Partly Cloudy, 77°
Weather sponsored by:

Charlie Van Zant Jr. wants old Superintendent job back

Former head of Clay schools puts name on 2020 ballot

By Wesley LeBlanc Staff Writer
Posted 11/13/19

CLAY COUNTY – Charlie Van Zant Jr. was school superintendent from 2014 to 2017 before he was defeated by now-superintendent, Addison Davis, in an election for a second term.

Now he wants is job …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Charlie Van Zant Jr. wants old Superintendent job back

Former head of Clay schools puts name on 2020 ballot


Posted

CLAY COUNTY – Charlie Van Zant Jr. was school superintendent from 2014 to 2017 before he was defeated by now-superintendent, Addison Davis, in an election for a second term.

Now he wants his job back.

That loss didn’t deter his spirits or determination. Three years later, he put his name is back in the running.

Davis won the 2017 election with 57% of the vote – Van Zant got 43% – during the Republican Primary. Van Zant hopes to turn that around so he can, in his words, give teachers freedom to teach again. Van Zant said he’s tired of the district’s micromanaging and the policies and services that can’t be sustained in the long run, and he believes the voters are ready for his return.

“One of the big things that’s bringing me into this race now is that we must let teachers teach,” Van Zant said. “Teachers are very micromanaged and they’re not happy about it. Principals are scared for their jobs.”

The Clay County School District has a shortage of teachers, according to Van Zant who said he believes it’s a result of the micromanaging.

During Van Zant’s announcement video where he explained why he was running once again, he said Clay is becoming Duval. He didn’t say that to disparage the Duval school district but to instead explain that the large urban school district of Duval is something voters don’t want in Clay.

“We used to say jokingly, ‘the Clay way,’ right?” Van Zant said.

Because superintendents are elected nearly halfway through the school year, Van Zant said he’s not quick to take credit or blame for school district results in 2013 or the start of 2014. He said his results start to appear near the end of the 2014 school year to the end of the 2017-18 school year. Van Zant said the graduation rate jumped from 74% to roughly 85% during his tenure.

“I don’t take direct personal credit for any of it. I can lead and I think I can lead pretty well,” he said. “I empowered those people, those principals and our teachers to make those results happen.”

Van Zant said that if elected, the core tenants of his style will be integrity, humility and selfless service.

“My job as superintendent was to serve those assistant superintendents and serve those principals,” Van Zant. “Those principals’ jobs were to serve and empower their teachers and so on.”

Within the first few months of a possible victory, he would re-open a new dialogue with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to get deputies back on schoolgrounds. He believes the district is less-safe with CCSO out of schools, citing a larger range of services that CCSO can deploy versus what the school district police department can do.

“I support them (school district police department),” Van Zant said. “Let that be clear, in bold underline: I support them wholeheartedly. I support every law enforcement officer. There’s no equation where we have less officers.”

To create the school police, he said voters had to approve a one-mill increase a year ago. That increase will have to be approved by voters again in less than four years.

If the extra mill isn’t affordable in the future and voted down, Van Zant said the school district police department would be in a difficult situation since the money was used to cover costs of security. If so, Van Zant said CCSO likely would have to be brought back to replace the department. If that were to happen, Van Zant said he would work directly with the sheriff to re-employ the men and women from the school district police department.

Charlie Van Zant is currently the Executive Director of Business Development for MeTEOR Education. Charlie is also a citizen soldier who has served more than 30 years in the Florida Army National Guard. Charlie holds the rank of Lt. Colonel and has rendered distinguished military achievement deploying to combat zones in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He has received numerous awards and honors including a Bronze Star and multiple Air Medals. Van Zant received his B.A. from the University of Florida and his Masters degree from Regent University. He resides in Keystone Heights with his wife of 25 years, Stephanie. They have two sons Luke, 16, and Wyatt, 13.