http://www.jaxpef.org/news.aspx Jacksonville Pubic Education Fund News 5/22/2013 9:14:37 AM 5/22/2013 9:14:37 AM One day, we'll look back at 2013 as a turning point. With an engaged community and a new plan for our schools built with public priorities, there is an enormous amount ofpositive momentum for public education in Duval County.THIS is our time. And none of it would be possible without the hard work of thousands of ONE by ONE participants, delegates and advocates. To celebrate this moment, we hope you will join us onSaturday, June 1 at Metropolitan Park for the P.E.P. Rally for Excellence. Keep reading to learn more about the event and how you can get involved! /news/2013/05/join-us-on-june-1-for-the-pep-rally-for-excellence.aspx 5/20/2013 10:53:53 AM. 5/20/2013 10:53:53 AM According to a new report released by Florida College Access Network, at least 60% fewer Hispanic students and 75% fewer African American students will have the opportunity to attend college with the financial support of Bright Futures scholarships in 2014. /news/2013/05/changes-in-bright-futures-scholarships-will-impact-minority-students.aspx 5/14/2013 12:58:17 PM. 5/14/2013 12:58:17 PM Today is the start to Teacher Appreciation Week. What better way to kick it off than with the news that Apryl Shackelford, 2013 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year, was just named one of five finalists for Florida Teacher of the Year? /news/2013/05/duvals-teacher-of-the-year-is-one-of-five-state-finalists.aspx 5/6/2013 10:47:35 PM. 5/6/2013 10:47:35 PM Every year the five finalists for Duval County Teacher of the Year receive a grant from the Rotary Clubs of Duval County. Having recently celebrated the 2013 Teachers of the Year, we thought we would check in with last year's finalists and find out how they used their Rotary grants. /news/2013/05/2012-eddy-finalist-rotary-grants.aspx 5/2/2013 11:07:49 AM. 5/2/2013 11:07:49 AM Today at THE PLAYERS second annual Champions for Education Conference, business, education and philanthropic leaders announced an unprecedented and significant plan to invest in improving public education in Duval County. Quality Education for All, a donor collaborative dedicated to improving human capital in our public schools, was formally unveiled as a $50 million fund to strengthen the pipeline of great educators and leaders in Duval County. Keep reading to learn more about Quality Education for All, which will be managed in part by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. /news/2013/04/new-fund-will-leverage-private-investment.aspx 4/29/2013 11:59:38 PM. 4/29/2013 11:59:38 PM In "PATCHING THE PIPELINE: Addressing Teacher Satisfaction and Retention in Duval County," we look at the last five cohorts of new teachers in Duval County Public Schools, and conduct a survey of all teachers in the district to get their opinions about a wide variety of different factors. Keep reading to download this new report detailing the turnover among new teachers in Duval County Public Schools - half leave in the first five years - and raising the voices of teachers themselves about what factors keep them in the classroom. /news/2013/04/inbrief-spring-2013-patching-the-pipeline.aspx 4/29/2013 9:50:25 AM. 4/29/2013 9:50:25 AM As the district continues planning for major classroom-level technology investments scheduled to roll out next year, we continue to keep our eyes peeled for the most promising and exciting new innovations in blended learning and data management technologies that could maximize the impact for engaging student learning and tracking progress that this opportunity will offer. /news/2013/04/innovation-spotlight-april-2013.aspx 4/25/2013 5:24:36 PM. 4/25/2013 5:24:36 PM What is Common Core, and what will it mean for our students? What are the benefits and challenges that it will bring to our schools over the next few years? The Florida Department of Education recently visited Jacksonville to listen to teacher feedback and talk with community members about what Common Core is - and is not. Keep reading to learn more about the Common Core, and what impact it will have on classrooms in Duval County and across the state. /news/2013/04/floridas-vision-for-the-common-core.aspx 4/22/2013 4:48:35 PM. 4/22/2013 4:48:35 PM The Jacksonville Public Education Fund staff visited the Museum of Science and History's "RACE: Are We So Different?" exhibit in April. Keep reading to learn more abotu the exhibit. /news/2013/04/a-visit-to-moshs-race-are-we-so-different-exhibit.aspx 5/20/2013 4:52:42 PM. 5/20/2013 4:52:42 PM Today, the School Board spent nearly four hours in their second workshop about the 2013-14 district budget, and many major changes started to become clearer. Details of a proposed central office reorganization, a new staff allocation plan and changes to student and teacher school days all prompted great discussion, and seem to be closely aligned with the vision Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has promoted since he took office in November. Keep reading to learn more about the specifics of the budget plan. /news/2013/04/more-art-and-music,-longer-school-days-could-be-part-of-new-dcps-budget.aspx 4/18/2013 10:25:13 PM. 4/18/2013 10:25:13 PM One Spark, the world's crowd funding and innovation festival, kicks off on Wednesday in downtown Jacksonville. We're proud to be a part of it! Come visit the ONE by ONE location inside the lobby of the Main Library, which will be the first display of the ONE in THREE exhibit in 2013. Keep reading to get all the One Spark details! /news/2013/04/one-spark-begins-wednesday.aspx 4/15/2013 11:30:07 AM. 4/15/2013 11:30:07 AM Recently the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE)released a study titled "Developing Assessments of Deeper Learning: The Costs and Benefits of Using Tests that help students learn." The study reviews the implication of the cost of assessment with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards that have been adopted in more than 40 states. One of the main changes with the implementation of the new standards will be a shift in the level of skills expected from students. /news/2013/04/from-the-multiple-choice-test-to-assessment-of-deeper-learning.aspx 4/15/2013 9:16:51 AM. 4/15/2013 9:16:51 AM Supporting the whole child means focusing not only on students' academic outcomes but also on their overall health, socio-emotional development, and needs and interests as human beings. To learn more about the current state of health and socio-emotional development among Duval County students we looked at the results from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey of middle and high school students. The survey asks about issues such as violence, safety, sex, nutrition and suicide. Click here to go straight to the data. /news/2013/04/whats-new-on-school-facts-jax-survey-shows-youth-risk-behavior-in-duval-county.aspx 4/5/2013 4:46:18 PM. 4/5/2013 4:46:18 PM At their meeting tonight, the Duval County School Board approved its new Strategic Plan that will guide our schools into the future. One by one, dozens of citizens filed into the Duval County Public Schools auditorium to show their support for a plan that truly represents the voice of the community. Keep reading to find out more about the plan and how YOU can be involved! /news/2013/04/school-board-approves-strategic-plan.aspx 4/2/2013 9:54:13 PM. 4/2/2013 9:54:13 PM Last month,SXSWeduwas held in Austin, Texas and showcased some of the most exciting and promising new innovations in digital learning and support systems from across the country as part of its LAUNCHedu competition. With Duval County poised to make significant investments in digital learning and internal data systems over the coming years, keeping on top of the latest innovations out there and evaluating them in terms of what best meets the needs of Duval County students will need to be an ongoing priority. Keep reading to learn more about some of the innovations that bubbled to the top at this convention. /news/2013/04/innovation-spotlight-digital-learning-support.aspx 4/1/2013 11:47:53 AM. 4/1/2013 11:47:53 AM April is volunteer appreciation month, and it inspired us to start a monthly post featuring some of our most incredible volunteers! We'll start this month with Marguerite Ferguson, who was inspired to mobilize the community for public education because of her personal experiences. Keep reading to learn more about her story! /news/2013/04/volunteer-of-the-month-margo-ferguson.aspx 4/1/2013 4:46:17 PM. 4/1/2013 4:46:17 PM At a workshop Monday, March 18, the Duval County School Board made the final tweaks to its draft strategic plan. The plan will be up for adoption at the School Board's April 2 meeting. The draft version of the strategic plan was closely aligned with three of the four priorities identified in the ONE by ONE Community Agreement. