DCPS begins search for permanent Superintendent

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The search for the next permanent superintendent for Duval County Public Schools began in earnest with school board members and The Florida School Board Association laying out the qualities they want to see in the district’s next leader.

DCPS board members noted three key bullet points the district’s next leader must have and they came from DCPS board member Charlotte Joyce and it did not take long for the rest of the board members to agree.

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The district said they need a Superintendent who can help improve reading scores, manage the budget, and oversee the district’s plan for its facilities. All topics the district believes if handled correctly would make Duval successful now and in the future.

Starting with boosting Duval’s poor reading scores, as DCPS Board Chair Kelly Coker explains.

“When you look at the big 7 we continue to be at the bottom. Math, science, and social studies are important but if you can’t read you can’t get to that,” said Coker.

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Cocker also wants to focus on student achievement. Board member Lori Hershey said Duval’s reading scores have been quote, “plagued for decades since the 80′s.” Hershey recalled a time in the early 2000′s when the district had a good relationship with government officials resulting in a community engagement book club.

That is something the district hopes to have again, something they believe is possible with Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.

Second, is fixing and maintaining the district’s budget which could start with a review of transportation costs. Board members say DCPS needs a leader who can find out why students aren’t attending schools that align with their zip code. This is after the district says they’ve lost 9,000 kids to charter schools in the last 5 years.

Third, the district’s master of facility plan. DCPS board member Lori Hershey says the next Superintendent will need to take a second look at how to improve DCPS school structures and build new schools.

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“You can have a plan but is it the right plan futuristically when we created a plan that was pre-covid and we’ve had a decrease in enrollment.”

As well as continued staffing shortages.

Other topics the board would like the next Superintendent to tackle include transparency with the community so that people will not only know what is going on but understand it too. DCPS would also like someone who can retain and attain schoolteachers.

A skill DCPS board member Darryl Willie says former DCPS Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene did with excellence. He recalled a number of times when Dr. Greene gave handwritten notes to teachers to remind them how much they were appreciated.

FSBA officials say they’re here to help DCPS clarify their needs and wants so they can recruit the right candidate. Which is something the district said could take 4 to 8 months.

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