teacher

athletics coach

mathematics teacher

school counselor

interventionist

Duval County Public Schools

When I was hired on at DCPS I had high expectations for my own personal and professional growth. 
However, once I got in the door, I noticed a lot of negativity and depressed employees that felt they were forgotten on the path of life. Learned after several attempts to move up into other departments the only way you’re getting there is by knowing someone or by having so much time on your hand to study for non-subject related material and subject material related to the position you’re applying for. 
So now being stuck in the ever so chaotic realm of the service desk (which is just another word for call center, stop going to the gym and pick up alcoholism) You always have someone breathing down your neck listening to your phone calls and while given no proper training once you get in the door and start working, will give you written and verbal disciplines with no actual reasons on calls that didn’t have that undying dedication for service. Now when you do get an actual IT-related call it's pretty fun to run down the rabbit hole of possible ghosts from a 12-year-old who can barely explain the issue to a 50-year-old who is so burnt out you start wondering why you’d want your children to go to these schools. 
You will get 3 days of training then it’s on the phone and sink or swim!!

They are constantly adding new items for the service desk to add to the workload with no real mission plan or direction it’s a lot like scope creep in the military, servicing student accounts, signing students up for parents that are too lazy to do so or are just so tired of a broken website that most people with masters degrees cannot understand or sign their children up for, checking 3 different sites for the learning apps the teachers use just to find out the head of that department doesn’t handle it or know anything about these apps, coding, or MySQL, and got hired in being a previous burned-out teacher that wanted a fancy title and better pay (with no prior IT knowledge or skills) and then your contacting vendors for them.
It’s a lot of politics and games. 
If the environment took better care of its tech staff and would just listen to the real issues do not beat around the bush this wouldn’t be a horrible place to work. However even if it gets better the pay is so bad, you will still be living in a tent by your 2nd year wondering how you got so broke without a gambling problem or substance abuse issues. 

On the brighter side of suffering, you do get plenty of time off, when you do have that heart attack or stroke you have great health insurance to help cover some of the cost. They will also pay for certs once you complete the test and pass if you fail, well sucks to be you. 


I enjoy working with the people and management I work with, but I work in technology.  However, the DCPS Technology Division unionized a decade ago and is the smallest union in DCPS.  They have very little bargaining power for salary increases, and the July 2013 "step increase" (1.9% on average) was the first raise in salary the group has seen in six years.  That said, teachers are of course the largest union with the most power and see raises every year.  The website www.duvalschools.org had an article in summer 2013 describing the six million dollar increase in teacher salaries the DTU was able to negotiate, while Technology employees fought for six years to receive less than $150,000 in the end.

The technology employees also fall into primarily two categories, namely "Computer Specialist" and "Senior Computer Specialist".  This means that regardless of work performed in I.T. you will be treated the same as everyone else.  The person who handles our network firewalls is paid on the same scales as the person who does our backups and restores, the person who does our server builds and break-fix, and the person who works in the field maintaining our school servers.  The person who works on the help desk taking calls eight hours a day is the same pay table as the person who works on the workstations in the schools.  The job descriptions for these two classifcations are overly broad, and haven't been updated since 1998.

The biggest impact this has is that there is no advancement opportunity unless you move into management.  Then, you about have to have an education degree even if your position has nothing to do with education.  There is no benefit to moving from field server support to network communications, nor moving from data center operations into infrastructure.

The lack of pay increases and the stagnancy in advancement have caused many to leave the district's technology division in favor of better, leaving added workload for the remaining.  Those remaining have gotten very little recognition for their efforts.

To add to this, there's no training, but that's probably because management knows as soon as we're trained higher, we leave for better pay because there's no incentive to stay here.

Even the group medical isn't as nice (nor affordable) as what is available on the outside, and while DCPS used to pay an amount equal to 3% of our salaries into our state-held retirement packages, our governor saw fit to require all state-retirement-planned employees to pay 3% into their own retirement and no longer requires the employer to do so, so basically our retirement now is no different except that I now receive $50 less per month because of it being pulled out of my check with no opt-out.  Living paycheck-to-paycheck, this is not affordable.

Students receive no consequences for disrespectful or disruptive behavior, which creates a degrading and borderline abusive environment for teachers and good kids. Admin and district bureaucrats (who have minimal teaching experience) are fixated on the standardized test (FSA) and put unhealthy pressure on math and ELA teachers, preventing a creative culture in the classroom. Exorbitant paperwork given to teachers to fill out if they fail kids who never show up or do nothing in class. This paperwork is more than any teacher can fill out unless they want to spend all their planning periods on it. As expected, teachers buckle to the pressure and end up passing the kids just so they can have their time back. This is an idiotic system, as all it does is make the test scores lower, the classroom behavior worse, and the hardworking kids wonder why they’re working so hard if the kids that do nothing pass. Not to mention, this system is creating an entire generation of lazy kids who think the world will have no consequences. The Union does nothing to make the situation better for anyone. Most of what they do is protect teachers who get in trouble. They don’t push for holding kids accountable for disrespectful and disruptive behavior. They don’t push to reduce paperwork demands. They don’t push to stop the pressure to teach the FSA and pass kids who don’t work. 

I enjoyed working for D.C.P.S. very much. Especially, as a parent to be off when the kids are out for breaks. However, having no pay during the summer is no benefit and I think that the Paraprofessionals should be compensated better considering that they work as hard in the classrooms as the teachers do to educate, maintain order and care for the students. In some cases more. Though its a real pleasure to know that you're making a difference,no matter how big or small, in a young person's life it's still work. The joy of knowing that they are "getting it" and appreciating you in the process coupled with the disruption of the daily routine by a "helpless"child who may not have slept or eaten well the night before yet would rather be at home can be daunting. And striking the balance between a need for discipline and a need for compassion and understanding isn't always an easy one because the need is not always obvious. But discovering what is the matter and figuring out a solution can be as simple as a snack or nap. Problem solved and it's on with the day. I do believe that the unconditional love that the students give out weigh any troubles that may arise. The hardest part for me was not being able to hug them back or express any kind of motherly affection due to well meaning laws (for their protection of course). Otherwise, all was well. I got along with my co workers and Principles. And at the end of the work week I was rewarded for my labor with my pay check and was able to pay a few bills.

The school day could be very mundane as there was no deviation from the curriculum.  The only interruption to the mundane days were data analysis, parent conferences, discipline issues, and occasional projects.  I learned a lot of theoretical concepts.  There was always some leadership program DCPS wanted you to participate in that would supposedly advance you to the next level.  More often than not, it just required a lot of your time (mini Master's program) with nothing more to show for it.  Management varied greatly depending upon school leadership.  Some empowered others micromanaged.  District leadership typically visited the school annually and had a snapshot of the school's progress.  Struggling schools typically are visited a few times a year.  The school culture is whatever the school leadership makes it.  If the leader is feeling the pressure from above (at the District level), it is felt at the school level.  If the leader is feeling encouraged and confident (from the District level), that too is felt at the school level.  The hardest part of the job is working diligently with little to no recognition and watching people with little to no skill, experience, or proven track record get promotions due to "who they know or being next in line".  The most enjoyable part of the job was the different personalities of the students, the quality of work students produced, the various experiences students are exposed to, and the colleagues turned friends gained along the journey.

Working as a teacher in Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has been an incredibly rewarding experience. The district provides a supportive and collaborative environment where educators are encouraged to grow professionally and make a meaningful impact on students’ lives. I have appreciated the opportunities for professional development through workshops, training sessions, and collaborative planning with colleagues, which have strengthened my instructional skills and classroom strategies.

DCPS serves a wonderfully diverse student population, offering teachers the chance to engage with a wide range of perspectives and learning styles. The district also emphasizes innovation, integrating technology and modern teaching practices to keep students engaged and excited about learning. Administrators are generally approachable and committed to supporting both teachers and students, and there is a strong sense of community among staff members.

Overall, teaching in Duval County is both fulfilling and inspiring. Seeing students grow academically and personally each year makes the hard work worthwhile, and I feel proud to be part of a district that truly values education and student success.

Teaching is an ever changing and interesting career.  You are able to see how what you do impacts others, in a positive way, daily.  However, it is exhausting and takes over much of your off time (hence soul-snatching).  As a teacher, you are often viewed as someone who gets summers off and tons of vacation.  You are viewed as lazy because people don't realize how much overtime you put in just to stay afloat.  No one sees that you spend the majority of these "breaks" working.  It is exhausting, no matter where you go, but the school system that you work for matters.  They can either help, by providing necessary resources and training or hinder, by allowing people to flounder, basically figuring it out on their own.  DCPS is not a horrible place to work (some of the issues are State of FL issues) but for teachers who are beyond the first 10 years there is little training and nowhere to go from here.  The number of students in classrooms, both in person and virtual, (due to lack of certified teachers and subs) is nothing short of absurd.  A once pleasant career is quickly becoming intolerable.  

This is a public school district in Florida. The cards are seemingly stacked against everyone in the system, regardless of their place in the hierarchy.

During my employment with DCPS I worked under 3 district super intendants. The current super intendant is competent and has shown that she has a steady hand in spite of the pressures of state politics. I don't agree with all of her decision-making, but I truly believe she has the interests of the students at heart, and is doing the best she can with the current circumstances.

Unfortunately, DCPS is a LARGE district that must serve extremely varied student populations. This means your experience as an employee is highly dependent on your school placement. Each school has some degree of autonomy on employee management and how they face the challenges of their specific communities. This makes it difficult to predict what a potential employee's experience will be. 

If possible, I recommend anyone seeking a job at a specific school or on a particular side of town to reach out to current employees at those locations. Most schools have a website with faculty contact information. You can also seek out various parent groups on social media and see if you can gleam some insight that way.

A work day consist of getting to school before the students arrive. You are required to meet the students at the classroom door. Students may or may not have attitudes. Depending on what school you are at you may have the challenge of addressing dress code with  male and female students. EX Sagging pants, short skirts, tank tops, etc. The students respect a stern teacher that has given them structure. Mangetout may have a lot of turn over. Co workers are very helpful in most areas of the job. if they can not provide the answer for you they are more than  willing to provide you with someone who may know the answer. The hardest part of the job is accepting that fact that you may not be able to reach every child in time to mold, challenge and to motivate them. What brings joy to the job are the success stories and testimonies that teacher and students share. Seeing students grow as teenagers personally and statistically as it relates to their test scores.Co workers and students make the Job fun. Trying to isolate yourself and doing everything on your own will result in overwhelming yourself.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Having a daily positive impact on parents, students,  staff, and constituents by meeting their needs and inquiries.  Customer Service. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Having to be faced with unsupportive administration daily, in your efforts of working more efficiently, while they were not held to any sort of accountability -(above the law).
Visible unfair treatment to staff/teachers at will by administration.  
Low Wages for your work expatiations.
They function with absolutely no measuring tools or rubrics for evaluation work performances, only by a training and opinions.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Our work environment was deceptive to parents, as students daily were allow to skip class by sitting in the counselors' office avoiding class and wasting time, unaware to the parents.  
It was a toxic and disrespectable atmosphere to many, with over crowded classes.
The culture is diverse in social and ethnic backgrounds.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working better in the current day, so that previous day would be jealous.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 14 salaries reported	$51,059 per year
Athletics coach 146 salaries reported	$2,123 per month
Mathematics teacher 127 salaries reported	$62,096 per year
School counselor 3 salaries reported	$50,833 per year
Interventionist 1 salary reported	$25.76 per hour

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