Veteran public school teacher Anne Douglas, 59, of Dr. Phillips, came through the three-person primary for the District 4 seat on the Orange County School Board as one of the top vote-getters. But since neither she nor her opponent, conservative business development manager Kyle Goudy, earned more than 50 percent of the vote during the primary, they will face each other again, in a Nov. 5 runoff. 

Early voting takes place daily Oct. 21-Nov. 3, 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. Check our list for locations. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Oct. 24. Mail-in ballots can be returned to any early voting location but must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5.

With 25 years – and counting – in the classroom, Douglas teaches intensive reading and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at Olympia High School near Windermere. Teachers are best suited for the school board, she said, because they understand both teacher and student needs. Teacher retention has been a particularly dire issue in Florida and the primary reason for her campaign.

“Teachers are leaving the profession in droves,” she said. “I have never seen teachers leaving the school at the beginning of the school year and never returning – not even looking back. I’ve been teaching for 25 years and to see this is absolutely flabbergasting.”

Her platform includes initiatives such as increasing accessibility in school facilities – such as ramps and other updates that eliminate barriers for students with disabilities – enhancing benefits and compensation for educators and staff and protecting the rights and safety of teachers.

Douglas is a native of Montpellier, France and mother of three. She has received endorsements from Orange County Vice Mayor and District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson, State Sen. Victor Torres (D-25), State Rep. Johanna Lopez (D-43) and State Rep. Jennifer “Rita” Harris (D-44.) Her son, Nate Douglas, is also a first-time candidate, running in Florida House District 37.

Teacher pay and retention

Florida now ranks dead last in the nation for teacher pay. New data from the National Education Association shows the national average pay for teachers, pre-K through college is $69,544. But in Florida, teachers earn just $53,098, ranking fiftieth in the country. Douglas said the state must do better.

“Most teachers work two jobs; they have master’s degrees, some of them have doctorate degrees, and they feel obligated to find another job in order to make ends meet,” she said. “And for us to be treated that way, it’s sad.”

Douglas also places high importance on teacher morale, which she claimed is at an all-time low because of depressed salaries and restrictive laws such as those banning books and prohibiting discussion of gender identity. [Since the “Don’t Say Gay” law was passed in 2022, teachers and students were hamstrung by what they weren’t permitted to talk about in the classroom. In March, a landmark court settlement restored LGBTQ+ teachers’ and students’ rights to express themselves freely without being targeted.]

Douglas is also watching out for school transportation personnel. “You cannot offer school bus drivers such a poor salary and expect them to be there all the time for the kids,” she said. “They need to make a living just like everybody else.” Douglas said higher salaries for bus drivers will attract potential takers who may otherwise not want the job.

Book-bans

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial book bans have stripped nearly 700 titles from Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) classroom and library shelves, including novels like Toni Morrison’s Beloved, which won both the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and the Nobel Prize in 1993. Douglas views this as one more drag on teacher morale.

As a school board member, Douglas plans to push for a committee of teachers to examine books for students to determine those that would be “most productive” in the classroom. This idea ties back to her ultimate goal: involving teachers in the conversations that directly affect them. “Involve us [teachers] in your decision – that is how we really come to solutions,” she said. Currently, just three of the eight Orange County School Board members have a public education teaching background.

Student mental health

Douglas wants to dramatically expand health services for students. She believes violence – gun-related or other – is linked to untreated mental health issues faced by students. Her plan includes allocating more funding for mental health services, including increasing the number of counselors and psychologists on school property.

“A culture of acceptance. I really believe that is the beginning,” Douglas said. When a child does not feel bullied or harassed, that can help ease problems that can lead to violence on and off school grounds.

“After the pandemic, a lot of students’ lives changed dramatically. We need more psychologists, counselors and advisers to be able to cater to their needs, because everything else that we’re doing is just a Band-Aid.”

In August 2020, OCPS released a “Mental Health Assistance Plan” in coordination with Senate Bill 7040, that aims to “provide a continuum of services to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of students.” Although the plan included a thorough approach to support students, the district’s proposed ratio of mental health counselors to students is only 1 to 6,407. Douglas said more mental health professionals, who could reach out and help more students, are needed.

Transgender and nonbinary students

Douglas wants to create more gender-neutral restrooms on campuses, ending fights over which bathrooms transgender and nonbinary students can use.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, in an attempt to clarify the bathroom debate, OCPS released guidelines to parents, saying students must use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their “biological sex.” Douglas said her priority is to comply with the state law, which bars transgender and nonbinary students from certain bathrooms, and so establishing additional gender-neutral bathrooms across OCPS campuses is her solution to creating a safe space that will help reduce the anxiety and depression around school bathroom usage while remaining compliant.