Lee: School Board and school district are failing students, families, and staff
Letter to the editor
I am writing as a deeply concerned member of the Alachua County community regarding the recent and reckless decisions made by our school board. It is unacceptable that school-based positions—those who directly support our students—have been slashed, while the district remains one of the most top-heavy in the entire state of Florida.
Vital roles such as Media Aides, Lab Proctors, School Counselors, Deans, and Secretaries have been cut. One school was even closed without any notice to families or staff. Assistant Principals were downgraded to 11-month employees and stripped of vacation accrual. Meanwhile, the district claims to have made $4 million in cuts at the district level, yet refuses to release which positions and which salaries were affected.
Let’s be clear: the superintendent is paid over $22,000 per month. The district office is stacked with over 4 assistant superintendents, a deputy superintendent, and multiple executive directors—most of whom have never stepped foot in a school in their new roles. Recently, district-level staff were awarded a 1.3% raise. For what? They don’t do half the work of school-based administrators and educators, yet continue to enjoy 12-month contracts and vacation time.
Why are those closest to students being punished while those farthest-removed remain untouched?
Alachua County has the highest taxes in the entire state, yet teachers here earn less than their peers in surrounding counties. Many of us with families are paying over $700 per month for basic health benefits. How is this sustainable? How is this just?
Staff are leaving in droves for better pay and support elsewhere. Parents are pulling their children from these mismanaged schools and enrolling them in charter or private options. And the district wonders why we’re losing money?
The answer is simple: we are losing money because we are losing people—and we are losing people because we are losing trust.
This district is failing its students, families, and staff. Enough is enough.
We demand state oversight. We demand transparency about cuts and raises. We demand that the people who actually make schools run be treated with respect.
Teachers: band together and leave. Parents: pull your children. Force the district to feel the consequences of their choices until they start valuing the people who actually matter.
Alachua County deserves better.
Lila Lee, Gainesville
The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Assertions of facts in letters are similarly the responsibility of the author. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.
Sadly none of this will ever change until people start voting differently. For as long as residents continue to check a box and UF students get to go check the same blue boxes nothing will ever change. If the state steps in there is at least a chance for the kids in our public school system and our teachers to actually be treated with respect, unfortunately all that will do is give the mouthpieces in this county something to protest about. It’s really sad for the kids and for the future
Democrats destroy everything they touch. PERIOD!!!
You are right but sadly, that just won’t happen. I’ve watched the School Board, the G’ville City Commssion and the County commissions, in straight line decline.
Many of us who have worked for decades within this outdated management system have tried to bring about change but have been unsuccessful. While many college students often participate in local elections, very few choose to remain in the area to experience the consequences of their votes.
Alachua County needs to reinstate an elected superintendent who is directly accountable to the community. We have lost the essential checks and balances in our governmental process. The disconnect between high-level administration and low pay for direct service providers creates a recipe for failure.
Teachers, it is time to stop accepting this pattern of devaluation and abuse. As a united group, you need to stand up, walk out, and put a stop to the current situation. The union has become too comfortable with management, and this entire structure has failed you. It’s time to demand that the state come in and take control.
Democrat leaders are the definition of an oligarchy. One-party rule, promotions from within instead of individual merit pay increases. Thank goodness School Choice is allowed today.
Good piece. Echoes what I’ve been saying for quite some time.
Unfortunately, the Superintendent saw a bank ripe for robbing and Certain and her accomplices continue to blame everyone but themselves. They’ve managed to deflect as much funding from Western Alachua County schools over the years as they have the blame from those schools that don’t perform well. Many of us know Certain proclaims racism while doing her best to promote it. Whether she knows it or not, (she’s supposed to be halfway educated), one doesn’t have to be white to be racist…she’s Certainly proof of that.
Even more unfortunate is many of the teachers in the district are registered and vote Democrat.
Hate to see it because there’s a lot of good people out there who work and have given years to their profession. The conclusion is, they’re now reaping what they’ve sown.
You get what you vote for. Unfortunately, Alachua county, you deserves this.
I pulled my kids out of the public school system 2 years ago and I recommend others do the same. Let the system collapse under its mismanagement and nefarious objectives.
Time to join the ACPS #walkaway movement!
The inane tiers of downtown administrators is known throughout North FL; and when an inept or dysfunctional principal can no longer be sent to hibernate in a politically weak rural town like Hawthorne which was the districts dumping ground for years, that principal will have a totally unneeded job invented with a principal’s salary….and the dynamics of the Mike DeLuca story at Buchholz should be a case study investigative story of how downtown works for friends and pals….
Maybe if a higher percentage of voters bothered to vote in off-year elections, things might change. We keep going from bad to worse regarding the school board situation.
Or just vote republican
The best states for k-12 education tend to be run by democrats while the worst are run by republicans.
Overall Public School Rank 2024
Top
Massachusetts
1
New York
2
New Jersey
3
Washington
4
Pennsylvania
5
Vermont
6
Minnesota
7
Connecticut
8
Virginia
9
Wisconsin
10
Bottom
Arizona
51
Alabama
50
New Mexico
49
Oklahoma
48
Idaho
47
West Virginia
46
Arkansas
45
Nevada
44
Indiana
43
Louisiana
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/public-school-rankings-by-state
So, what’s your excuse for California, of course you left them off your list. 32 is hardly good. heck, Tennessee is Higher at 28.
👏 👏 👏 I have been saying this for months: parents pull your kids out of this district! Let them fail! Maybe the state will come in and clean house. 85% of the people in the admin doesn’t nothing but collect a high pay check. Two school board members have been there way too long and they are a joke! Parents, private schools will accept vouchers from the state, you won’t have to pay anything, except be held accountable when your child is misbehaving, imagine that! 😂
Some facts here, but most is hyperbole.
