The Duval County Public School Board approved a contract Monday for Nikolai Vitti to become the next superintendent of schools beginning Nov. 12.
The final vote was 7-0 in favor of the contract.
The contract expires June 30,2016, making it a 3 1/2 year contract that will annually pay Vitti $275,000, the same as outgoing Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. It does not allow for a car, phone or other such amenities.
“I am eager to listen and act on what our stakeholders believe needs to happen to transform our district into a national model, where all students excel and develop the skills and confidence to fulfill their aspirations,” Vitti said in a news release.
“Public education is at a breaking point and we must prove that it continues to be the vehicle to make the country’s promise of equal opportunity a reality,” he said in the release.
A former chief academic officer with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Vitti will relocate from Miami with his wife and four children, who will attend public school, in the coming months, according to the release.
His goals will include expanding early childhood education, increasing graduation rates, developing instructional leaders and improving teacher quality and morale, according to the release.
“I look forward to Dr. Vitti building on the academic success currently taking place in the district as well as increasing student achievement, teacher morale and early childhood education. I’m excited about the new opportunities that await the district in this new chapter,” said Betty Burney, board chair, in the release.
Vitti has a doctorate from Harvard in education administration, planning and social policy and a master’s degree in education from Wake Forest University.