week that began with board member Scott Shine told News4Jax that Smith Juarez had called the meeting to ask the board to terminate Vitti's contract. Two days later, Smith Juarez released an open to Vitti that said she had asked him to, “take your talents elsewhere.”
Smith Juarez told the board members she had a private and difficult conversation with Vitti about his employment, but said she knows that she does not have the power to unilaterally decide anything about his future.
"There is a reason that many of us have not been more forthcoming in that public dialog," Smith Juarez said at the end of a contentious week of rumors about her intentions in calling Friday's special meeting. "I felt this conversation was urgent and important. I called the meeting to have a conversation on our path forward. Our children cannot wait."
She said the performance issues were so important they couldn't wait two weeks until the next scheduled board meeting. She then called an assistant general counsel to discuss the implications of the termination of the superintendent's contract.
After members were invited to talk about how they perceived the situation, no vote was held Friday, leaving many board members confused about the purpose of the meeting.
"This is a journey, not a sprint," board member Cheryl Grymes said. "I've heard it's not personal, but, I'm sorry, our actions (indicate) it is personal"
During the meeting Smith Juarez also asked Vitti to refrain from talking to the media or providing information to the public before speaking to the board, which he agreed to do. That prompted Shine to say that won't apply to him.,
"I want the board members to understand something, when I hear that this school district is in jeopardy, I will contact the media and I will let them know what is happening," Shine said. "You saw what happened here today. This room was filled with the public to tell you about what they want you to do with your job. I will not, will never withhold information from the public about what is going on in this board room that affects their interests."
In the end, Vitti and Smith Juarez apologized to each other and promised to work together to make things better.
"You saw a glimpse of what this looks like today, and all of us are deeply passionate and committed to children and we've all made personal sacrifices to do this work," Vitti said. "Sometimes we have differences of opinion and there are points in the journey and the work that it becomes very intense. I think Ashley and I had gotten to that point.”
With one seat already open because the Mandarin board member resigned to run for the Florida House of Representatives and another board member having to leave, Smith Juarez adjourned the meeting, saying they would resume the discussion at a previously scheduled workshop at 9 a.m. Monday.