THE REST OF YOUR WEEKEND. WANT TO SEE BACK HERE IN A COUPLE MINUTES. BUT TODAY IS DOCTOR
DIANA GREENE’S FINAL DAY AS
THE DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT AND ALSO THE
LAST DAY FOR SCHOOL FOR DUVAL
COUNTY STUDENTS. DOCTOR GREENE
RETIRING AFTER A 37 YEAR
CAREERS EDUCATION RELEASED A
LETTER REFLECTING ON OUR TIME.
>> NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER DENISE
HARRIS TAKING A LOOK BACK AT
HER CAREERS AND LOT TO SAY IN
THE LETTER. VERY HEARTFELT.
>> AND THIS WILL BE THE FINAL
LETTER FROM DOCTOR DIANA
GREENE, SUPERINTENDENT. SHE
REFLECTS ON A NEARLY
FOUR-DECADE CAREERS AND SINCE
HER WELL WISHES FOR THE
FUTURE.
>> OF DUVAL SCHOOLS.
>> PEOPLE CAN EXPECT ME TO
CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR STUDENTS
ON DOCTOR DIANA GREEN’S LAST
DAY. SHE REFLECTS ON HER TIME
AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DUVAL
COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAYING
IN PART, I’VE ENJOYED AN
INCREDIBLE LIFE OF SERVING
STUDENTS AND FAMILIES HERE.
AND IN 2 OTHER FLORIDA
DISTRICTS, THIS LETTER COMES
JUST WEEKS AFTER GREENE
ANNOUNCED SHE WOULD BE
RETIRING. DOCTOR GREENE
ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT AS THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS BEING
CRITICIZED FOR ITS HANDLING OF
DOUGLAS ANDERSON MUSIC TEACHER
JEFFREY CLAYTON, WHO WAS
ARRESTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST A
STUDENT AT THE SCHOOL. THE
DOMINO EFFECT OF
INVESTIGATIONS BEGAN IN 3 MORE
STUDENTS ARE BEING
INVESTIGATED. SOME BELIEVE
DOCTOR GREEN SHOULD BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HISTORY OF
ACCUSATIONS, BUT OTHERS ARGUED
IT WAS A PROBLEM BEFORE DOCTOR
GREENE WAS SUPERINTENDENT,
HOWEVER, DOCTOR GREENE’S
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR DUVAL
SCHOOLS REMAINS THE LEGACY OF
HER 5 YEARS SERVING THE
DISTRICT. DOCTOR. GREENE WAS
THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
WOMAN SUPERINTENDENT OF DUVAL
SCHOOLS, DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL
BOARD CHAIRWOMAN DOCTOR KELLY
COKER REFLECTS ON GREEN’S
LEGACY. I’VE BEEN TO BE A PART
OF DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FOR OVER 3 DECADES OF MY LIFE.
AND WHAT I WILL CALL YOU
>> THAT DOCTOR GREENE IS A
KEEP A PEAK OR SHE NEVER LOCK,
WHAT IT LIKE TO BE IN THE
CLASSROOM. AND THAT GUIDED HER
DAY-TO-DAY WORK IN OUR
DISTRICT EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT
SHE WAS HERE AND SHE LEAVES
OUR DISTRICT MUCH BETTER THAN
SHE FOUND DOCTOR COKER SAID
DOCTOR GREENE’S MANY
CONTRIBUTIONS INCLUDE.
>> THE SALE SURTAX THAT
ALLOWED FOR THE BUILDING OF
SEVERAL BRAND NEW SCHOOLS AND
THE ONE MILL RATE THAT WAS
PASSED UP A EDUCATORS. MORE
AND HER EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
DURING COVID-19 STRATEGIES
THAT WERE SO EFFECTIVE. DOCTOR
GREENE WAS AWARDED
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR FOR
THE STATE OF FLORIDA BOARD
MEMBER LORI HERSHEY DOCTOR
GREENE SAYING DOCTOR GREENE
CHANGE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT
PUBLIC EDUCATION IN
JACKSONVILLE. SHE DARED TO
TACKLE ISSUES THAT HAD BEEN
TOO LONG IGNORED LIKE THE NEED
TO ADDRESS OUR SCHOOLS,
INFRASTRUCTURE, GRACE UNDER
PRESSURE WAS EXEMPLARY AS THE
SCHOOL BOARD STRUGGLED WITH
THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLACE THE
HALF PENNY REFERENDUM ON THE
BALLOT. I’M THRILLED SHE WILL
BE ATTENDING MANDARIN HIGH
SCHOOL’S GRADUATION TONIGHT IN
GREENS, FINAL LETTER SHE WROTE
AS SHE REFLECTED ON SOME OF
THE DISTRICT’S ACADEMIC
TRIUMPHS. SHE SAID IN PART,
I’VE ALREADY WRITTEN TO OUR
EMPLOYEES SAYING THAT I LOOK
BACK WITH PRIDE AND OUR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A DISTRICT
OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, WE’VE
SEEN MORE SCHOOLS ACHIEVE AN A
GRADE REMOVED ALL SCHOOLS FROM
THE STATE’S TURNAROUND LIST
AND CUT THE NUMBER OF LOW
PERFORMING SCHOOLS BY MORE
THAN HALF GREEN INHERITED
MULTIPLE FAILING SCHOOLS.
ACCORDING TO DUVAL SCHOOLS,
TWO-THIRDS OF THE DISTRICT’S
LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS EARNED
A OR F IN 2018. THOSE SAME
SCHOOLS IMPROVED IN JUST ONE
YEAR. DOCTOR GREEN MAY NO
LONGER BE THE LEADER OF DUVAL
SCHOOLS, BUT SHE LEAVES BEHIND
A LEGACY THAT WILL LAST FOR
DECADES THROUGH THE STANDARDS,
SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. SHE
ADVOCATED FOR TO HER
LEADERSHIP. AND GREEN CLOSE
OUT HER LETTER SAYING IN PART
IT IS HER DISTINCT HONOR AND
PLEASURE TO HAVE SERVED AS
YOUR SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS.
>> AND SHE LEAVES SO VERY
THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU WHO
ANSWERED THE CALL AND HELP TO
SERVE OUR CHILDREN. IF YOU’D
LIKE TO READ DOCTOR GREENE’S
FINAL LETTER IN ITS ENTIRETY,
YOU CAN FIND A LINK TO DO WITH