>>VIC MICOLUCCI: DUVAL COUNTY TEACHERS ARE PREPARING TO WELCOME STUDENTS BACK TO CLASS
ON MONDAY. REALLY IS RIGHT
AROUND THE CORNER TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT WE’RE SEEING AHEAD
OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. TERRY
BRADY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
DUVAL TEACHERS UNION JOINS US.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU, TERRY.
GOOD MORNING. HOW ARE YOU
DOING WELL DOING WELL. AND I
KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF PARENTS
AND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
WATCHING THIS SHOW. THERE’S
ALWAYS QUESTIONS, RIGHT, BUT
NOW ESPECIALLY GOING INTO THE
2022 SCHOOL YEAR, THERE’S SO
MANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE THERE’S
SO MANY TOPICS. NUMBER ONE,
TEACHER SHORTAGE IS A HUGE
TOPIC ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WANT
TO ASK YOU THIS, TERRY, WHAT
DOES THE SITUATION LOOK LIKE
HERE IN DUVAL COUNTY AND
WHAT’S BEING DONE TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH TEACHERS
AT SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. THERE’S
BETWEEN 30350 VACANCIES. TO MY
KNOWLEDGE TODAY, IT COULD BE
MORE. IT COULD BE LESS GIVING
WHAT THE HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT DID YESTERDAY.
>> AND THEY’RE OUT THERE AS
SOON AS APPLICANTS COME IN AND
THEY MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS
ARE TRYING TO PROCESS
PAPERWORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THE FINGERPRINTING AND GET UP
IN THE CLASSROOMS TO STAND
BEFORE STUDENTS. BUT IN LIEU
OF THAT, THEY’RE ALSO SPOKE TO
THE COMPANY THAT DOES
SUBSTITUTES TRYING TO GET
FULL-TIME SUBS IN THE
POSITIONS THE DISTRICT IS
GOTTEN SOME OF THEIR OUT OF
OUT OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTORS
TO GO INTO THE CLASSROOMS
TEMPORARILY TO FILL THOSE
POSITIONS SO OUR STUDENTS CAN
HAVE CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN
THESE CLASSROOMS. AND THEN IN
ADDITION TO OTHERS ARE GOING
TO BE SUBBING. AND THEN WE’VE
ALSO MADE PROVISIONS TO
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. IF WE
HAVE TO SPLIT CLASSES, CLASS
SIZES WILL GO UP. BUT
ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE TO SPLIT
CLASSES SO THAT THEY HAVE A
TEACHER STANDING BEFORE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS
HAVE REAL HIGH QUALITY
INSTRUCTION GOING ON EVERY
DAY. YES, SO MANY CHALLENGES.
BUT I KNOW THAT YOU’RE WORKING
HARD BEHIND THE AS OUR SCHOOL
LEADERS TO MAKE SURE
>> THAT THESE KIDS GET WHAT
THEY DESERVE. SO THIS SUMMER,
THE DISTRICT TALKED ABOUT
ADOPTING A NEW TYPE OF
TEACHING CERTIFICATE IN
FLORIDA. VETERANS CAN NOW
TEACH AND MANY TIMES WITHOUT A
DEGREE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THOSE MOVES? HAVE YOUR MEMBERS
FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND DO YOU
THINK THAT’S TRULY GOING TO
HELP THE TEACHERS TEACHER
SHORTAGES HERE?
>> WELL, YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A
DEGREE. I WANT TO STRAIGHTEN
THAT OUT FOR THE BUT YOU GET A
5 YEAR GRACE PERIOD TO GO TAKE
YOUR COLLEGE CLASSES IN THE
AREAS OF EDUCATION AND TO GO
AHEAD AND GET SET UP YOUR YOUR
CERTIFICATION IN YOUR SUBJECT
AREA TEST IN GENERAL
KNOWLEDGE, TEST ANYBODY WE CAN
ENCOURAGE THAT WANTS TO TEACH
TO COME IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE
IN SUPPORT OF. BUT RIGHT NOW,
CURRENTLY EVERYBODY ELSE ONLY
HAS A 3 YEAR TEMPORARY
CERTIFICATE. AND I THINK THE
LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH THE TEACHER
SHORTAGE. IF THEY’RE GOING TO
GET 5 YOUR TEMPER A
CERTIFICATE TO MILITARY, LET’S
GO AHEAD AND GIVE IT TO
EVERYONE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HIRE ANY
OF THOSE EXCITING MILITARY
VETERANS TO COME INTO OUR
CLASSROOMS YET BECAUSE THEY’RE
WAITING ON WILL MAKING
AUTHORITY FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION. BUT ANYTHING WE
CAN GET DO TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
TO COME AND TEACH. WE WOULD
LIKE TO DO THAT IN PARTNER
WITH THEM. YES, CERTAINLY
UNCHARTED TERRITORY. LET’S
TALK ABOUT THOSE CONTRACT
NEGOTIATIONS WHERE WE STAND
WITH THOSE.