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and the School Board then hosted a series of feedback sessions with key constituents. Keep reading to learn more about how you can attend the April 2 meeting to support this new plan. /news/2013/03/support-the-strategic-plan-on-april-2.aspx 3/20/2013 2:25:03 PM. 3/20/2013 2:25:03 PM "Educating the Whole Child" was identified in the ONE by ONE Community Agreement as a top priority for improving education in Duval County. It has also been adopted as a key strategic plan goal by Duval County Public Schools. But what exactly does "Educating the Whole Child" mean? The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has developed a useful framework for helping us think about what educating the whole child includes. /news/2013/03/educating-the-whole-child.aspx 3/19/2013 3:30:07 PM. 3/19/2013 3:30:07 PM Meet Apryl Shakelford, teacher of the year for Northwestern Middle School, and a finalist for the 2013 EDDY Awards. The Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced tonight at the EDDY Awards. /news/2013/03/2013-eddy-finalist-apryl-shackelford.aspx 3/13/2013 4:42:24 PM. 3/13/2013 4:42:24 PM Meet Robyn White, teacher of the year for West Jacksonville Elementary School, and a finalist for the 2013 EDDY Awards. The Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced tonight at the EDDY Awards. /news/2013/03/2013-eddy-finalist-robyn-white.aspx 3/13/2013 4:49:47 PM. 3/13/2013 4:49:47 PM Northwestern Middle School teacher Apryl Shackelford is the 2013 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year! Keep reading to learn more about her and the impact she has on students. /news/2013/03/northwestern-middle-school-teacher-apryl-shackelford-is-2013-florida-blue-teacher-of-the-year-(1).aspx 3/14/2013 3:59:20 PM. 3/14/2013 3:59:20 PM Meet Blair Nolan, teacher of the year for First Coast High School, and a finalist for the 2013 EDDY Awards. The Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced Thursday, March 14 at the EDDY Awards. Check here tomorrow for information about the remaining two finalists. /news/2013/03/2013-eddy-finalist-blair-nolan.aspx 3/13/2013 4:28:34 PM. 3/13/2013 4:28:34 PM Meet Cameron Foley, teacher of the year for Ramona Boulevard Elementary School, and a finalist for the 2013 EDDY Awards. The Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced on Thursday, March 14 at the EDDY Awards. Check here each day for information about each of the five finalists. /news/2013/03/2013-eddy-finalist-cameron-foley.aspx 3/12/2013 2:09:14 PM. 3/12/2013 2:09:14 PM Meet Dr. Scott Cason, teacher of the year for Mandarin High School, and a finalist for the 2013 EDDY Awards. The Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced on Thursday, March 14 at the EDDY Awards. Check here each day for information about each of the five finalists. /news/2013/03/2013-eddy-finalist-scott-cason.aspx 3/11/2013 12:25:18 PM. 3/11/2013 12:25:18 PM On Sunday, the Florida Times-Union published our letter commending the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Nikolai Vitti for listening to and partnering with the citizens of Jacksonville to develop a new vision and action plan for public education in our city. Keep reading for the full letter and link. /news/2013/03/our-sunday-letter-to-the-editor-regarding-the-districts-strategic-plan.aspx 3/4/2013 3:39:50 PM. 3/4/2013 3:39:50 PM On March 1, the Mayor's Education Summit drew over 400 eager child, caregiver and school advocates to learn about the emerging convergence of the city, district and community around a shared plan for dramatically increasing support for parents and caregivers so they can improve their children's success in school. Keep reading for a full summary of the summit and what's in store to increase family and caregiver involvement in our public schools. /news/2013/03/mayors-summit-focuses-on-collaboration.aspx 3/4/2013 11:17:25 AM. 3/4/2013 11:17:25 AM On March 14, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership will co-host the 2013 Florida Blue EDDY Awards, recognizing Duval County's top teachers. Through a school-based nominating process, 162 teachers were named their school's teacher of the year. Keep reading to find out how those 162 were winnowed down to five finalists, from whom one top educator will be announced! /news/2013/03/eddy-awards-tickets.aspx 3/1/2013 10:18:52 AM. 3/1/2013 10:18:52 AM A recent poll by the University of North Florida shows that education continues to be a top concern for people living in Jacksonville. Check out this new, interactive graphic on School Facts Jax looking at our community's views on education, funding for schools and other indicators Go straight to the data. /news/2013/03/whats-new-on-school-facts-jax-public-opinion-on-education-in-jacksonville.aspx 3/1/2013 11:05:44 AM. 3/1/2013 11:05:44 AM Duval County School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti met with parents, teachers and educators at Fletcher High School in the first of three community meetings to introduce Duval County Public Schools' draft Strategic Plan. Keep reading to see photos and a recap. /news/2013/02/community-meetings-on-strategic-plan-begin-at-fletcher.aspx 3/1/2013 5:49:38 PM. 3/1/2013 5:49:38 PM Duval County Public Schools released their new strategic planthis week and among the top priorities for the district moving forward are recruiting, developing and retaining the best teachers for all students, as well as assuring equitable and efficient use of resources. Meeting these goals simultaneously is going to require some strategic, new thinking.Put simply: how can we invest in paying and supporting top teachers more without also spending more? One national education policy group has a few ideas, read more to find out what they are and how we might be able to use some of these ideas in Duval County. /news/2013/02/extending-the-reach-(and-increasing-the-pay)-of-excellent-teachers.aspx 2/25/2013 8:45:26 AM. 2/25/2013 8:45:26 AM Duval County Public Schools has released its draft strategic plan - and your voice has been heard! Keep reading to learn more about how the action plan for our schools reflects the priorities in the ONE by ONE Community Agreement. /news/2013/02/review-the-plan-that-you-helped-create-starting-next-week.aspx 2/20/2013 10:46:01 PM. 2/20/2013 10:46:01 PM In his State of the Union address, President Obama pledged to expand access to early childhood education, a key to children's education success. But in the meantime, sequestration remains a threat to thousands of seats. Keep reading to weigh in on the news about Head Start and other early childhood education programs. /news/2013/02/a-promise-for-greater-early-childhood-education,-but-sequestration-a-threat.aspx 3/1/2013 6:04:55 PM. 3/1/2013 6:04:55 PM