Finalists Chosen for Monroe County Superintendent of Schools
At Tuesday’s School Board meeting, Board members chose four final candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools. The four finalists will be visiting the Keys in person to conduct interviews with individual board members, public interviews with the entire board and a series of meet-and-greet events where community members from all areas of the Keys will have the opportunity to speak with them. Community members will also be given the opportunity to give their opinions about the finalists during the process.
The dates and locations for the meet and greets are:
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April 30th, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo
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May 1st, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Marathon High School
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May 2nd, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Beachside Resort and Residences in Key West
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Public interviews will be held on May 1st from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marathon High School.
The applications and resumes for all the finalists, as well as their answers to several written and video questions, are available on the School District’s website at www.keysschools.com/SuperSearch.
The four finalists are listed below in the order in which they applied:
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Edward Tierney, 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. He 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.
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Laura Leitaert, Current Principal of Coral Shores High School. Leitaert, who grew up in Monroe County and graduated from the Monroe County School District, has worked for Monroe County Schools since 1994. She 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.
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Amber Acevedo, current 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.
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Darren Burkett, 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. He 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. Burkett points out the similarities between Collier County and Monroe County in the areas of cost of living, employee retention and workforce housing. He 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.