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Board reviews memorandums allowing social-work interns from universities to work in district schools
Summary
Board members questioned logistics of hosting social-work interns; staff said interns would be supervised by university supervisors and district social workers, and the MOUs aim to recruit new social workers to the district.
The Gadsden County School Board discussed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with universities that would place social-work interns in district schools.
Board member Miss Hannigan asked for logistical details and whether the agreements were new or part of existing partnerships: “Are there certain staff persons that are assigned, to work with this program? I'm thinking about everything else that we have going on in the work day.”
A district staff member who presented the MOU said the agreements are similar to existing intern MOUs and are targeted to social-work placements. The staff member said interns would be assigned a university supervisor and that district social workers in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department would “partner with the or shadow and support the social workers or the interns” during their placements; interns would not work independently. The staff member said the program is intended to address a shortage of social workers and to “give them a platform to come in and to practice, and to apply their skills so that when they are ready and graduate, then they will choose us, hopefully.”
The district indicated it already has MOUs with Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee State College for similar internships. Board discussion noted statewide rule changes allowing some paid teacher internships and suggested the district has started offering jobs to interns with the hope they will remain in Gadsden County.
Miss Hannigan asked whether the internship arrangements could become a feeder to recruit staff; presenters said the agreement’s goal is recruitment but not a guaranteed feeder system. The board approved the consent agenda item containing the MOUs (see Votes at a glance) and asked staff to clarify logistics, supervision plans and counts of district social workers.
No new hires or policy changes were finalized during the meeting; the discussion focused on program structure, supervision and recruitment intent.
