Board reviews FLDOE corrective-action plan on out-of-field teaching

The Volusia County School Board reviewed a corrective-action plan responding to a Florida Department of Education audit that examined out-of-field teachers and federal program comparability.

Donna Brosmer raised concern about the size of the disparity cited in the report — roughly half of out-of-field assignments in some measures — and asked whether FLDOE had full access to the district’s data. Staff told the board FLDOE conducted an on-site audit in January and that the district had posted the relevant data on its website with links via BoardDocs, although those links had been difficult to find.

Board members asked for clarity on reporting lines and timing: staff said district leadership would receive written corrective-action reports every nine weeks, while the board would be briefed annually; Ms. Brosmer requested the board also receive the written reports leadership uses for tracking. The plan includes parental notification and recruitment and retention measures; staff said incentives tied to filling positions would need to be bargained with unions before implementation.

Members also asked who assigns out-of-field teachers; staff said assignments are made at the school level by principals and that state rules allow teachers to teach out-of-field for one year when certification conditions apply.

Board members said they would track corrective actions, including the effectiveness of recruitment, reporting cadence and parental-notification steps; staff said HR and federal programs staff had been heavily involved in drafting the plan.