The recent lawsuitfiled by The Florida Times-Union against the Florida Department of Education for the release of two year's teacher evaluation data for all Florida teachers brings the topic of the Value-Added Model to the public eye.The renewed controversy about the Value-Added Model gives us the opportunity to briefly review what the model consists of and how it will be used in the near future. Keep reading to find out more about how the new model works and what some of the potential benefits and consequences are for Duval County teachers. /news/2013/02/understanding-florida-new-teacher-evaluation-value-added-model.aspx 2/19/2013 1:50:31 PM. 2/19/2013 1:50:31 PM On February 28 - March 1, Mayor Alvin Brown will partner with Superintendent Nikolai Vitti to focus on strengthening parent involvement in student success - a direct connection to the ONE by ONE Community Agreement priority of Family and Caregiver Involvement. Keep reading to find out more about the summit and how you can attend! /news/2013/02/mayors-education-summit-focuses-on-family-and-caregiver-involvement.aspx 2/15/2013 1:52:34 PM. 2/15/2013 1:52:34 PM Part Two in our youth empowerment series shows that this is about more than just community service hours. The growing movement to build young leaders today is growing, and that's a good sign. Keep reading to learn more about what true youth empowerment looks like, and a link to a great article with tips for any organization looking to more fully include young people. /news/2013/02/why-building-young-leaders-today-makes-sense.aspx 2/11/2013 2:20:45 PM. 2/11/2013 2:20:45 PM Monday, the Duval County School Board met to discuss revisions to its mission, vision, core values and strategic plan. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and board members mentioned repeatedly the role that the ONE by ONE community agreement had in the development of the plan. Keep reading to learn more about the draft strategic plan and how YOUR priorities are informing it. /news/2013/02/draft-district-strategic-plan-mirrors-three-of-four-one-by-one-priorities.aspx 2/12/2013 2:02:02 PM. 2/12/2013 2:02:02 PM Last Wednesday, 15 Duval County public school students gathered at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund's main office for a student advocacy training that will ensure that youth are a big part of ONE by ONE's action phase. From the outside, this may have looked like a typical youth gathering: pizza, soda and laughter. But the conversation was anything but -the students dug deep into what is actually going on in Duval County Schools and how they can drive positive change. Keep reading to find out more about ONEpush, the student movement, and how students can get involved. /news/2013/02/one-by-one-getting-students-fired-up-for-action.aspx 2/11/2013 12:34:56 PM. 2/11/2013 12:34:56 PM Five outstanding teachers today were named finalists for the 2013 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year. The announcements were made in prize patrol-style visits from the superintendent to the teachers' classrooms. /news/2013/02/five-finalists-named-for-2013-duval-county-teacher-of-the-year-in-todays-prize-patrol.aspx 2/8/2013 12:34:08 PM. 2/8/2013 12:34:08 PM Student voice is an essential part of the ONE by ONE campaign. Involving students in decision-making about public schools is vital, yet student voices sometimes go unheard.Hundreds of students attended ONE by ONE conversations and played a big role in shaping the priorities during the Community Agreement Convention on January 5. That's why we're making a special page just for students in Duval County Public Schools to ratify the ONE by ONE Community Agreement. Students - ratify here and show that the youth voice in our city is strong! /news/2013/02/student-ratification-page-now-live!.aspx 2/6/2013 4:54:10 PM. 2/6/2013 4:54:10 PM The fifth annual Urban Education Symposium was held in Jacksonville recently and focused on the potential of single gender academies for closing achievement gaps. Explore this new, interactive look at other single gender academies in Florida to see how they're doing with those same achievement gaps, and which ones we can learn the most from. Keep reading to learn more about Florida's single-gender academies. /news/2013/02/todays-urban-education-symposium-looks-at-single-gender-academies.aspx 2/2/2013 10:01:25 AM. 2/2/2013 10:01:25 AM Here in Jacksonville, philanthropists and Duval County Public Schools have also stepped up to address the challenge. In late December, the district announced that it was participating in the Qualified Zone Academic Bond program (QZAB), which will leverage philanthropic donations and in-kind discounts from technology companies to purchase $32.6 million in technology for some of Jacksonville's lowest-income schools. Keep reading to find out more about what's being done to ensure our students and teachers are using technology. /news/2013/02/preparing-students-with-21st-century-technology-through-partnerships-and-philanthropy.aspx 1/30/2013 7:51:22 PM. 1/30/2013 7:51:22 PM Tune in to WJCT-TV Channel 7 on Thursday, January 31 at 8 p.m. for the premiere of the ONE by ONE documentary, "The Power of ONE." We can wait for you to follow the stories of the extraordinary youth featured in the ONE in THREE exhibit, and follow the progress of the campaign as it unfolded. Keep reading to learn more about this extraordinary film. /news/2013/01/one-by-one-documentary-airs-thursday-on-wjct.aspx 1/30/2013 7:15:24 PM. 1/30/2013 7:15:24 PM The Duval County School Board is holding a board development meeting this morning to begin discussing the outline of a new strategic plan for the school district. As you know, delegates at the ONE by ONE Community Agreement Convention on January 5 came up with the four top priorities of the community for public schools. These findings, as well as a host of ideas proposed by the delegates, were submitted in a report to the school board earlier this week. Keep reading to read this report, and learn more about the next steps in the ONE by ONE process! /news/2013/01/community-agreement-convention-report-submitted-to-school-board.aspx 1/25/2013 9:57:36 AM. 1/25/2013 9:57:36 AM As of Friday afternoon, the Community Agreement has been ratified by more than 1,000 people!The momentum for public education in Jacksonville has never been stronger, and it's all thanks to your hard work. Keep reading to find out how we can blow past our goal of 2,000 ratifications, and what you can do to ensure these priorities turn into specific action steps. /news/2013/01/1,000-ratifications-and-going-strong.aspx 1/20/2013 9:02:28 PM. 1/20/2013 9:02:28 PM Today at City Hall, Mayor Alvin Brown joined the more than 700 citizens in Duval County who have ratified the ONE by ONE Community Agreement, and he wants YOU to do the same! Keep reading to see photos and a video of why the mayor thinks everyone should get involved with ONE by ONE. /news/2013/01/mayor-brown-ratifies-the-one-by-one-community-agreement.aspx 1/16/2013 3:58:00 PM. 1/16/2013 3:58:00 PM When 2012 school grades were released last month, Duval County received much encouraging news. As we delve deeper into the data, this interactive chart shows how schools are performing in relationship to factors such as free/reduced price lunch enrollment. Keep reading to find out more and see the chart! /news/2013/01/whats-new-on-school-facts-jax-a-closer-look-at-school-grades.aspx 1/10/2013 9:48:09 AM. 1/10/2013 9:48:09 AM We're live blogging Saturday's ONE by ONE Community Agreement Convention and we want YOU to participate! Check in, ask questions, and see all the latest updates, including the vote of the top priorities around noon. /news/2013/01/join-the-live-blog-of-todays-community-agreement-convention.aspx 1/4/2013 1:47:11 PM. 1/4/2013 1:47:11 PM Today's Community