Tony Ricardo
is a a 65 year resident of the north Jacksonville area, and graduated from Bishop Kenny HS, and earned a B.A. in Art Education from Jacksonville University. I have experience teaching at Andrew Jackson HS, and at New Covenant Christian Academy, and since leaving the classroom, have been in business as a commercial artist, earning national recognition and publication of my work. I am the extremely proud dad to 3 adult children- all graduates of First Coast HS, as well as ‘grand dad’ to 8. I have served the community as an athletics coach at San Mateo Little League, as well as at Andrew Jackson HS. Over the last 37 years, I have been an active member of First Coast Christian Center, serving as a Deacon, Board Member, teacher, and missionary.
What are your priorities for Duval County Public Schools?
First priority is to ensure Safety in our schools- for students and staff. This will include looking into how our campuses can be secured from outside intruders, as well as student discipline issues, accurate incident reporting, and addressing professional conduct violations recording. Teacher Retention would be another priority of mine- we are loosing too many trained and skilled professionals each year. Finally, Financial Accountability would be of importance, in order to ensure schools are adequately supported for their mission.
Why did you choose these as priorities?
I believe these issues are critical to keeping the public school system a viable choice for parents interested in providing the best option for their child’s education. Decades of operating in the manner it has been doing have gotten the public schools into a position where parents may see other options as a better, safer choice.
Although school board members are elected by district, they make decisions for the whole of Duval County, which occasionally leads to conflict. What is your approach and philosophy for making decisions in this situation?
I will always look to work towards Common Sense solutions that will be of benefit for students throughout the county. I believe in talking out ideas, and seeking input from the community as a way to come to sensible decisions.
Over the last few years, the Florida Legislature has had a significant impact on local public education. What are your top issues at the state level, and how would you work with legislators in Tallahassee to represent the needs of our students?
The removal of inappropriate (sexually explicit) reading materials from minors access is welcomed, and was a catalyst for me to get involved. I also believe strongly in protecting girls’ programs (Title IX) from unwanted intrusion by transgender boys, as I believe it would ruin these 40+ year-old programs, as well as create safety issues for students.
Please provide a description of how you would differentiate between the governance responsibility of the school board and the management role of the superintendent.
I believe it is the board members’ duty to understand the public’s concerns and be attentive to them, as well as make decisions in the best interests of the students, and the educational goals of the schools. I believe the board works to bring a variety of solutions to issues facing the Superintendent, but there is just one ‘quarterback’ to guide the process, ideally.
The Duval County School Board recently heard a consultant’s proposal to redraw school boundaries, align feeder patterns, and consolidate many small or under-enrolled schools and has been collecting input from the community regarding the proposal. What will be your approach to adjusting the Master Facility Plan?
I do not believe all of the necessary factors are part of the Master Facilities Plan as presented. Much of what has been proposed leaves out the already-high (highest in the state) transportation costs that will increase even more with neighborhood school closures. I also do not believe closing all of the smaller well-performing schools and sending those students to poor-performance schools will yield higher school performance- it is typically not the case. More input from the communities affected, and a closer watch on the spending might be a more practical solution.
While Duval County has made great progress in education, there are still students who are falling behind. How would you maintain a focus on addressing inequities in student performance, including by supporting schools in low-income neighborhoods?
For those in poor-performing areas, reading level seems to be a key factor, as it affects learning in all other subjects. Early reading programs and incentives to encourage reading, as well as access to low cost books would help. Parents must be involved and encouraged to provide opportunities for especially the younger students to read.