It's Spring, Broadies are in Full Bloom: PB picks Georgia superintendent as new schools chief
Robert Avossa, a schools superintendent in Georgia, has been selected to lead the Palm Beach County school district as its new chief.
The School Board picked Avossa Thursday after back to back interviews with three finalists. Avossa edged two other candidates: Desmond Blackburn, chief of school performance and accountability in Broward County and Jesus Jara, deputy schools superintendent in Orange County, Fla.
"This is home to me," said Avossa. "Every community has challenges, the question is does this community have the courage to face those challenges and the fortitude to hold it together when things get tough."
The School Board unanimously and without much discussion picked Avossa after holding public hour-long interviews with the three candidates.
Avossa will replace outgoing superintendent Wayne Gent, who will step down in July to lead St. Lucie County's public schools.
Avossa, a former teacher and principal, leads 96,500 students in Atlanta as superintendent for Fulton County. In his application, he said he's helped boost academic achievement, graduation rates and participation in SAT tests.
Jara is the deputy superintendent in Orange County and previously served as superintendent in Monroe County. He's held various education positions across the state and worked as a principal and assistant principal in Massachusetts.
Blackburn works in Broward, where he said he helped build support for the $800 million bond that voters passed in November and helped repurpose schools to fight dwindling enrollment and competition from charter schools.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Follow @karen_yi on Twitter for live updates from the meeting.
kyi@tribpub.com, 954-356-4528 or Twitter @karen_yiPalm Beach picks Robert Avossa as new schools chief - Sun Sentinel: