‘We support Superintendent Greene:’ Rally to support Duval schools leader to kick off

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Dozens are expected to voice their support for Duval County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene on Monday night.

This comes as sources tell Action News Jax the school board could discuss Greene’s future during a special meeting Wednesday.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Right now, the agenda only lists a third-party investigation into Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.

Former teacher Jeffrey Clayton was arrested in March for sex crimes involving a student.

RELATED: Community leaders rally to support Duval County Schools Superintendent’s job amid scrutiny

Then the state said previous incidents involving the same teacher were never reported. On Monday, the district responded and said that was false.

The letter from Greene responding to the Florida Department of Education claims leaders did report previous incidents of inappropriate conduct involving Clayton.

The state previously claimed that DCPS did not. Clayton’s arrest is why Greene’s future is in question.

RELATED: ‘Everything on the table’ for DCPS superintendent, Dr. Diana Greene

“We support Superintendent Greene, she’s a valuable asset to our community and hope she continues to flourish well,” Jonathan Blackburn, president of the Baptist Minister’s Conference, said.

Supporters point to her accomplishments, including being named Florida’s Superintendent of the Year in 2021, helping to pass the half-cent sales tax for safer schools and a millage rate increase for teacher pay.

But some veteran teachers like Chris Guerrieri don’t agree.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

“I don’t think Greene has done good for a long time. We could definitely use a change. I just hope the school board does it for the right reasons,” he said.

Sources tell Action News Jax Greene’s future with the district could be decided at Wednesday’s special meeting and she’d be forced out two years before her contract is up.

It was renewed in 2022 after a glowing performance review with a 10 percent raise to $300,000. Supporters say she has the merit to deserve the pay.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

“To have a leadership vacuum with someone who’s done so well and has the merit and credentials -- this would be a significant loss, not only for our city, but for our students who would hurt the most,” Blackburn said.

Dr. Kelly Coker, Chairwoman of the Duval County School Board, released the following statement Monday:

“As a board, we are committed to hiring third-party counsel to complete an independent investigation of the events that led to the recent arrest of Jeffrey Clayton. The Douglas Anderson community and our community-at-large deserve our commitment to and focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of the students that attend Duval County Public Schools. Our meeting on Wednesday will move us closer to that goal.”

READ GREENE’S FULL RESPONSE TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BELOW:

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.