That’s not much of a rebuttal. If you’d care to detail and support some of the conflicted facts as you see them, I and others would be happy to hear them.
A few years ago there was a slate of fiscally conservative ppl running for school board. They all lost. Not enough turnout in the outside of Gainesville. So, foe all those ppl who vote D, you get what vote for. I notice the loudmouths have stayed relatively quiet with this latest fiasco. In the end, the kids suffer, and our next generation will fail us.
I’m paying $1000/mo to the Alachua county school system from my property taxes and I have no children or say in what the ACSB does.
how is this sustainable? How is this just?
I can’t do it much longer and will have to sell my land because my property tax is going up 10%/year.
Parents should pay a user fee for their children in the school system.
If parents paid for their kids education instead of me (property taxpayers) paying for it, they will get better results.
Don’t breed em if you can’t educate and feed em…
bringing a child into this world is a big personal responsibility. I chose to have no children.
“Socialism only works until you run out of other people’s money”-Margaret Thatcher
Mr. Pink,
Believe it or not, you don’t exist alone on an island. The education system benefits everyone in a community, state and nation.
Your rationale is weak.
What if I said, “Well I don’t drive on those roads or use those parks, so my taxes need to be decreased in kind. And I don’t break laws nor have I been a victim, so I am not paying for law enforcement. I haven’t ever had a fire at my house, so I’ll pay for fire rescue when I have one but not before.”
It’s called being part of a society. Grow up.
“The education system benefits everyone in a community, state and nation.”
This is an untrue statement. The current education system has failed the students, teachers, parents, and tax payers. We’re going in reverse now. If we had a solid education system you would have a solid point — but we don’t so you’re just speaking hypothetically, not realistically.
Moderate: do you pay $12,000 a year to a school board that’s a failure? No. Case closed. I’m paying more than the parent!
Well said! Immediate transparency and accountability must be demanded. I agree that the superintendent should be an elected position as this school board and these decision makers are clearly inept and dysfunctional. Claims of racism is a worn out excuse. Let the money follow the students and watch this circus rightly fall. For all others, having the state step in is imperative.
All of the comments above regarding parents withdrawing their children are entirely reasonable. However, what options are available for parents with children who have disabilities? They have also made significant cuts in classrooms where teachers are more vulnerable to children with a high risk of aggression.
While my child is not aggressive and has autism, which is moderate to severe, if I withdraw her, where can I enroll her when private schools, even if many receive federal funds, do not have a place for her? We, as parents of children with disabilities, are condemned to face exclusionary treatment, and our children are increasingly segregated and victims of unconstitutional isolation.
I can say that many dedicated and capable people in the school district are oppressed and bullied by incompetent individuals like the head of student services. She does nothing for ESE kids, yet she is arrogant.
What about curriculum and project development? What have they accomplished? Why doesn’t Human Resources vet the professional backgrounds of many specialists, executive assistants, and others who could perform better than the DEI team? Given a final chance, I hope this “mighty” superintendent makes the right move and considers what remains.
Today, many schools are short-staffed because many who received non-renewal contracts in school-based positions found jobs over the weekend and left. The students and staff who must manage security protocols and other vital matters are the most affected.
Yes, it’s hard for parents of students who need supports and staff often not funded by the other options in our county
Our district has a huge shortage of ESE paras because the wages offered are way too low. The ESE director’s hands are tied, and those who control the price strings did nothing to increase the wage to a more competitive rate.
It took over a year to find an ESE Para for my child
While it is true that many parents have left or will leave public schools, plenty of parents will keep their children in public schools because they simply do not care about their child’s education OR because their child/children are far too out of control to make it in any charter or private school. The district counts on this and knows those parents have far lesser expectations. So why make improvements? The superintendent making $22k a month is only here for one more school year and will face no repercussions for her actions other than having to find another job as cushy as this one so why make improvements?
Or because their kids are disabled and the private options aren’t required to provide the necessary
support staff.
Also, some families still have faith (albeit waning) that ACPS will return to a district where every student is guaranteed nearby access to an excellent education, no matter their ability
To those of you complaining about how much this temporary superintendent makes, remember that the school board has chewed up and spit out superintendents in record time over the past five years.
They’re paying this one waaaay too much because no one else qualified was willing to take the job.
Years of mismanagement of people and funds have created the current hot mess that is the Alachua County School Board. The teachers and students are the ones suffering and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight.
This is very true. This district has become a hot mess thanks to the current and past leadership on the dais. They are all complicit.
There’s others but they haven’t kowtowed to the current SBAC’s personal agendas.
Andrew must have rubbed someone the wrong way since he was given a raise in January and then terminated a couple months later. Some say it was orchestrated to give him the max payout upon termination though.
Simon kowtowed, but there were more moderate board members then and she never qualified to begin with.
Clark’s past history with some board members put a bullseye on her.
You are correct though, “Years of mismanagement of people and funds have created the current hot mess that is the Alachua County School Board. The teachers and students are the ones suffering and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight.”
Not until McNealy and Certain have been exercised from that controlling body. They’ve been embedded like ticks for far too long. Rockwell needs to go before she sucks much more blood and Vu will likely fade away once Certain isn’t around to tell him what to do.
Nah, Vu’s cajones have finally dropped. He is now a voice of reason on the board and is thus butting heads with Certain, McNeally and Patton. He called out the board and the district about their continued silence and inaction on behavior.
By the way, Simon didn’t kowtow. She is cut from the same cloth as Certain
Yalls is missing the point. We needs gru back so we can fund the 150 million chuckle cheese chestnut football complex. That way we ain’t got folks with no steam. Cmon, let’s go.