Teachers and residents urge board to address staff morale, inequities and low academic proficiency in public comments

Two public speakers during the March 5 public-comment period urged the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education to address teacher retention, staff morale and poor student proficiency results.

Raymond Watson, who identified himself as an educator, said teachers in the district feel ignored and pressured to remain silent. “The environment that is created here is an environment of fear that teachers are afraid of speaking out because of being labeled a troublemaker,” Watson said. He urged teachers to organize and advocate publicly, saying district leadership has repeatedly promised to listen without visibly responding to teacher concerns.

Citizen Rick Roni offered a broader critique of board leadership and district culture, urging trustees to demand higher performance across the staff. “We currently have 13 elementary schools where only 20% of our third graders are proficient in ELA, math, and science,” Roni said. “That leaves 80% who aren’t. What is going to happen to those 80%?” He said the board should prioritize building a culture of excellence and replace low performers.

Both speakers described the issues as long-running and systemic. The board did not take action during the public-comment period; comments were recorded for the public record. Trustees did not provide immediate responses beyond acknowledging the speakers and thanking them for their remarks.

Why it matters: Teacher morale and student proficiency are central to district performance and public confidence. The comments put the district’s staffing and academic results on the public record and may shape future board discussions, though no formal motions were offered during the session.