Agreement Convention exceeded all of our dreams for what an empowered and passionate community can do! The energy of the 170 participants crafting a Community Agreement for public education today was nothing short of electric. Keep reading to see some key moments from today, learn about the four priorities and find out how YOU can ratify the agreement online. /news/2013/01/one-by-one-community-agreement-convention-a-success.aspx 1/5/2013 8:51:28 PM. 1/5/2013 8:51:28 PM This Saturday, January 5 is a very special day for staff, board members and volunteers of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. In a culmination of the ONE by ONE campaign, more than 100 diverse community delegates will gather to finalize the priorities that emerged from 169 ONE by ONE conversations that took place over the last year. We want YOU to join in the conversation live online - keep reading to find out how. /news/2013/01/join-us-live-online-on-saturday-for-the-one-by-one-community-agreement-convention.aspx 1/3/2013 3:59:28 PM. 1/3/2013 3:59:28 PM Happy New Year! We hope that students, parents and teachers had a restful winter break, as 2013 promises to be a busy and exciting time in public education. Will you pledge to start this new year by getting involved? Consider attending one of the January town hall meetings with Superintendent Vitti, sharing School Facts Jax with a friend or volunteering to mentor a child. Keep reading for information on all of these and more! /news/2013/01/resolve-to-attend-an-upcoming-town-hall-meeting-with-the-superintendent.aspx 1/2/2013 10:31:02 AM. 1/2/2013 10:31:02 AM This morning, the Florida Department of Education released the School Grades for all public high schools - and the news is exciting! Keep reading to find out more, or go directly to School Facts Jax to see all the details for every high school in Duval County. /news/2012/12/school-grades-released-today-for-high-schools.aspx 12/21/2012 11:02:04 AM. 12/21/2012 11:02:04 AM Duval County Public Schools announced a plan to significantly increase technology access and infrastructure at 41 low-income elementary and middle schools. /news/2012/12/local-donors-help-schools-get-$326-million-award-for-new-technology.aspx 12/18/2012 4:21:53 PM. 12/18/2012 4:21:53 PM Today is the last day of school before winter break in Duval County Public Schools. But the school district and community partners are teaming up to ensure that students keep learning while school is out. Keep reading to learn more about the activities, packets and resources available during winter break! /news/2012/12/keep-learning-going-during-winter-break.aspx 12/14/2012 10:26:15 AM. 12/14/2012 10:26:15 AM What is School Facts Jax? And why have we devoted the better part of a year to developing it? Jacksonville Public Education Fund President Trey Csar explains in this op-ed published in today's edition of the Jacksonville Business Journal. Despite the quantity of information out there, it can be tough for parents and community members to find a coherent, comprehensive and user-friendly place to understand how our schools are performing academically. That's why today, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund is launching a new initiative called School Facts Jax topresent information about public school performance through easy-to-use, interactive charts and visualizations. /news/2012/12/introducing-school-facts-jax.aspx 12/5/2012 12:13:23 AM. 12/5/2012 12:13:23 AM Today's launch event for School Facts Jax was a great display of partnership! The site was unveiled at the Regency Square Branch Library, with parents, school district officials and nonprofit partners in attendance. We want to thank especially Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and Library Director Barbara Gubbin for speaking at the event. Keep reading to see more pictures and read more about today's celebration. /news/2012/12/school-facts-jax-launch-event-draws-parents,-officials,-media.aspx 12/7/2012 2:42:03 PM. 12/7/2012 2:42:03 PM In the first installment of Teachable Moments, Richard Pinchot, teacher at Chets Creek Elementary School, is profiled. Pinchot is one of three finalists statewide for the 2012 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Keep reading to find out how Pinchot's students use hands-on lessons to make math and science come alive! /news/2012/11/teachable-moments-math-teacher-richard-pinchot.aspx 12/5/2012 11:29:07 PM. 12/5/2012 11:29:07 PM Teachable Moments highlights the most innovative, effective teachers in Duval County in The Florida Times-Union and on WJCT Public Radio. Originally a one-year project of the Philanthropic Initiative of the Community Foundation, the series proved so popular that we knew we had to find a way to keep it in print and on the air. /news/2012/11/why-we-are-bringing-teachable-moments-back.aspx 12/2/2012 9:56:55 PM. 12/2/2012 9:56:55 PM Yesterday, our Vice President, Pam Paul, attended a retirement celebration for four of the outgoing Duval County School Board members and had this to report: /news/2012/11/saying-farewell-and-thank-you-to-outgoing-school-board-members.aspx 11/9/2012 2:45:13 PM. 11/9/2012 2:45:13 PM By now, you have probably heard about the controvery over recent goals set by the Florida Board of Education. As an organization passionate about closing the achievement gap, our board felt that we could not remain silent about this important issue. Read on for their take on what it will take to ensure that ALL students are prepared to succeed in post-secondary education and the workforce. The recent controversy over the goals set by the Florida Board of Education that disaggregate student achievement goals by demographic group has served one useful purpose: focusing everyone on the need to close the student achievement gap that hurts our children and our community. What is clear is that we must have equally high expectations for all children and aim for nothing less than academic success for all children - regardless of race, income or any other categorization. What is most troubling about the public discussion, however, is the lack of attention given to just how these goals will be reached. /news/2012/11/our-stance-on-the-controversy-over-state-academic-goal-setting.aspx 12/4/2012 9:47:22 PM. 12/4/2012 9:47:22 PM Tonight's votes have been counted and we nowhave four new members ofthe Duval County School Board! Read on to learn more about the winners of tonight's runoff election. /news/2012/11/meet-the-new-members-of-the-duval-county-school-board!.aspx 11/9/2012 3:10:43 PM. 11/9/2012 3:10:43 PM A new issue of inBRIEF takes an in depth look at the aspirations, priorities and opinions of participants in the ONE by ONE campaign. The 12-page report was released today in conjunction with a series of regional meetings where participants and the public can interact with the data and vote on their priorities. Keep reading for a full schedule of regional meetings where YOU can interact with the data and vote on your priorities for public education. /news/2012/10/read-the-results-of-your-conversations-in-a-new-policy-brief.aspx 11/9/2012 3:20:48 PM. 11/9/2012 3:20:48 PM In the fall of 2011, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund set out with the help of dozens of volunteers on an effort to go into every part of our community and hear first-hand the hopes, concerns, questions and ideas that the citizens of Duval County have for the future of education in our community - in their own words. Read more about the aspirations, priorities and opinions of the people of Jacksonville in this newest policy briefing. /news/2012/10/fall-inbrief-2012.aspx 11/28/2012 10:10:07 AM. 11/28/2012 10:10:07 AM On October 20, First Coast News and The Florida Times-Union are hosting a live televised debate with all four school board candidates in the