>> PRETTY GOOD NEWS. WE HAVE A
TEMPORARY AGREEMENT WHICH
MEANS BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN
MEETING. WE MET AND WE HAVE A
TIA OR A TEMPORARY AGREEMENT.
INFORMATION WILL BE GOING OUT
TO OUR MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS
TODAY. SOME TOP DAS AND THE
READ THE RATIFICATION PACKET
AND A VOTE. YES OR VOTE. NO, I
WILL SHARE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT
THIS UP. IT WILL MAKE
NEGOTIATIONS A LOT EASIER IF
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
AND BOATERS GO OUT AND SUPPORT
THE REFERENDUM THAT WILL BE ON
THE AUGUST 23RD BALLOT OR THE
EARLY VOTING BALLOT CURRENTLY.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE VERY
LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES
THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TARGETED OR
ENCUMBERED TO GO INTO THE
DIFFERENT SALARIES FOR OUR
EMPLOYEES OVERALL. AND IN THE
TEACHER UNIT, WE’RE PRETTY
MUCH. I’M TRYING TO BE GENTLE.
WE HAVE 20 LAWS THAT WE MUST
IMPLEMENT OR SALARY
NEGOTIATIONS. SO MOST THE
MONEY GOES TO BEGINNING
SALARIES AND THEN WHATEVER’S
LEFT. WE SPREAD AND IT’S NOT
FAIR TO OUR VETERAN TEACHERS
AND THOSE WANT TO MAKE A
COMMITMENT FOR EDUCATORS. WE
AS A NEGOTIATING TEAM DON’T
WANT TO SEGREGATE OUT NEW
VERSUS VETERAN. WE NEED TO
HAVE ENOUGH FINANCIAL
RESOURCES ENCOURAGE EVERYONE
TO COME. BUT I DO WANT TO LET
YOU KNOW THAT WE DID MEET THE
STATE REQUIREMENT LAST YEAR
FOR BEGINNING PAY. 47 5 THIS
YEAR WE’VE RAISED IT TO 48 7.
SO THAT’S A THAT’S A VERY GOOD
STARTING POINT IS BELOW ITS
HIGHER THAN WHAT THE STATE
WANTED US TO REACH. SO WE’RE
EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND WE
HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE A
RATIFICATION IN THE NEXT 10
DAYS BY OUR MEMBERS. YES,
CERTAINLY THEY’VE GOT TO GET
THESE LIVING WAGES AND THAT’S
HOW YOU’RE GOING TO TRACK.
PEOPLE GOT TO ESPECIALLY WITH
ALL THE INFLATION AND THE COST
INCREASES.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: FINALLY, WHEN
ASK YOU THIS QUICKLY, THE
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS THAT WE’VE
SEEN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
YEARS ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN
PLACE THIS YEAR. SO THINGS
REALLY GETTING A LITTLE BIT
MORE BACK TO NORMAL. HOW DID
THE TEACHERS FEEL ABOUT THIS?
OBVIOUSLY, THERE’S DIFFERING
LEVELS OF OF HOW PEOPLE FEEL
ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, AS YOU
KNOW, THE LEGISLATURE HAS GOT
SOME PRETTY STRINGENT
GUIDELINES ABOUT MASK
UTILIZATION AND ALSO COVID LEE
DAYS. THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT WE’VE ALREADY SEEN AN
UPTICK ALREADY WITH COVID WITH
PEOPLE GOT IT AND YOU COULD
NOT REPORT OF ACT TO PRE
PLANNING OR THOSE THAT HAVE
BEEN INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED TO
LEAVE ON THEIR OWN TIME OR
AFTER SCHOOL AND GO GET
TESTED. IF SOMEBODY HAS COME
UP WITH COVID WITH LOVE THEIR
PARTNERS OR GRADE LEVEL, YOU
KNOW, MEMBERS. SO WE ARE IN
CONSTANT NEGOTIATIONS AND
DISCUSSIONS WITH DISTRICT TO
SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO
ALLEVIATE THESE. LOSING OF
LEAVE DAYS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
IF IF THEY GET COVID AND THEY
THINK THEY CAN TRACK SCHOOL
EITHER FROM STUDENTS OR FROM
FELLOW WORKERS. I DON’T THINK
COVID IS GOING AWAY. WE JUST
WE KNOW HAVE A DEAL WITH IT A
LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO WE’RE
GOING TO WORK WITHIN THE
PARAMETERS OF THE LAW. BUT
WE’VE GOT TO ALSO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT THAT COVID IS NOT
GOING AWAY AND WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING TO GET BACK UP TO
OUR EMPLOYEES.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: ABSOLUTELY.
TERRY BRADY, PRESIDENT OF THE
DUVAL TEACHERS UNION. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOUR WEALTH
OF KNOWLEDGE AS ALWAYS.
>> WELL, THANK YOU ALWAYS FOR
FOCUSING IN ON PUBLIC
EDUCATION. WE’RHERE AND