Students at Key West’s newest high school, CFK Academy at the College of the Florida Keys, got some bad news last week, when principal Wendy McPherson announced she is leaving the school and the Keys.
The longtime educator and former principal of Marathon High School told students that Dec. 6 will be her last day, as her aging parents’ health challenges require them to relocate to mainland Florida.
College of the Florida Keys president Jonathan Gueverra told the Keys Weekly that McPherson’s departure is part of a larger and troubling trend of “locals leaving the Keys for economic and medical reasons.”
“She’s really great, and I’m sorry to see her go,” Jack Mitchell, a ninth grader at CFK Academy, told the Keys Weekly last week upon learning the news.
Jack’s mother, Stephanie Mitchell, added, “We’re all sorry to see her go, as she has accomplished so much for the Academy in such a short time.”
McPherson was the first principal of the charter high school, which opened in August 2023 in a newly constructed building on the Key West campus of the college.
CFK Academy focuses on college and career readiness with its curriculum centered on science, technology, engineering and math as well as career technical education. Project-based learning experiences provide students with hands-on engagement in the learning process beyond the traditional classroom to develop communication, critical-thinking and communication skills.
Academy students are encouraged to earn college credit through the college’s dual-enrollment program in college classes on the same campus. Motivated students can graduate with their high school diploma as well as an associate’s degree, certificate and/or industry certification.
McPherson took the helm of CFK Academy after a nine-year tenure as principal of Marathon High School.
McPherson began her career of more than 30 years as a teacher at Sigsbee Elementary for 11 years before working as a district administrator and English/language arts coordinator. She then served as an assistant principal at Sugarloaf School and Marathon High School before becoming principal of Marathon High School. McPherson was named Principal of the Year twice by the Monroe County School District, in 2016 and 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Florida State University, a master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction from University of West Florida, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Southeastern University.