runoff elections in District 3 and 7. /news/2012/10/attend-a-live-televised-school-board-candidate-forum-oct-20.aspx 11/14/2012 9:21:20 AM. 11/14/2012 9:21:20 AM Over the last year, you have given this community a gift: Your time. Today, the final tally of community conversations is in. Keep reading to find out the big news from the ONE by ONE campaign! /news/2012/10/one-by-one-the-numbers-are-in-heres-whats-next!.aspx 11/13/2012 3:42:36 PM. 11/13/2012 3:42:36 PM Identifying and helping students at risk of not graduating, increasing and coordinating school district and community resources, and introducing multiple pathways to graduation are the results of Learning to Finish, according to a new report released today by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and Learning to Finish partner organizations. Download the report or keep reading to learn more about the results of this groundbreaking collaboration. /news/2012/09/learning-to-finish-report-details-collaboration-to-improve-the-graduation-rate.aspx 11/13/2012 3:54:27 PM. 11/13/2012 3:54:27 PM Earlier this evening, the Duval County School Board voted to select Dr. Nikolai Vitti as their choice for the next Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. /news/2012/09/nikolai-vitti-is-the-next-duval-schools-superintendent.aspx 11/13/2012 3:56:16 PM. 11/13/2012 3:56:16 PM The final three candidates for superintendent of Duval County Public Schools will visit Jacksonville once again in September. /news/2012/09/schedule-set-for-final-three-superintendent-candidates.aspx 11/13/2012 3:58:29 PM. 11/13/2012 3:58:29 PM Jacksonville Public Education Fund Board Member Gary Chartrand, was unanimously elected Chairman of the Florida State Board of Educationearlier today. /news/2012/09/gary-chartrand-elected-state-board-chairman.aspx 11/13/2012 4:00:28 PM. 11/13/2012 4:00:28 PM On Wednesday we were graciously hosted by Mayor Alvin Brown and his Education Commissioner, Donald Horner, for an opening reception at City Hall, where the ONE in THREE exhibitwill be extended until the end of September. /news/2012/08/one-in-three-opens-at-city-hall.aspx 11/13/2012 4:03:09 PM. 11/13/2012 4:03:09 PM The ONE in THREE art exhibit has been an incredible asset to the ONE by ONE campaign over the last year. It started with a groundbreaking run at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and then in January began traveling the community, hitting every part of town through August of this year, when it was set to "retire." Thanks to an incredible offer from Mayor Alvin Brown, ONE in THREE will remain on display for another month, this time in the City Hall Atrium. /news/2012/08/one-in-three-extended-with-a-stay-at-jacksonville-city-hall.aspx 11/14/2012 10:46:13 AM. 11/14/2012 10:46:13 AM The search for Duval County's next superintendent of schools will make a major advance this week. Today and Tuesday, five finalists are in Jacksonville meeting with the Duval County School Board and Envisioning Committee (of which the Jacksonville Public Education Fund is a part). The public is invited to attend these events, especially tonight's Envisioning Committee meeting (find details on our events page). So who are the five finalists? Keep reading for a rundown. /news/2012/08/meet-the-superintendent-finalists.aspx 11/14/2012 10:50:20 AM. 11/14/2012 10:50:20 AM The three-way race for Duval County School Board District 5, ended tonight withConnie Sands Hallas the winner. /news/2012/08/election-results-connie-sands-hall-wins-in-district-5.aspx 11/14/2012 10:55:10 AM. 11/14/2012 10:55:10 AM In the two-person race for Duval County School Board District 1, Cheryl Grymes has been declared the winner. /news/2012/08/election-results-cheryl-grymes-wins-in-district-1.aspx 11/14/2012 10:57:26 AM. 11/14/2012 10:57:26 AM Two of the four races for Duval County School Board will go to a runoff in the general election. /news/2012/08/election-results-runoffs-in-districts-3,-7.aspx 11/14/2012 11:23:25 AM. 11/14/2012 11:23:25 AM Tonight's votes have been counted and we have two new members of the Duval County School Board! Keep reading to learn more. /news/2012/08/august-14-school-board-election-results-are-in!.aspx 11/14/2012 11:28:00 AM. 11/14/2012 11:28:00 AM This week, the Duval County School Board released the names of applicants to be the next superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. /news/2012/07/applicants-for-superintendent-are-out.aspx 11/15/2012 2:31:32 PM. 11/15/2012 2:31:32 PM The Florida Department of Education on Friday released revised 2012 School Grades for 213 elementary and middle schools statewide, including 19 in Duval County. /news/2012/07/revisions-to-2012-school-grades-—-what-they-mean.aspx 11/15/2012 2:34:27 PM. 11/15/2012 2:34:27 PM The Florida Department of Education released the first round of highly anticipated 2011-2012 school grades today, including elementary, middle and combination schools (high school grades will be released later in the fall). Despite some major concerns about the impact of new standards, the majority of schools in Duval County performed as well or better than last year. /news/2012/07/2012-school-grades-are-in.aspx 11/15/2012 2:39:10 PM. 11/15/2012 2:39:10 PM This week, the Duval County School Board announced the locations for four community meetings to get input from the public about the next superintendent. It is vital that the district hear from you! /news/2012/06/superintendent-search-make-your-voice-heard-at-community-meetings!.aspx 11/15/2012 2:43:58 PM. 11/15/2012 2:43:58 PM Last fall, our goal was to have 50 ONE by ONE conversations. Make it 100, you told us. Today, you have shown that the Jacksonville community has the power to transform the future of education. More than 1,000 people have participated in 102 ONE by ONE conversations, blowing the roof off the original goals! /news/2012/06/one-by-one-1,013-and-counting-.aspx 11/15/2012 2:46:10 PM. 11/15/2012 2:46:10 PM Friday marked the end of the qualifying period for candidates running for a slew of state and local offices, including the Duval County School Board. There is a full slate of candidates for school board, and all of the seats are competitive - meaning that the August 14 primary election is one of the most important in many years. /news/2012/06/2012-school-board-candidates-qualify.aspx 11/15/2012 2:50:56 PM. 11/15/2012 2:50:56 PM At yesterday's workshop, the Duval County School Board advanced the search for a new superintendent quite a bit. /news/2012/06/june-8-update-rapid-timeline-for-superintendent-search.aspx 11/15/2012 2:52:54 PM. 11/15/2012 2:52:54 PM Today is the last day of school, wrapping a year of significant changes for Duval County Public Schools. Big differences in standardized testing will have an impact on students and teachers; new leadership at the district level could bring even further changes for the schools next year. /news/2012/06/schools-out-—-what-are-you-doing-this-summer.aspx 11/15/2012 2:57:12 PM. 11/15/2012 2:57:12 PM Looking to make your voice heard in state education policy? Please attend this upcoming forum with Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. /news/2012/05/talk-to-floridas-education-commissioner-this-monday.aspx 11/15/2012 3:00:53 PM. 11/15/2012 3:00:53 PM If you follow education news in Florida, you are probably up to your ears in FCAT 2.0. That's the annual standardized test given to Florida public school students in grades 3 through 10, and because of substantial changes to the test itself as well as higher standards for passing it, the release of the spring results has been emotionally charged and incredibly confusing. /news/2012/05/fcat-20-explaining-the-results.aspx 11/15/2012 3:05:49 PM. 11/15/2012 3:05:49 PM This spring, students and schools will get the results of their performance on the FCAT - and it won't be