About Dr. Diana Greene
Dr. Diana L. Greene became Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), the 20th largest school district in the nation on July 1, 2018 and serves 130,000 students within 200 schools and manages a $1.7 billion-dollar budget. During her tenure as Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, Dr. Greene led directly to the passage of a half-cent sale tax referendum during the November 3rd, 2020 election to help fund the school district capital needs such as maintenance and repairs on some of the oldest school buildings in the state of Florida.
On December 2nd, 2020 Dr. Greene was named the 2021 Florida Superintendent of the Year by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS); making her the 33rd superintendent and the second African-American woman to receive this honor.
Prior to her work in Duval, she was the Superintendent of the School District of Manatee County, where she made significant strides forward academically, financially and in terms of its public perception.
Known for her positive nature and engaging personality, Dr. Greene initiated her time as Superintendent in Manatee County by putting forward a leadership plan that consisted of what she named the Five C’s: Calmness, Consistency, Civility, Confidence and Community. Leading by example, Dr. Greene has overseen a district that has improved academically to the point that it received a B grade from the state two of the last three years (2015, 2017), after receiving a C grade the previous three years, even in the face of more rigorous standards. In addition, the Manatee District’s graduation rate rose 5.6% during the 2015-2016 school year, and was 2.8% higher than the statewide graduation rate.
On the financial front, the Manatee District’s fund balance (reserve fund) increased from $17.3 million to more than $25.5 million in the last three years, causing global credit ratings leader Fitch Ratings to raise its financial rating of the District two times in the last three years. Those accomplishments led directly to the passage of two separate countywide tax referendums in a span of 16 months. The first came on November 8, 2016, when Manatee County voters approved the renewal of a 15-year half-cent sales tax to help fund school district capital needs. The second came on March 20, 2018, when voters approved a four-year, one-mill property tax increase to help fund more competitive teacher and staff pay, and to add a half-hour of instruction for students each day. Combined, the referendums are expected to add more than $60 million annually to the District’s budget.
Prior to becoming Superintendent, Dr. Greene served as Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services in Manatee County. During her 33-year career as an educator, she has spent time as a teacher, assistant principal, principal as well as in curriculum development, staff development and in senior executive leadership.
On a personal note, Dr. Greene’s father served in the Air Force, and she grew up living in locations all over the United States and abroad. She is married to James Greene, an independent financial advisor and retired Navy; they have two sons, Aldon and Joshua.