JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School District just hired a number of new teachers who are part of the Teach for America program.
The program allows college graduates with a teaching certificate who don't want to teach long-term work for a couple years as teachers. Often times after a few years, those who go through the program move on to other careers.
"I do think it's bad because they don't try as hard. They're not passionate about teaching," said Morgan Taylor. "I think if someone wants to be a teacher for rest of life, they would be more passionate than someone who only want to do it for a couple years."
Channel 4 spoke with educators Thursday evening who were on both sides of the issue.
"As a former teacher, I think it would offer a breath of fresh air to school and profession, but on the other hand, there's something to the craft that you develop over years and it takes more than a couple years to do that," said Diane Kastick.
Duval County schools already has a number of these teachers and extra funding is planned to bring in more.
"I know it's some concern that they come for two years and then leave," said Vicki Reynolds, Chief Human Resources Officer for Duval County Schools.
"We want to have our teachers have a longer career because the turnover concerns us. But I'd rather have two years of a good teacher than 10 years of one that's not as good," said Reynolds.
Reynolds added that these teachers have not majored in education in college, but that many full-time teachers in the district haven't either.
"They have to be highly qualified under No Child Left Behind. They have to have passed a subject area and general knowledge test. They take all the same tests and all the same criteria," said Reynolds.