Teachers in Leon County are gaining more control over their careers and fewer roadblocks from principals thanks to a new agreement passed by the school board.
On Tuesday, the Leon County School Board approved Item 19.08, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Leon Classroom Teachers Association (LCTA). The agreement creates a, “clear and fair,” process for teachers who want to transfer to a different school within the district and protects them from unfair treatment if they do.
According to the MOU, the Instructional Transfer Period will open every spring, allowing current teachers to apply for known job openings for the following school year. These vacancies will be posted for at least five business days and must be based on each school’s staffing plan.
Brett Shively, the school district’s director of human resources who presented the MOU, said that this item came about because both the LCTA and the school district wanted to streamline the teacher transfer process on permanent basis rather than year to year provisions.
Shively says that the past MOUs were on a year to year provision because contract agreements with the LCTA are negotiated through barging. The LCTA and LCS are working on permanent language that could run through the 2027 school year.
“The primary goal was to lighten the administrative workload that is placed on our principals,” Shively said.
Under the new rules, a teacher’s current principal cannot block their move unless there’s a documented performance issue that was previously shared with the teacher. Principals also can’t speak negatively about a teacher’s performance during the transfer process unless that information is on record.
To apply, teachers will use the district’s online system. Current employees will be given priority in the hiring process if they meet the job requirements. If multiple applicants are equally qualified, preference will go to existing district staff.
“Individuals who apply for the jobs in the districts that are teachers will receive a preference in the hiring process that other employees may not receive,” said Shively.
Once a teacher is selected for a position, they’ll receive a job offer and be officially processed through the district’s Human Resources Division. Teachers who apply but aren’t chosen will still be notified when the job is filled.
Leon County School Board member Darryl Jones said he was proud to approve the MOU.
“I would like everyone to know that out of 67 school districts we [Leon County] are the second district making these provisions possible for our school boards, for our staff and our faculty,” Jones said. “And now others are replicating what we do here at the heart of the Panhandle across the state of Florida.”
The MOU will stay in effect until June 30, 2027.