These are tough times to be a partisan supporting Duval County Public Schools.
Where do I start?
First, the district is cutting 700 employees, as indicated in a previously seen report. jacksonville today.
One reason for the cuts is that so many students are leaving district-run schools.
As Action News Jax points out, traditional school enrollment is down nearly 10% year-over-year.
And, as we've talked about many times, some of your favorite neighborhood schools may be closing soon. But don't worry. They can be replaced by luxury apartment complexes, cemeteries, or whatever a private buyer of unwanted land wants to do with the space.
That's bad news.
Good news?
Public charter schools (essentially public schools run by private operators) are booming, along with private school options and homeschooling. The removal of income limits on the state's so-called Family Empowerment Scholarships created a system that allows anyone to escape public schools and give some of their public funding to private providers.
It's easy to complain that Gov. Ron DeSantis and his generation of Republicans challenge public school unions and give equal or greater benefits to charter operators. But the horse is long out of the barn on this issue. And there is no mechanism to return it.
The district faces challenges, but the board and leadership appear unable to meet the unique challenges, as illustrated by the series of embarrassing situations at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
From an algebra teacher who lost his temper in a public-facing window at a central Florida resort and returned to the classroom after being charged, to a voice teacher who nagged at a student during a private lesson, these stories at DASOTA The problem has become obvious. And it is out of touch with modern understandings of boundaries and child protection.
Although the school board is dominated by conservatives and may include members of Mothers for Freedom, they have not been very effective in addressing the issue.
And Acting Superintendent Diana Krizner also appears to be underpowered to do much about it. Meanwhile, Mayor Deegan's Office of General Counsel has balked, saying a third-party legal investigation is being conducted against Douglas Anderson, but the results will not be made public because the lawsuit is ongoing.
Even the most despicable and sensitive investigations should be open to the public if they are paid for with public funds. Consider the case of Kent Sturmon. The investigation into the circumstances of the former DeSantis employee's suicide, which was amid scandal and allegations of health problems, was not made public in anyone's political interest. But State Attorney Melissa Nelson released the documents as soon as they were ready. And her office provided timely updates along the way to ensure transparency.
We certainly need transparency right now. But we don't seem to be in a position to get that from the entertaining mirror of school board politics. And based on past superintendent searches, it's clear that in key races like Duval, where there are competing forces, including a very active state education commissioner, candidates coming in have little experience. , which means you probably have no experience at all.
The appointing authority doesn't have the political capital to deal with that or the politics of the school board. At least not for very long.
It's time for Jacksonville to consider a strong elected superintendent model like most counties in the state have.
A single voice that people can empower can act as a counterweight to boards whose members are often elected without knowing who the voters are. Someone who has a mandate to speak on behalf of the district, not just one part of the district, and who can make decisions and recommendations without fear of being kicked off the board.
Will it save Duval County Public Schools? What's happening right now is not working.
The likes of Nikolai Vitti and Diana Green are unlikely to be among the candidates currently being considered, leaving the public wondering whether this committee will be able to find such visionaries. There is probably very little trust. As with other constitutional authorities, growing cities need a single voice at the top of their school districts.
Do it now, Duvall.
If you wait even longer, there may not be much left to save.