When it comes to recruiting school principals who work in Broward County, it seems like everything is bigger in Texas.
Five Broward secondary principals are moving, or have already moved, halfway across the country to work in leadership roles in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
The academically struggling district is now being led by former Broward Superintendent Peter Licata, whom the state’s education commissioner appointed as part of a state takeover.
The five Broward principals are:
— Louis Kushner, Apollo Middle in Hollywood, who left in March to become Licata’s chief of staff.
— Nicole Nearor, Coconut Creek High.
— Tavures Williams, Blanche Ely High in Pompano Beach.
— Winfred Porter, Miramar High.
— Nichele Williams, William Dandy High in Fort Lauderdale.
Nicole Nearor, principal of Coconut Creek High, is leaving Broward to work for former Broward Superintendent Peter Licata in Fort Worth, Texas. (Broward County Public Schools / Courtesy)
While Kushner is already in Fort Worth, the other four plan to finish out the school year in Broward and then move to Texas to serve as executive directors overseeing principals.
“I understand that these individuals were instrumental in Broward’s success as a high-performing district, and I am committed to bringing that same level of expertise, dedication, and student-centered focus to our community,” Licata said in a statement to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We are proud to welcome leaders who not only bring proven results, but who also share our vision for excellence and unwavering commitment to every student we serve.”
Kushner, Nearor and Tavures Williams said their decision was related to professional advancement or family reasons, not any concerns they had about staying in Broward. Porter and Nichele Williams couldn’t be reached.
“I have family out there, and my mother is quite ill, and so my brother is out there alone taking care of her,” Nearor told the Sun Sentinel. “So when this opportunity came up, and I do want to grow in my leadership journey, it was just a win for me. … That’s really it, because I love Broward.”
The departures come at a challenging time for Broward schools: While it’s been an A-rated school district for two consecutive years, it has numerous budgetary and operational challenges. Right now, the district is undergoing a major downsizing effort, which includes closing schools and laying off hundreds of employees, due to declining enrollment.
Licata was an administrator for nearly three decades in the Palm Beach County School District when he was hired in 2023 to lead Broward. Licata worked with two of the principals, Nearor and Porter, in both school districts.
Licata left Broward schools after less than 10 months, citing health issues. The School Board named Chief Academic Officer Howard Hepburn, whom Licata recruited from Palm Beach County, as Licata’s replacement.
Licata, 61, said at a March news conference that his health is no longer a hindrance.
“I recently went to the doctor before arriving here just to confirm there is nothing to worry about,” he told reporters. “I am as healthy as a 35-year-old person that spent some time training for the FBI.”
Hepburn said he doesn’t see Fort Worth’s effort as poaching, and he understands why principals are looking for new opportunities.
“I see it as great principals taking advantage of an opportunity for promotions to move up in their careers,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “One of the things we’re going through in Broward County Public Schools is we’re downsizing. And so we’re eliminating a lot of senior-level positions in the district. So, there’s not a lot of opportunity for advancement right now for some great principals in our system.”
That’s how Tavures Williams said he sees it.
“I am very appreciative and proud of my time with Broward County Public schools and most recently as the principal of the historic Blanche (Ely High) school, where we achieved an A rating most recently,” he said in a statement. “While I’m very thankful for the leadership of Dr. Hepburn, I have decided to pursue an opportunity outside of the district for promotional opportunity.”
Tavures Williams, principal of Blanche Ely High, is leaving Broward to work for former Superintendent Peter Licata in Fort Worth, Texas. (BECON / Screen grab)
While Broward is considered by the state as an academically high-performing district, Fort Worth is the lowest-performing urban school district in Texas, Licata said at a recent Fort Worth School Board meeting. Only a third of K-8 students are proficient in core subjects, test data shows.
“We do not have successful systems and models in place,” Licata said at an April meeting. “Our current data compared to systems where we’re coming from and we are very familiar with, such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Houston, are outperforming our students … in some cases doubling our proficiency.”
The state’s education department, known as the Texas Education Agency, has taken over the academically struggling school district.
In March, the education commissioner appointed Licata as superintendent and nine members of a new School Board.
Licata was given the authority to hire new staff.
“Fort Worth ISD has been intentional in recruiting exceptional leaders from across the country, including several highly accomplished administrators from Broward County,” Licata said in his statement to the Sun Sentinel. “Each of them speaks with deep respect and gratitude for the leadership of Dr. Hepburn and the strong foundation built in Broward.
“Leaving a place they care about is not easy, but they also recognize this as a meaningful opportunity for career advancement, and an opportunity to grow their impact and help shape the future of our schools,” Licata said.
One of Licata’s first hires was Kushner, 35, who was considered one of Broward’s rising stars. Kushner was named assistant principal of the year in 2021 while serving at New Renaissance Middle in Miramar. He was promoted to principal of Apollo in 2022 and served on several School Board advisory groups.
Kushner grew up in Broward, stayed in South Florida for higher education and had spent his entire career at the Broward School District. He said he hadn’t thought of leaving.
“Once Dr. Licata was given approval to start recruiting, he reached out to me to say he had an opportunity and was I interested, and I just decided to take a leap of faith,” Kushner told the Sun Sentinel in an interview.
Kushner said he has been greeted warmly by the Fort Worth community, even though the state intervention into the school district has been controversial.
Louis Kushner, former principal at Apollo Middle in Hollywood, is now chief of staff in the Fort Worth Independent School District, working for former Broward Superintendent Peter Licata. (Louis Kushner / Courtesy)
“I have not felt negative about being here,” he said. “It has felt very collaborative, and I feel like everyone’s here to do the work.”
Shortly after he arrived, Kushner said his school district advertised for nine executive director positions that would be part of a reorganization.
Four out of nine of those positions went to principals from Broward, with the rest of the hires coming from Texas and other parts of the country, he said.
“Did we call any one of them and say, ‘Hey, make sure you apply for this vacancy? No, that did not happen,” Kushner said. “But I put it out on Facebook and LinkedIn and said, ‘Hey, we’re looking for awesome directors. If you’re interested, please feel free to reach out.”
Kushner said the posts attracted a lot of strong candidates, including those from Broward.
“Dr. Licata is really going for some of the best that we have,” Broward School Board member Nora Rupert, who represents Blanche Ely and Coconut Creek High, told the Sun Sentinel.
Board member Debbi Hixon said she’s happy that the leaders found good opportunities in Fort Worth.
“It’s cheaper to live there, so I guess they’re able to move easily and it’s a good opportunity for them,” Hixon said. “But I don’t want them poaching anymore.”