The school board’s five-month search for its next superintendent ended this week, with the selection of Ed Tierney for the school district’s top job.
The board voted to hire Tierney, deputy superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools, over two local finalists — deputy superintendent Amber Archer Acevedo and Coral Shores High School principal Laura Lietaert.
Board member Yvette Mira-Talbott spoke earnestly in support of Acevedo, but ultimately joined the other four members in making the vote for Tierney unanimous.
“He was very, very prepared,” board member John Dick said of Tierney after making a motion to hire him. “And I think the district is best served by a new person coming in.”
“The thing that touched me the most was during Mr. Tierney’s board interview was when we asked him about the things he had done, he always credited the teachers, and that, I think, speaks volumes about what’s important to him,” board member Sue Woltanski said.
Horan said he watched “everything I could find on him on YouTube. And at our board interview, he commanded that room. You knew that he knew the answers. You only get that when you’ve led a team that instills their trust in you, and you could tell he has a support system that believes in him.”
Mira-Talbott said she agreed with the others’ assessments of Tierney, but added, “We also have a local candidate that’s amazing. When you have a top candidate who meets all the criteria and has given 40 years of service to this district, dedicated to Monroe County’s school children and teachers, and then the top job becomes available, and you’re not a consideration, that’s a problem. I don’t want any teacher to think they can dedicate their entire life to this district, but because they haven’t left Monroe County, or led an extremely large district, that at the end of the day, they’ll never be able to be elevated to the top position.”
Board chair Mindy Conn and the others acknowledged the commitment of Acevedo and Lietaert.
“I think (superintendent) Axford is a prime example of the board not being afraid to have somebody who’s worked here for a very long time have the top job,” Conn said. “The selection today is not a comment on whether you can move up in this organization.”
Conn said she was impressed by Tierney’s experience as an exceptional student education (ESE) teacher, as well as a principal, chief of staff and deputy superintendent of a large, A-rated school district.
“The thing I liked most was he didn’t need to look at notes. His answers were felt by him. There was nothing to read from, and nothing he needed to think about. He knows what he needs to do. His 90-day plan was very impressive. What I saw is someone who wants to know every school, every principal, every staff member. It was clear to me that he was gonna be traveling up and down the Keys and has a dedication to know the Upper Keys as well as he knows the Middle and Upper Keys and that means a lot to me.”
After the vote, Conn called Tierney with the news.
“I’m so grateful for the support in that community and we look forward to coming down and joining the talented team in Monroe County. I feel so honored,” Tierney told the board.