an easy pill to swallow.Significant changes to the test itself as well as tougher accountability standards have schools bracing for lower School Grades, and higher numbers of students who don't pass the annual standardized test. /news/2012/05/fcat-uproar-whats-happening.aspx 11/15/2012 3:08:57 PM. 11/15/2012 3:08:57 PM In today's Jacksonville Business Journal, find the below op-ed about the findings of our new report on career and college readiness among Duval County public school graduates. Keep reading to find out why education is still one of the best investments around, and why our economic future depends on graduating more students ready for college. /news/2012/05/op-ed-career-and-college-readiness-in-duval-county.aspx 12/5/2012 6:40:36 PM. 12/5/2012 6:40:36 PM Some very exciting news was announced this morning at THE PLAYERS Champions for Education Summit!A group of local philanthropists have set out to raise $100 million to improve public education in Duval County. This fund, which will be housed at The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, has already received $15 million in commitments, and the process of developing this initiative has been informed by ONE by ONE. /news/2012/05/your-voice-at-work-in-major-education-initiatives!.aspx 11/15/2012 3:12:44 PM. 11/15/2012 3:12:44 PM In less than a decade, 6 in 10 jobs in Florida will require some postsecondary education. How many students in Duval County are ready for that future? And what are our local schools doing to prepare more students for college and the workforce? These are the questions tackled in the latest policy briefing from the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, "To Graduation and Beyond: College & career readiness in Duval County." /news/2012/05/inbrief-spring-2012-the-state-of-college-and-career-readiness-in-duval-county.aspx 11/27/2012 12:34:14 PM. 11/27/2012 12:34:14 PM Last week, we asked you what you thought the next superintendent of schools should be like - it's not too late to take the survey here! - and you responded. You told us what traits the next leader of Duval County Public Schools should have, and your comments were incredible. They took up more than 10 pages, but we thought we would share a summary of them here. /news/2012/04/heres-what-you-think-our-next-superintendent-should-be-like.aspx 11/15/2012 3:24:44 PM. 11/15/2012 3:24:44 PM In this report, we look at a few key issues in the emerging search to replace Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, who retires at the end of 2012. This report explores some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the board, and makes recommendations on what qualities should be prioritized in the search for a new superintendent. /news/2012/04/leadership-at-a-crossroads-duval-countys-search-for-a-new-superintendent.aspx 11/28/2012 10:39:16 AM. 11/28/2012 10:39:16 AM What characteristics do you want the next superintendent to have? Although the School Board is planning to hold community forums on the search for a new leader for Duval County Public Schools, no dates have yet been set. But they have established an Envisioning Committee, made up of a selected group of parents, students, educators and representatives of community organizations, including the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. /news/2012/04/your-feedback-needed-for-superintendent-search.aspx 11/15/2012 3:28:41 PM. 11/15/2012 3:28:41 PM Something we have been hearing a lot in the ONE by ONE conversations is the desire among students for solutions to bullying problems and for youth to have a greater voice in their community. /news/2012/04/challenge-day-a-volunteer-experience-like-no-other.aspx 11/15/2012 3:31:29 PM. 11/15/2012 3:31:29 PM Many thanks to those of you who attended the Town Hall Meeting at Twin Lakes Academy Middle with School Board Vice Chairman Fel Lee on March 15. Keep reading for photographs and a summary of the notes from the evening. /news/2012/04/notes-from-the-twin-lakes-academy-town-hall-meeting.aspx 11/15/2012 3:42:59 PM. 11/15/2012 3:42:59 PM WorkSource is recruiting students between the ages of 16 and 21 for the 2012 Mayor's Summer Jobs program. The program provides the opportunity for 185 Duval County youth to earn valuable experience working in various facets of city government. /news/2012/04/2012-mayors-summer-jobs-program.aspx 11/19/2012 11:34:15 AM. 11/19/2012 11:34:15 AM In living rooms, businesses, community centers and houses of worship in every part of town, ONE by ONE is giving citizens a voice in how we can remodel our public school system to better prepare our children for the future. Today, we learned the exciting news that 618 of you have participated in 66 ONE by ONE conversations to date - and there are 20 more scheduled in April alone! /news/2012/04/one-by-ones-newest-milestone!.aspx 11/19/2012 11:37:11 AM. 11/19/2012 11:37:11 AM As you may know, the Florida Times-Union is asking community members, including JPEF, about their views for an upcoming series the paper is putting together on school board effectiveness, as part of their Hope (formerly City of Hope) series. /news/2012/03/our-answers-to-the-school-board-effectiveness-survey.aspx 11/19/2012 11:41:01 AM. 11/19/2012 11:41:01 AM This is something you hear often when people talk about students in high school: "Not every child is going to go to college." While this may be true - and there is a need for vocational and technical programs in the public schools - many people are not aware that our nation is drastically under-producing college graduates. And the gap will only grow in the next decade. /news/2012/03/yes,-we-do-need-to-prepare-more-kids-for-college.aspx 11/19/2012 11:49:20 AM. 11/19/2012 11:49:20 AM President Bill Clinton made some very constructive comments that are very relevant to the on-going efforts to improve education in Jacksonville in a speech at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre last night. /news/2012/03/clintons-words-resonate-with-one-by-one.aspx 11/19/2012 11:54:02 AM. 11/19/2012 11:54:02 AM As the Duval County School Board moves forward with its search for a new superintendent, the community is exploring numerous questions about what the process of selecting a superintendent will look like, and how it will take place. /news/2012/03/superintendent-search-advances.aspx 11/19/2012 11:56:05 AM. 11/19/2012 11:56:05 AM Every year, each of the five finalists for the Duval County Teacher of the Year are granted $1,000 by the Rotary Clubs of Duval County to use for a classroom project of their choosing. And the impact they create is always far greater. With the recent announcement of the 2012 Teacher of the Year (read more about him here), we thought you might like to know what the 2011 finalists were up to over the last year. /news/2012/03/2011-eddy-awards-finalists-pay-it-forward-with-rotary-grants.aspx 11/19/2012 11:58:49 AM. 11/19/2012 11:58:49 AM ONE in THREE student Mercedes Trapp performed this awesome piece at the opening event for the exhibit at the Beaches Museum & History Park on March 2. /news/2012/03/guest-blogger-a-poem-by-featured-student-mercedes-trapp.aspx 11/19/2012 12:40:15 PM. 11/19/2012 12:40:15 PM Dr. Scott Sowell was named the 2012 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year tonight at the 21st Annual EDDY Awards. Sowell, who teaches Advanced Placement Environmental Science and Forensic Science at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School, was selected from five outstanding finalists! /news/2012/03/announcing-the-2012-duval-county-teacher-of-the-year!.aspx 11/19/2012 12:44:55 PM. 11/19/2012 12:44:55 PM The School Board is taking a very thoughtful and thorough approach to the search for the next superintendent. In an effort to clearly define the opportunity for prospective candidates, the board