JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Making what would be equivalent to a 'B' grade, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Diana Greene got a rating of "highly effective" for her leadership last school year.
The review is part of the School Board's annual performance evaluation, which was released after the board's workshop meeting, Tuesday afternoon.
In their review, the school board praised Greene for her "fearless leadership" through the COVID-19 pandemic, her continued push for every student to receive a district laptop and the successful passage of the school sales tax referendum and the associated master facilities plan.
Feedback from the board included a desire for student literacy improvement, additional support and resources for all students, more training for mental health and cultural awareness, improved transparency, and improved perception and culture of safety in school buildings.
The School Board's cumulative score for Greene was a 38.60 out of 48.00, putting the superintendent in the highest-ranking category possible (in order, it ranks: unsatisfactory, needs improvement, effective and highly effective).
Five of the seven school board members participated in the annual evaluation — board members Cindy Pearson and Kelly Coker abstained since they were only sworn-in in November.
Of those who participated, board member Warren Jones gave Greene the highest marks, with a score of 44 and nearly straight "4's" or "highly effective's." Board member Charlotte Joyce gave Greene the lowest score at 32 and was the only person to give Greene "2's" or "needs improvement" scores, according to a copy of the evaluation.
Jones did not leave any additional feedback for Greene while Joyce attached charts from the 2019-20 Districtwide 5 Essentials Survey, which was completed by students and teachers.
Joyce said some of the survey responses "alarmed" her, including a passage where districtwide, respondents said they didn't feel safe on district campuses.
"Student and teacher safety must be a priority for the district," Joyce said in her written response. She added that she wanted to see more prioritization on middle schools, writing that students tend to leave the district after middle school.
In her self-evaluation, Greene said she felt like her primary goals for next year should include reducing the number of schools earning a D grade to nine or fewer and ensuring that no school earns an F. Greene did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other goals included increasing the ratio of students scoring proficient on state assessments, ensuring transparency as the Master Facility Plan becomes realized and minimizing disruptions that could occur from reduced legislative funding.
It's unclear if Greene's reference to reduced funding is in anticipation of the district taking a hit for its ongoing Duval HomeRoom schooling option, where students can stay enrolled in their school but participate in class virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, Greene suggested that because of Florida's executive order for schools to be open five-days-per-week, students doing anything otherwise may result in less district funding.
The Times-Union reached out to the district for clarification but did not immediately receive a response.
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A lot has happened during Greene's last school year as superintendent.
In December, Greene was named the Florida Superintendent of the Year, where she was praised for increasing the district's graduation rate and narrowing the achievement gap between white students and underrepresented categories.
Under Greene's leadership, School Board member Lori Hershey said the school district didn't expel one student in the 2019-2020 school year, a possible first. But just weeks later, the school district was heavily criticized in a grand jury report for underreporting crime.
Hershey gave Greene an "effective" ranking, with "3's" across the board. She commended Greene for getting the school district closer to an 'A-rating,' but added that there was still more room for student support services.
Greene and Hershey worked closely to get the school sales tax referendum passed, voted on and ultimately, approved. The sales tax funding will go toward Greene's self-described "bold" plan for school maintenance. The referendum was overwhelmingly approved at the polls during the November general election.
Last school year also marked the district's all-time highest graduation rate, reaching the 90th percentile.
Areas for improvement according to the board members include a desire for mental health training and cultural awareness training. Duval Schools introduced Wellness Wednesdays — the school district's version of state-mandated mental health training — last year and it has received positive feedback from parents and educators over time.
However, just this week, the school district was criticized for phrasing in its mental health awareness campaign for the month of February. The school district used the hashtag #TakeOffYourMask as a figurative call for students to feel comfortable approaching adults when they're having a hard time. Critics called the hashtag choice unfortunate. The district said it would adjust based on the feedback.
The district has also made adjustments over the last year in light of social justice movements. Changes include the creation of a social media policy for faculty and staff, a new policy to help LGBTQ students who are distance-learning feel more included and updated Black history curriculum.
Emily Bloch is an education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter or email her.
