DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, DONNA COYNE IS NEXT. . >> BUT ARD SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
ROBERT RUNCIE OFFERED TO STEP
DOWN WHEN HE SAW HE LOST THE
SUPPORT OF EVEN HIS MOST
STAUNCHEST ALLIES ON THE SCHOOL
BOARD.
>> RIGHT NOW WE GOING TO SPEAK
WITH ONE OF THOSE ALLIES DONNA
CORN, A MEMBER OF THE BROW
BROWARD SCHOOL BOARD SINCE 2012
AND TWICE SERVED AS THE CHAIR.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GREAT TO SEE
YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, GLENNA AND
MICHAEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME TODAY.
>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU, WE
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, AND DONNA,
SORT OF TAKE US THROUGH, WHAT
WAS IT THAT TRIPPED THAT SWITCH
FOR YOU?
>> WELL, SO I EMPHATICALLY
BELIEVE THAT ALL OF OUR
EMPLOYEES ARE, SHOULD BE
AFFORDED DUE PROCESS.
AND SO THE PATH THAT I HAD
SUGGESTED TO MY COLLEAGUES
DURING OUR RECENT MEETING WAS
THAT WE OFFER A SUSPENSION WITH
PAY DURING THE PERIOD IN WHICH
MR. RUNCIE WOULD THEN BE
AFFORDED HIS DUE PROCESS AND WE
THEN AS A BOARD COULD COME BACK
AND COLLECTIVELY MAKE DECISIONS
GOING FORWARD.
>> DONNA CORN, WE WANT TO
EMPHASIZE, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO
PREJUDGE THE GUILT OR INNOCENCE
HERE OF ROBERT RUNGSI.
WE HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR TEN YEARS.
HE’S BEEN A GUEST ON THIS
PROGRAM MANY TIMES AND I THINK
THAT WE HAVE HAD A GOOD
PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
HIM.
BUT YOU HAVE TOO, YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD SINCE
2012.
WHEN YOU HEARD THAT HE HAD BEEN
INDICTED BY THE GRAND JURY, WHAT
DID YOU THINK?
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?
>> I WAS VERY SURPRISED.
I HAVE, WITHOUTED WITH
MR. RUNCIE, AS YOU SAID, OVER
THE LAST TEN YEARS.
HE’S ALSO BEEN A VERY HONORABLE
MAN AND HIS FOCUS HAS ALWAYS
BEEN ON THE BEST INTERESTS OF
OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS,
SO IT WAS DEFINITELY SHOCKING.
>> YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE-- WE
TALKED WITH WITH YOUR COLLEAGUE,
IN THE LAST SEGMENT, AND THERE
HAS BEEN, THERE IS ALWAYS BEEN
CRITICISM OF BIG DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENTS.
IT’S ALWAYS A POLITICAL KIND OF
ATMOSPHERE THAT THEY WORK IN.
FOR MR. RUNCIE, IN THE LAST
THREE YEARS, IT HAS BEEN AT SUCH
A HEIGHTENED LEVEL BECAUSE OF
WHAT HAPPENED AT MARJORIE
STONEMAN DOUGLAS.
AND IN THE ENSUING DEEP DIVE
INTO THE POLICY OF THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, THIS PROMISE PROGRAM
KEPT COMING UP.
THE SHOOTER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
PART OF IT, WASN’T JUST A
PROGRAM THAT REALLY IS SET UP TO
PREVENT OTHERWISE GOOD KIDS FROM
GOING THROUGH A MORE SERIOUS
CRIMINAL PROCESS WHEN THEY JUST
SCREW UP A LITTLE BIT THE FIRST
TIME.
YOU ARE A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT
PROGRAM PROGRAM.
HAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE CHANGED
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE
PAST COUPLE OF AREAS?
>> SO I HAVE A PRIMARY FOCUS ON
EDUCATING STUDENTS, AND THE
SYSTEM HAS AFFORDED US THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO EDUCATE STUDENTS
WHILE GIVING THEM A STRUCTURE
THAT ALLOWS THEM TO MAKE GOOD
CHOICES GOING FORWARD.
AND TO ME THAT IS THE TYPE OF
PROGRAM THAT AS A COMMUNITY WE
SHOULD BE BEHIND SO THAT WE ARE
TRULY PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR
A FUTURE AND REACHING OUR
HIGHEST POTENTIAL.
AND TAT REALLY IS A MISSION OF
THE DISTRICT.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD
POINT OUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THE
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, WE DO NOT
HAVE YOU AND LORI’S SPEAKING
TOGETHER BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A
VIOLATION OF THE SUNSHINE LAW,
MEMBERS OF THE SAME ELECTED BODY
MAY NOT APPEAR OUTSIDE OF A
REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS JUST AGAINST
THE LAW.
BUT LET ME ASK YOU THE QUESTION
I ASK LORI.
AND THAT IS MR. RUNCIE APPEARS
AT THIS MOMENT, IF HE DOES
RESIGN, TO BE LEAVING THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT WITH A PAYOUT OF OVER
300,000 DOLLARS.
ARE YO GOOD WITH THAT?
>> SO I, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU
FOR POINTING OUT THAT WE HAVE
THIS INTERVIEW SEPARATELY,
SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
ABIDING BY SUNSHINE.
THE REALITY IS WE DO HAVE A
CONTRACT WITH MR. RUNCIE, I WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
CONTRACTUALLY DOING WHAT IT IS
IN OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO, WE
DID AFFORD THE CHAIR OF THE
OPPORTUNITY AS WE HAVE IN THE
PAST WITH PRIOR CHAIRS TO
NEGOTIATE WITH THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
AND SO I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO
WHAT THEY COME BACK TO US WITH.
I KNOW THAT THROUGH THE
CONVERSATION THAT HI WITH MY
COLLEAGUES AND THE WORK THAT
DR. OSGOOD WILL DO WITH
MR. RUNCIE, I’M SURE THEY WILL
BRING US BACK SOMETHING THAT
WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO
REALLY WORK THROUGH WHAT IS
FAIR.
AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO US
HAVING A COLLEGIATE CONVERSATION
THAT BRINGS US TO A MUTUAL
AGREEMET THAT IS FAIR TO BOTH
PARTIES.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS
LEFT, I KNOW YOU HEARD LORI TALK
ABOUT WANTING A LEAD THARY CAN
REIGN IN OVERSPENDING AND MORE
OVERSIGHOF THIS PROGRAM.
DO AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT?
SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHAT I
LOOK FOR IN A SUPERINTENDENT,
TEN YEARS AGO IS THERE IS IS
WHAT I WILL BE LOOKING FOR
SOMEONE TODAY, SOMEONE WHO
VALUES OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF,
SOMEONE WHO IS SINGULARLY
FOCUSED ON HAVING EVERY STUDENT
REACH THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL,
CERTAINLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
STRATEGIC PLAN THAT THE ENTIRE
BOARD HAS COLLECTIVELY COME
TOGETHER TO CREATE AND ENDORSE.
AND TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE
COMPLETE THE SMART BONDS AND
THAT WE ARE ABLE TO.
>> I BEG YOUR PARDON, WE ARE OUT
OF TIME.
WE ARE VERY TBRAITFUL YOU JOINED
US THIS MORNING.
THANKS VERY MUCH.