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Teachers, speech therapists and union leaders urge board to address vacancies, pay and benefits as school year begins
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Summary
Multiple speakers at public comment warned of personnel shortages and urged the board to back proposals in upcoming contract negotiations; a speech-language pathologist said 41 SLP positions were vacant as of the weekend, affecting 55 schools.
During the public-comment portion of the Aug. 5 Duval County School Board meeting, teachers, therapists and union leaders asked the board to act quickly on staffing, compensation and resource gaps before students return.
Speech-language pathologist Laura Emmel told the board that "as of last weekend, we had 41 SLP positions vacant, and it'll impact 55 schools as of Monday morning." Emmel said the district had generated $1,900,000 in Medicaid school-match revenue over three years and that $1,300,000 of that came from therapies; she urged the board to "take aggressive actions" to solve the SLP vacancy crisis and to reinvest therapy-billed revenue to support students who received the services.
Union and classroom voices: Joseph (Joey) Frenzel, a math teacher at Atlantic Coast High School, urged the board to accept the union proposals at negotiations scheduled for Aug. 14, saying, "The ultimate reward should be given to employees" who contributed to the district's first A grade. Teacher Zachary Carter and other classroom staff warned that vacancies force teachers and paraprofessionals to take second jobs and that online or summer services cannot substitute for in-person specialists.
District response and context: DTU President Tammy Brooks Evans thanked district staff for scheduling meetings with union leaders and said the union will press for smaller class sizes, increased planning time and higher salaries so teachers can rely on a single job. The superintendent and staff previously noted efforts to hire over the summer; public speakers said attrition and unfilled positions threaten student IEP services on the first day of classes.
Why it matters: SLP services are mandated by students' Individualized Education Programs. Long-term vacancies can delay or deny required therapy and can affect student progress. Speakers asked the board to use targeted strategies, funding and partnerships to retain and recruit clinicians as the school year starts.
