‘All shades of terrible’: Duval County teachers voice concerns over cost-cutting proposal
First Coast News | By Renata Di Gregorio | January 15, 2025
Educators in Duval County public schools said they’re concerned a plan the school district is considering to save money would hurt students.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public School teachers are voicing concerns over a plan the school district is considering to save money.
Educators claimed proposed schedule changes would hurt students. They said the schedule changes being considered would require teachers to do more work when they’re not at work. They also claim it would take away needed teacher planning time, which they said is part of what makes classrooms successful.
The school district is dealing with a more than $1 billion budget shortfall. The school district said Wednesday that no final decision has been made on the schedule change consideration.
Duval County Public Schools teacher Chris Guerrieri said he received a survey last week asking him to choose from three proposed school schedules. He described them as “all shades of terrible.” Guerrieri said each schedule proposal made cuts to teacher planning, which he said is vital.
“There’s no way any teacher will be able to accomplish everything they want us to with the limited amount of planning they’re providing, or they plan to provide,” he said.
A school district spokesperson said they’ve been surveying teachers and principals about the consideration of a seven-period day in secondary schools, but that no final determination has been made.
In the superintendent’s presentation at town hall meetings, secondary school schedule changes are listed as a consideration to save money. The district didn’t confirm how the change would save money, but Guerrieri believes it’s because fewer teachers would be needed.
“If you give teachers more classes to teach, you’re gonna need fewer teaches to teach the classes,” he said. “And one way you give teachers more classes to teach is you take away their planning.”
Duval County teacher Mary Webster attended a superintendent town hall meeting Tuesday to talk about the proposal.
“We have the time with our kids and the extra period that we get and the move to the seven-period day would be really damaging,” Webster said.
“I get we’re cutting costs, but why are we cutting costs on the back of teachers?” Guerrieri said. “No teacher ever said, ‘Give me more students and less time to plan and I’ll be a better teacher.’ I feel like the district is really cutting off their nose to spite their face.”
First Coast News asked the district for comment on the teachers’ concerns Wednesday afternoon, but did not hear back before air time.
On the superintendent’s list at town halls under ‘upcoming budget reduction considerations,’ in addition to secondary bell schedule changes, are: magnet transportation reduction, reduction in duplicated services, school consolidations and instructional resources.
