Duval County School Board chooses Dana Kriznar to be short-term superintendent

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A short-term superintendent for Duval County Public Schools has been chosen.

Dr. Dana Kriznar, who is the current deputy superintendent for DCPS, was chosen Tuesday morning by the Duval County School Board.

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The board voted 5-2 to select Kriznar. Current Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene’s last day is next Friday. Kriznar will hold the superintendent position for up to six months while the district searches for a person to fill the role on a long-term basis.

SEE: Dr. Kriznar reads to students virtually during the pandemic

Action News Jax first told you earlier this month when Greene announced her retirement. It was after she reached a separation agreement with the district amid the Douglas Anderson teachers scandal. Four teachers have been removed from the classroom, and one was arrested so far.

Read: Duval School Board approves Diana Greene’s separation agreement from district with 4-3 vote

Greene’s last day is June 2.

Action News Jax spoke with Dr. Ralph Ferrie, a search consultant for Mcpherson & Jacobson. That firm worked on a previous “super search” for Duval, and Ferrie said that finding candidates is more difficult than ever.

“The position has become extremely challenging,” Ferrie said. “The pool of candidates is not as extensive as it was.”

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One reason many school districts cite as a challenge in hiring superintendents is due to politics. A trend in superintendent searches in Florida date back to COVID, when 12 districts defied Gov. DeSantis’ ban on local mask mandates, including Duval County.

Since Dec. 2021, seven of those superintendents have either been fired or resigned and Dr. Greene’s retirement marks number eight.

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Ferrie told Action News Jax that he believes the politics surrounding education in Florida could scare some candidates away.

“Politics play into it wherever you go. The position is becoming much more political regardless of what state you are in,” he said.

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