Targeting teacher misconduct
State Sen. Don Gaetz hopes future legislation will prevent teachers found guilty of misconduct from being rehired in Florida schools.
“Regrettably, some unethical teachers move down the road,” said Gaetz, chairman of the Senate’s Education Committee. “Their misconduct occurs again and again.”
A Senate Education report released in November found a number of discrepancies in how Florida’s school districts handle allegations of teacher misconduct.
Inconsistencies included schools that don’t perform background checks or share teacher misconduct history, said Gaetz, R-Niceville.
Often, investigations end with “quiet side deals allowing unethical teachers to resign to avoid bad publicity for the school district,” he said.
The Education Committee will discuss the report Wednesday.
The report includes a series of recommendations that Gaetz will ask the committee to support when legislation is drafted.
Northwest Florida schools have had their share of teachers embroiled in misconduct allegations.
Most recently, South Walton High School coach Mark Cozzie turned himself in May 2 on seven felony counts of lewd or lascivious conduct, one felony count of lewd or lascivious molestation and three misdemeanor counts of simple battery.
Charges were eventually reduced to seven misdemeanor counts and one felony count.
In addition to South Walton, Cozzie has taught at Butler Elementary School, Freeport Middle School and Freeport High School.
His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 24 in DeFuniak Springs.
Local and state teachers’ union representatives are reviewing the recommendations to ensure they protect teachers’ rights.
“We're studying the recommendations,” said Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pedlow.
Okaloosa County union president Sheila Olsen said her organization always looks carefully at legislation affecting teachers.
“It sounds like something we’ll be looking into to make sure that it’s appropriate,” she said.