Today, Sarasota County Schools announced that first-year teachers are losing their contracts on June 30. As probationary employees, their position may be filled by someone with more tenure. Basically, positions need to be cut, and they are first being filled by teachers with seniority and certifications.

As a policy wonk, I know this didn’t happen overnight. There’s a lot that led us here.

As a non-SCSD employee, I don’t know if this is protocol, but I do know it’s not good.

As a parent, I wonder how this decision was made, where families could have fit into that process, and the role we need to play as parents moving forward.

How We Got Here (in my perspective; yours is welcome in the comments too):

• The 2025-2026 school year projects $45 million in tax dollars being diverted to private schools instead of Sarasota County Schools
• Unchecked double enrollment has left a funding shortfall of approximately $2.5 million for our district
• The increased and continued loss of students to private schools and homeschooling under the Universal Voucher Program
• Staffing increases despite decreased student enrollment (the district has seen a 9% increase)
• Annual salary increases
• $10 million over four years from our local public schools to the Tax Collector’s office

Our current school board brings politics to the forefront of their discussions, rather than sound policy. Parents are left feeling like their child isn’t a priority at best, and is unsafe at worst. It is not the position that community leaders should put us in; it really, really hurts. And it is especially painful when there are so many other issues impacting the district they raised their hand to protect:

“Florida’s voucher system costs families $4 billion each year.” And this year, “Florida’s aggressive expansion of school choice has left more than $400 million in taxpayer-funded education vouchers sitting unused, exposing major cracks in the state’s booming program.”

That’s money that could mean smaller class sizes, more counselors, or safer campuses for your child.

It’s worth noting that the unused (but still allocated) funds are $100 million more than the state spends on school safety in general. We have been forced to rely on “thoughts and prayers” in the safety of our children…but there are real dollars that could be spent on “policy and change” instead. And that really hurts.

Our school district is truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

But rather than engaging parents, evaluating teacher outcomes, or getting creative to cut costs in other ways, most of our first-year teachers will not see a second year.

And unless we step in, our school district will continue to struggle – and our schools, teachers, and students will continue to feel the impact.

People act when they feel the cost of inaction. Our school district is feeling it, and we should too. The cost is high – both in dollars, and in your child’s future.

It is not the time to grieve about what is being lost; it is time to ask questions, share your thoughts, and compel those in power to answer to the future of your children. One voice can be ignored. But many voices are how policies are shaped and improved.

Parents, it’s time to step in.

If we want our schools to improve, and if we want to maintain our strength as a district, we can’t sit on the sidelines. Attend the next school board meeting if you want and can. If not, send an email. Ask the questions and give clear, but kind, feedback. It may not change this decision, but it can – and will – change the next one.

When you engage in this way, it stops feeling like politics and starts feeling like reality. And it should. These decisions affect our children every single day. Like today.

If your child has a first-year teacher, consider sending some love on Monday. You know they’ll be there.