Jan. 27, 2021 – It’s rare that anyone, especially his students, sees Jim Schmitt speechless. But that’s exactly what the Mandarin High School educator was on Wednesday afternoon when he was announced as the 2021 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year. The 27-year teaching veteran, who teaches U.S. History and Global Perspectives at Mandarin […]
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Jan. 7, 2021 – Duval’s Class of 2020 earned a record-high graduation rate of 90.2 percent according to graduation data released by the Florida Department of Education today. While the upward trajectory was not a surprise – as this continues a 10-year trend for Duval County Public Schools – the 3.7 percentage point jump from […]
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Dec. 2, 2020 – Duval Superintendent Dr. Diana 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 second African-American woman to receive this honor. The announcement was shared Wednesday afternoon during a FADSS virtual conference with more than 60 […]
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Dec. 1, 2020 – Congratulations to the five exceptional educators who were selected as finalists for 2021 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year! The announcement was made this morning by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, who manages the Teacher of the Year selection process. One of the five finalists will be announced as winner […]
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Nov. 19, 2020 – “It’s my calling. I feel that I have been placed here for a purpose.” Leena Hall-Young is an English teacher at William M. Raines High School, and she’s also Duval County’s reigning Teacher of the Year. In video captured last school year, watch as the award-winning teacher speaks to the importance […]
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Nov. 17, 2020 – Congratulations to the the 15 outstanding educators who were selected as semifinalists for VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made Monday by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) who manages the Teacher of the Year process. The 15 educators will go on to be considered as finalists […]
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Oct. 21, 2020 – Sixteen years ago, Jose Ascencion Monteagudo-Avila moved from Mexico to the United States with his wife and son and little money. Sometimes earning less than $50 a week, Monteagudo-Avila decided to take a risk by selling his truck and using his life savings to venture into a new career…. So began […]
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(Editor’s Note: The Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) shared this announcement on Monday, Sept. 21 in a news release. The below is based on that. JPEF’s full release available at https://www.jaxpef.org/news/jacksonville-public-education-fund-announces-the-nominees-for-2021-vystar-duval-county-teacher-of-the-year.) Sept. 23, 2020 — Congratulations to the more than 175 outstanding nominees for the 2021 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year, the district’s […]
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(Editor’s Note – The following is reposted with permission from the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. Visit www.jpef.org or contact Stephanie Garry Garfunkel at stephanie@jaxpef.org for more information.) Sept. 16, 2020 — Gabriella Solano, a teacher at West Riverside Elementary, was named the inaugural Wolfburg Fellow for Social Justice in Education on Tuesday during a surprise […]
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Sept. 10, 2020 – Congratulations to the 24 Duval County Public Schools students — representing Douglas Anderson, Mandarin, Paxon, and Stanton high schools — who are among the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists selected for the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically gifted high school seniors will now have an opportunity to compete for about […]
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