Browning, Thompson Battle To Become Next School Superintendent

PASCO COUNTY, FL — A longtime educator who's spent most of her life in Pasco County wants Pasco County School Superintendent Kurt S. Browning's job.

Cynthia Thompson, 39, no affiliated party, is vying to replacing Browning as the head of the school district.

A 2007 graduate of Saint Leo University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education, Thompson earned her master's degree in educational leadership in 2013.

"I am part of the school leadership team at Bayonet Point Middle School and part of the Graduation Enhancement District Leadership Team for the past eight years, she said. "I have taken part in multiple district committees. I have been part of creating standards and ways to implement them for social-emotional learning. I am part of the Trauma-Informed Care group and have attended conferences on the subject. The committees that I have served on create change districtwide."

Thompson also serves as the assistant athletic director at Bayonet Point Middle School. Prior to coming to Bayonet Point, she taught at Moon Lake and Gulf Highlands elementary schools.

"I've spent most of my life living in Pasco County. I graduated from Land O' Lakes High School, went to Saint Leo University and have worked in my community and surrounding areas. I've been married for seven years to my very supportive husband, and we have a 5-year-old daughter who keeps us on our toes. I love going to the theme parks, much to my husband's chagrin. I've taken up Cricut as a hobby but I also enjoy building Legos with my daughter."

She said her priorities are students and teachers.

"They are the fundamental players of our educational system," she said. "They are the ones working together day-in and day-out, providing and receiving an education. We need to support them in any way we can."

Her top goal as superintendent would be to improve teacher pay and benefits.

"I believe this will serve as a vehicle to improve recruiting and retention which ultimately will lead to improved morale and result in increased student performance. For years now there has been disconnect between the district offices and what takes place in the classroom. We need an educator in charge of education. Pasco has the potential to be one of the top districts in the state, but it is being held back by bureaucracy."

To see her other goals, click here.

"Kurt Browning is an administrator, not a leader, and it shows. As a mother and a teacher, this is personal to me," she said. "We need someone in charge that understands what goes on in classrooms and can put forth a plan to enrich the lives of our children and make them more productive citizens."

Pasco County is one of the few counties in Florida with an elected superintendent of schools.

Browning, a Republican, has served as superintendent for two four-year terms.

A native Floridian, Browning earned his associate’s degree from Pasco Hernando Community College and received a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida

Browning said he became interested in politics in high school and, at the age of 22, was elected Pasco County supervisor of elections, the youngest supervisor in Florida.

Browning spent 27 years serving as Pasco County Supervisor of Elections before his appointment as Florida Secretary of State under both Gov. Rick Scott and Gov. Charlie Crist.

But he has said serving as superintendent of the state's 10th largest school district has been the most rewarding and challenging job in his career.

The biggest challenge, he said, is providing all 75,000 students and 10,000 full- and part-time employees everything they need to succeed with a limited annual operating budget.

The reward is watching children he's known since grade school walk across the stage and accept their high school diplomas. He's set a goal of achieving an 85 percent graduation rate and is well on his way. The graduation rate improved by 1.6 percentage points in 2019, rising to 88.3 percent.

Just as every student is unique, Browning said schools shouldn't be cookie cutters. The district now offers a variety of curricula to meet the needs of a diverse student body. This includes International Baccalaureate and Cambridge International programs, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programs, and the Infinity and SOAR Academies offering blended learning environments where teachers and students work together to create an educational plan tailored to each student’s needs and areas of interest.