SARASOTA -- Almost six months after forcing its previous superintendent out of office, the Sarasota School Board has named his successor.
Board members voted 3-2 to open negotiations with Terrence Connor, selecting him over three other finalists, including interim superintendent Alison Foster.
Public comments touched on many of the sore points in the district, which voted in a conservative majority last August. One speaker opposed Connor for his ties to a school board association, which she said was working with LGBTQ-rights group Equality Florida to promote a "woke" agenda. Another expressed her support for finalist Charles Van Zant by urging the board not to select candidates "who look like (California governor) Gavin Newsom, an apparent swipe at Connor. Van Zant drew opposition mainly because of his endorser, former Trump Administration national security advisor Michael Flynn, who lives in Sarasota County.
Connor's boss, Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis, says Connor led the effort to expand dual language and Spanish immersion programs, while increasing access to accelerated coursework. “Terry has contributed significantly to our work here in Hillsborough County and has helped create conditions that allow our students and teachers to make great strides. We will miss Terry but know that his student-centered leadership will drive positive progress for our Florida Gulf Coast neighbors.”
Photo: Canva/Sarasota County Schools