Charter School Authority to hold emergency meeting Tuesday
When Cape Coral Charter School Superintendent Nelson Stephenson notified the Charter Authority governing board last Monday of his resignation effective June 30, it sent shock waves through the entire system.
Sitting City Council members likewise were caught off guard. Several expressed their surprise and disappointment.
“I am preferring to not comment other than wanting to say I am confident the charter school system will continue to provide world class educational opportunities for all students,” Stephenson stated in an email.
The inevitable loss of their superintendent of 2-1/2 years sent the governing board scurrying to schedule an emergency meeting at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the “green room” at the Nicholas Annex building to decide on the appropriate next step in finding a replacement for the 2017-18 school year.
Board chair Jessica Cosden, City Council’s liaison to the charter schools, broke the news at Monday’s council meeting.
“I am surprised and disappointed,” Cosden said after the meeting.
She was not the only one.
“I am perplexed,” said City Councilmember Richard Leon. “Though I am not totally surprised, given the way he has been pounded recently by certain members of this council, I think it’s the best decision for him and his family. It’s disappointing.”
A public rift previously developed between Stephenson and Mayor Marni Sawicki concerning the teacher retention rate in the charter schools and, most recently, the charter audit report that hinted the school system’s current financial path was not sustainable.
At a Feb. 14 governing board meeting, a new two-year contract was approved that would have kept Stephenson on as the leader of the four-school municipal system through June 2019. The contract listed a salary increase to $125,000 annually plus the same benefits as those provided other city employees, including dental and vision coverage, plus a monthly cell phone stipend of $80.
Stephenson has chosen not to sign that contract.
“I am simply not re-signing the new contract, but intend upon completing my initial 2.5-year contract,” Stephenson wrote. “I also am doing this with more than a 90-day announcement in advance. My predecessor gave a two-week notice.”
Stephenson was hired in December 2014 to fill the vacancy created by Dr. Angela Pruitt’s resignation after one year as superintendent to accept a position as Human Resources executive director for the Lee County School District.
Stephenson was willing, then, to make a commitment to be here for a long time. He signed a 30-month contract that expires June 30, 2017.
“I’m glad to be here,” Stephenson said at the time. “We love the Cape Coral area and the boating and outdoor activities it presents. We’ve lived here about two years. It’s a beautiful place.”
Stephenson’s family relocated to Naples when he was very young and he still considers himself a Southwest Florida native. Educated in Collier County, he earned his Master’s degree in educational leadership at Florida Gulf Coast University and holds a Master’s in public administration from Western Carolina University.
He was a principal at middle and high schools in DeSoto County for two years before accepting the the superintendent’s position in Cape Coral. Before that he was an administrator at Naples High, Lely High and Gulfview Middle School.