Guest Commentary by Gisele “GiGi” Gentile
Gigi Gentile knows firsthand what teachers face — and says District 4 cannot afford to keep losing great educators.
I want to tell you what a teacher’s day actually looks like — because I think most people, even those who care deeply about education, do not fully see it.
A Lee County teacher arrives before the first bell, often before 7 a.m. She has already spent time at home the night before grading papers, adjusting lesson plans, and responding to parent emails. She walks into a classroom that she has stocked — partly with school supplies, and partly with items she purchased herself because the budget did not cover everything. She manages a room of 25 or 30 children with vastly different needs, attention spans, home situations, and learning styles. She differentiates instruction, manages behavior, tracks data, attends meetings, completes documentation, and does it all while making every child feel seen and valued.
She does this every single day. For a salary that, despite recent improvements in Florida, still does not reflect the weight of what she carries.
“You cannot have great schools without great teachers. If we want the best for our kids, we have to invest in the people teaching them.”
I know this because I lived it. I was a substitute teacher who walked into a different classroom every morning. I was a special education teacher who built individualized plans, navigated complex family situations, and fought to make sure students who were easy to overlook were never overlooked on my watch.
And I watched colleagues burn out. I watched talented, dedicated educators leave the profession — or leave Lee County — because they felt unsupported, overwhelmed, and undervalued. Every time that happens, our children pay the price.
Lee County faces a teacher recruitment and retention challenge that is not unique to us but hits our community hard. We are a growing county, which means we need more teachers every year. We are competing with other counties and other states that are actively recruiting the same talent we need.
I will advocate relentlessly for competitive teacher compensation. I will fight to reduce the administrative burden that is consuming hours teachers should be spending on instruction. I will push for classroom supply funding so teachers stop subsidizing public education out of their own pockets. And I will make teacher voice a genuine part of every major policy conversation on the board.
Great schools are built by great teachers. Investing in them is not a cost — it is the wisest investment District 4 can make.
Gisele “Gigi” Gentile is a candidate for Lee County School Board, District 4. She is a longtime Lee County resident and former special education teacher. Learn more at www.GigiForDistrict4.com.
