How are Palm Beach County schools doing this year? See superintendent Mike Burke's report card
Palm Beach County students aren't the only ones who get report cards. The school district's top boss does, too.
Superintendent Mike Burke received the results of his annual evaluation Sept. 13. School board members gave him a rating of 4.8 out of 5 points — a near-perfect score.
Burke has been the superintendent since the start of the 2020 school year, when he took over after years of turmoil under former superintendents Donald Fennoy and Robert Avossa. He previously worked as the district's chief financial officer for 15 years.
School board Chairman Frank Barbieri said in his evaluation that working with Burke has "undeniably been one of the most fulfilling experiences throughout my 15-year tenure on the board."
"He stands as an exceptional leader, earning resounding backing from District employees, local and state elected representatives, the business community, as well as parents and students within our District," Barbieri wrote.
What's in Burke's contract? 9% raise promised for Palm Beach County schools superintendent. How much will he make?
How much money does Superintendent Mike Burke make per year?
Burke's new contract that began in July gives him total annual earnings of $340,000 per year, according to the school district.
Burke is paid at a higher rate than his two predecessors: Fennoy made $306,000 and Avossa made $325,000 per year.
How did the superintendent get graded?
Burke is graded by the seven school board members in five areas:
Student academic excellence and growth
Student-focused culture
Mental health and wellness
Committed and impactful employees
School board and community relations
Burke scored the highest in the "board and community relations" category after averaging all the board members' scores. He received a perfect score of 5.
He scored lowest in the "committed and impactful employees" category with an average of 4.6.
He received an average of 4.7 in the "academic excellence and growth" category and an average of 4.9 in the "student-focused culture" and "mental health and wellness" categories.
Who gave Burke the highest and lowest scores?
All seven board members grade Burke and added comments on his performance in each area.
Here's the average score of each board member, indicating how they felt he performed this year across the board:
Alexandria Ayala: 5.0
Karen Brill: 5.0
Erica Whitfield: 5.0
Frank Barbieri: 5.0
Marcia Andrews: 5.0
Barbara McQuinn: 4.6
Edwin Ferguson: 4.0
What did school board members say about Burke?
Board members didn't address political pressure from the state in their evaluation of Burke, although Palm Beach County schools generally stay away from major scrutiny by state officials and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Ayala praised the turnaround in work culture.
"I have seen a transformation when it comes to how upper leadership supports and engages with our employees," she wrote. "He has taken the initiative to be an accessible, hands-on leader and provide opportunities to celebrate our employees and their hard work."
Ayala said Burke's commitment to employees is shown through his "Burke at Work" video series, in which he meets with a district employee and tries out their job for the day — from guidance counselor to custodian to construction crew member.
Whitfield said Burke's work has made the school system more equitable.
"I am quite proud of the way the culture has shifted in the past few years," she wrote. "The instituting of employee centric events, higher than traditional raises, and recognition of many groups in our community by the superintendent has had a tangible positive impact on the community as a whole."
Ferguson added that Burke's communication has improved.
"Superintendent Burke demonstrates a willingness to listen to all community stakeholders, and act decisively," he said, pointing to Burke's recent appearance at a town hall he hosted on the renovation plans for West Palm Beach's historic Roosevelt High School.
How does Burke's evaluation compare with last year?
Last year, Burke received a score of 4.5 points out of 5.
School board members gave him lower scores because of the number of open teaching positions, a slow hiring process and a shortage of bus drivers.
"Failures in transportation, especially for ESE students, weighs heavily with regard to Mr. Burke's performance," Brill wrote in her 2022 review.
This year, Brill said those issues were addressed and resolved.
"The start of this school year was the smoothest I can remember. Transportation issues have been minimal and addressed in a timely fashion," she wrote. "Across the District as I visit schools, principals and teachers alike have commended the Superintendent for his visibility and accessibility."
Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County schools Superintendent gets near-perfect evaluation
