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Brevard Co. Superintendent shares new goals
Brevard School District’s new superintendent is focusing on retention, student achievement and creating new programs districtwide.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Brevard School District’s new superintendent is focusing on retention, student achievement and creating new programs district wide.
Dr. Mark Rendell was chosen to lead the district after a months-long process, starting with 33 candidates from all across the country. He’s no stranger to BPS and says he’s looking forward to helping the district reach new heights under his leadership.
"It’s been a really frantic two weeks, schedules have been full from top to bottom," Dr. Mark Rendell said.
Rendell says he’s been meeting with principals and community leaders over the summer to see what’s working in the district and what isn’t.
"Everything that we do needs to be focused on student achievement," he said.
Under his leadership, he wants to build more relationships with cutting-edge tech companies on the Space Coast.
"They shouldn’t have to look outside Brevard to find their workforce," Rendell said. "We’re strengthening some relationships with these companies, these industry leaders, to make sure that we know what they need, what they’re looking for and hopefully we can produce that."
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He was proud of the work he did at Cocoa Beach High School to create innovative CTE programs, noting how a new aqua science program was starting.
The school board’s been updating the dress code and phone policies to improve the learning environment over the past year. Rendell thinks the changes will help in the new school year.
"We don’t really have a discipline problem," the superintendent said. "What we have is a sound discipline policy that wasn’t really being enforced with consistency across the district."
A recent audit of the district showed an 80% increase in teacher vacancies since 2018 and after five years, and only 48 percent stuck around. Rendell says increasing retention is crucial.
"Teachers need to feel supported. A lot of times they leave the profession, not necessarily about money, they leave because they don’t feel supported and valued," he said.
The former Cocoa Beach High School principal says he wants to take what worked at his former school and expand it district-wide.