fine-tuned the district's vision, strengths and areas for improvement, definitions of transformation and world-class education at a meeting today. /news/2012/03/superintendent-search-begins-with-productive-meeting.aspx 11/19/2012 12:59:40 PM. 11/19/2012 12:59:40 PM As most of you know, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals will retire at the end of this year and the School Board has already begun to develop a search process to find a new superintendent. /news/2012/03/the-search-for-a-new-superintendent.aspx 11/19/2012 1:01:16 PM. 11/19/2012 1:01:16 PM We were shocked and saddened by the tragic events that happened today at the Episcopal School. No matter where it takes place, violence in the school setting is traumatic for students and troubling for the community. /news/2012/03/jpef-statement-on-shooting-at-episcopal-school.aspx 11/19/2012 1:02:59 PM. 11/19/2012 1:02:59 PM As ONE by ONE makes its way throughout the Jacksonville community, we here at JPEF knew that we would have to spread the word in many different ways. That's why every month, just as the campaign begins to transition to a new neighborhood, our amazing ONE by ONE volunteers join together to spread the word in the most personal way: Canvassing door-to-door. /news/2012/03/canvassing-for-one-by-one.aspx 11/19/2012 1:04:47 PM. 11/19/2012 1:04:47 PM Very exciting news here at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. We are pleased to announce two stellar individuals - Audrey Moran, Senior Vice President for Social Responsibility and Community Advocacy at Baptist Health of Northeast Florida,and Matt Rapp, Executive Director of THE PLAYERS Championship- are joining our Board of Directors. /news/2012/03/jpef-board-of-directors-gains-two-new-members.aspx 11/19/2012 1:08:45 PM. 11/19/2012 1:08:45 PM On Tuesday, the State Board of Education voted on important changes to the way School Grades are calculated. Advocacy in Jacksonville and around the state, the modifications they approved looked much different than the original proposal, which would have graded schools that serve students with severe disabilities and given an automatic 'F' grade to any school where fewer than 25 percent of students were not reading at a proficient level. /news/2012/03/you-made-the-difference-in-school-grades-changes!.aspx 11/19/2012 1:13:23 PM. 11/19/2012 1:13:23 PM ONE by ONE is continuing to travel throughout Jacksonville! After a very successful February on theNorthside, the campaign will kick off in the Beaches area with a reception at the Beaches Museum & History Park this Friday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. /news/2012/03/one-by-one-moves-to-the-beaches-in-march.aspx 11/19/2012 2:22:24 PM. 11/19/2012 2:22:24 PM On Friday, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals announced that the superintendent's contract would be allowed to expire in December and that the Superintendent would retire at that time.The Jacksonville Public Education Fund thanks Ed Pratt-Dannals for his 36 years of service to Duval County Public Schools. Keep reading for the statement that we released earlier today. /news/2012/02/jpef-statement-on-superintendent-ed-pratt-dannals.aspx 11/19/2012 2:26:54 PM. 11/19/2012 2:26:54 PM Next week, the State Board of Education will consider a proposal that contains contentious and significant changes to the way that School Grades are calculated. Because the grades are mostly based on students' performance on the FCAT (now the FCAT 2.0), these changes mostly have to do with whose scores are counted, and how. /news/2012/02/proposed-changes-to-the-way-school-grades-are-calculated.aspx 11/19/2012 2:29:58 PM. 11/19/2012 2:29:58 PM On February 28, 2012, the Florida State Board of Education is set to vote on a set of changes that has been the subject of significant concern to educators and parents in Duval County and around the state. Keep reading to find out more about these changes and what YOU can do! /news/2012/02/how-the-changes-will-affect-duval-schools.aspx 11/28/2012 10:44:44 AM. 11/28/2012 10:44:44 AM Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Here at JPEF we're hoping you will show your love for the Jacksonville community by hosting a ONE by ONE conversation at your home, church or other gathering place in your neighborhood. /news/2012/02/one-by-one-connect-your-community!.aspx 11/19/2012 2:43:26 PM. 11/19/2012 2:43:26 PM Today the finalists for the 2012 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year were announced. In what has become a tradition, the names were kept a secret until the Superintendent surprises them in their classrooms with the news! /news/2012/02/meet-the-five-finalists-for-teacher-of-the-year.aspx 11/19/2012 2:52:12 PM. 11/19/2012 2:52:12 PM As classes got under way, we got to tag along with Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals and EDDY Awards coordinators Nancy Lantinberg and Jodie Leach as they went on "prize patrol" to surprise the five teachers who have been selected as finalists for the 2012 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year. /news/2012/02/teacher-of-the-year-five-finalists-announced!-(photos)-5.aspx 11/19/2012 3:12:10 PM. 11/19/2012 3:12:10 PM Have you heard of the JAX Boldest contest?We were thrilled when one of our wonderful volunteers decided to nominate ONE by ONE as "Best Project" in the innovation contest. /news/2012/02/one-by-one-nominated-in-the-jax-boldest-contest!.aspx 11/19/2012 3:35:15 PM. 11/19/2012 3:35:15 PM Could you describe what makes a great teacher in just SIX words? Keep reading to find out about this challenge! /news/2012/02/changing-the-world-by-expecting-excellence.aspx 11/26/2012 3:11:03 PM. 11/26/2012 3:11:03 PM In 2011, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund family welcomed two brand new members, born to staff members in August and September. As a team, we are composed of new parents, seasoned parents, education professionals and book club members. /news/2012/01/ask-a-friend-what-are-you-reading.aspx 11/26/2012 3:13:22 PM. 11/26/2012 3:13:22 PM As ONE by ONE moves into its second phase, the planned conversations are taking center stage. Here at JPEF we had been anxiously awaiting the Parent Voices event on Saturday, when we gathered a very diverse group of about three dozen parents for a ONE by ONE conversation. /news/2012/01/parents-speak-out-at-one-by-one-conversation.aspx 11/26/2012 3:16:56 PM. 11/26/2012 3:16:56 PM The Florida Department of Education released their first ever School District Rankings today, ranking every district in the state from 1 (best) to 67 (worst) based on district wide student FCAT performance last year. Based on this criterion alone, Duval County ranked 50th out of 67 districts in this year's rankings. /news/2012/01/adding-context-to-todays-school-district-rankings.aspx 11/26/2012 3:23:37 PM. 11/26/2012 3:23:37 PM On March 8, at a red-carpet event that has become a time-honored tradition, Duval County's 2012 Teacher of the Year will be announced from five finalists.But did you know that the EDDY Awards are about so much more than one night? The annual event celebrating Duval County's leading teachers has a new mission to elevate the role of Jacksonville's best teachers. /news/2012/01/the-eddy-awards-celebrating-and-learning-from-our-best-teachers.aspx 11/26/2012 3:35:05 PM. 11/26/2012 3:35:05 PM For Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., education and equality were intertwined. That's why our ONE by ONE team decided that we had to have a presence at the city's annual parade honoring King's life and legacy. Keep reading to see some photographs and reflections from the day. /news/2012/01/one-by-one-in-the-mlk-parade-(photos).aspx 11/26/2012 3:43:15 PM. 11/26/2012 3:43:15 PM Every year, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership join together to honor Duval County's best teachers at the EDDY Awards. /news/2012/01/teacher-of-the-year-semi-finalists-announced!.aspx 11/26/2012 3:53:10 PM. 11/26/2012 3:53:10 PM Four months ago, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund and the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens joined forces with the belief that art has the power to spark social change.Since then, more than 27,000 people have seen the exhibition ONE in THREE: Let's Solve Our Dropout Crisis, which aims to inspire viewers to join our ONE by ONE initiative. The goal of ONE by ONE: Unite the community to create a shared vision for public schools in Duval County. /news/2012/01/one-in-three-leaves-the-cummer,-moves-to-downtown.aspx 11/26/2012 3:57:47 PM. 11/26/2012 3:57:47 PM Since yesterday's news that high school grades improved quite a bit, many have asked whether changes in the formula the state of Florida uses to determine school grades caused the rise. In 2010, the formula used to determine high school grades changed quite a bit - incorporating factors such as graduation rate and accelerated course (such as Advanced Placement) participation and performance. But in 2011, it did not change very much. /news/2012/01/high-school-grades-what-about-the-formula.aspx 11/26/2012 4:01:44 PM. 11/26/2012 4:01:44 PM 2011 School Grades for High Schools were published this morning on the state DOE website. Our Data & Policy Director, Jason Rose, summarized a few key points of interest about this year's results. /news/2012/01/high-school-grades-improve.aspx 11/27/2012 10:15:21 AM. 11/27/2012 10:15:21 AM This week, the Jacksonville community lost a great activist and philanthropist in Ann Baker, who passed away on Monday. /news/2011/12/in-memoriam-ann-baker.aspx 11/27/2012 10:22:31 AM. 11/27/2012 10:22:31 AM Today at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund we are having a holiday party for our ONE in THREE exhibit featured students. Mercedes Trapp is of among them and she is a talented and dedicated spokeswomen! She shared a beautiful story with us. /news/2011/12/guest-blogger-featured-student-mercedes-trapp.aspx 11/27/2012 10:24:57 AM. 11/27/2012 10:24:57 AM The Jacksonville Public Education Fund had an amazing response to the release of our new policy paper today! We started the day with briefing sessions with state legislators and then community members and had a successful press conference following the release of the report. Now, it's up to YOU to take action. /news/2011/12/take-action-on-school-funding!.aspx 11/27/2012 10:31:31 AM. 11/27/2012 10:31:31 AM It couldn't be more important time to talk about funding for public education.In 2011, the state of Florida cut 1.4 billion from public education; in Duval County, the board wrestled with a $91 million shortfall. Further reductions will make 2012 no easier. School funding is a volatile and emotional issue, and it is complicated. This brief attempts to bring forward a simple and clear-headed analysis to answer a few important questions: - Does the district have enough money? - Is the state doing its part to adequately fund schools? - Is the district doing its part to spend the money it has responsibly? /news/2011/12/fall-2011-demystifying-school-funding.aspx 11/28/2012 10:48:00 AM. 11/28/2012 10:48:00 AM Today, we received some very encouraging news: Duval County's high school graduation rate is going up!Duval County's graduation rate rose to 71.2 percent, an increase of 4.6 percentage points over last year and 11.4 percentage points from five years ago. /news/2011/12/duval-county-graduation-rate-going-up.aspx 11/27/2012 10:53:21 AM. 11/27/2012 10:53:21 AM An amazing afternoon of conversation and performance set the stage for youth involvement in public education reform at the ONE by ONE Student Voices event on Saturday, December 10.Around 70 youth from all over Jacksonville converged on the Murray Hill Theatre on the Westside to be among the first people to participate in the ONE by ONE conversations that aim to build a community-based action plan for public schools. /news/2011/12/student-voices!.aspx 11/27/2012 10:59:52 AM. 11/27/2012 10:59:52 AM It's the week before students are out for the Christmas vacation from school. Many of them have learned important academic lessons this fall, but some have also developed socially as a result of their experiences with the ONE by ONE campaign, and it's associated ONE in THREE exhibit. /news/2011/12/student-to-student-the-impact-of-one-in-three.aspx 11/27/2012 11:05:50 AM. 11/27/2012 11:05:50 AM Tonight's Jacksonville Jaguars game is momentous for many reasons. The Jaguars are in the Monday Night Football national spotlight, and it's heightened by recent news that the team is getting a new coach and a new owner. /news/2011/12/new-psa-debuts-at-tonights-jacksonville-jaguars-game!.aspx 11/27/2012 11:10:53 AM. 11/27/2012 11:10:53 AM Duval County Public Schools and The Jacksonville Children's Commission received well-deserved kudos from representatives of the Wallace Foundation and Rand Corporation at The Forum on Summer Learning held this past Tuesday at the downtown library. /news/2011/12/great-news-about-improving-summer-learning!.aspx 11/27/2012 11:12:44 AM. 11/27/2012 11:12:44 AM Three months ago, ONE by ONE was simply an idea, a notion that through the power of art and conversation, our community could join together to transform the future of public education in Jacksonville. Today, ONE by ONE is an emerging movement thousands strong - and growing. That success is all thanks to you. /news/2011/11/one-by-one-the-movement-is-growing!.aspx 11/27/2012 11:15:33 AM. 11/27/2012 11:15:33 AM To passersby, it might have seemed like any other free Tuesday night at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. But inside the ONE in THREE: Let's Solve Our Dropout Crisis exhibition, a momentous event was unfolding. Brandon Rothenberg, a student featured in the exhibit, was seeing it for the first time. /news/2011/11/a-special-visit,-a-transformative-moment.aspx 11/27/2012 11:28:47 AM. 11/27/2012 11:28:47 AM On October 25, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund will partner with State Representatives Reggie Fullwood and Daniel Davis for Your Voice Matters! Can't make it out? Join us right here as we will live-blog the event with guest freelance writer and education blogger Steve DiMattia who will help us cover the event LIVE. /news/2011/10/your-voice-matters!-live-blogged-here.aspx 11/27/2012 11:48:53 AM. 11/27/2012 11:48:53 AM We are pleased to announce new leadership for the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.Educator and philanthropist Cindy Edelman, who until now served as vice chair, will is the new chairowoman of the board. /news/2011/10/new-board-chair.aspx 11/27/2012 11:56:49 AM. 11/27/2012 11:56:49 AM At today's Duval County School Board workshop, Education Resource Strategies presented the final report to the district, a product of a year's worth of work to discover ways the district can maximize its limited resources. /news/2011/09/ers-final-report-action-planned-on-key-recommendations.aspx 11/27/2012 11:59:18 AM. 11/27/2012 11:59:18 AM Last night, history was made at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. A record crowd - over 1,000 people - attended the opening event for the ONE in THREE exhibit and launch of the ONE by ONE campaign. /news/2011/09/opening-event-for-one-in-three-a-huge-success.aspx 11/27/2012 12:01:47 PM. 11/27/2012 12:01:47 PM Thanks to some outstanding media coverage, the ONE by ONE campaign is generating substantial interest around town! The exhibit is now up and running, as is theONEbyONEjax.orgwebsite, and here at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, we are readying for the big Community Opening event scheduled for Tuesday, September 13 from 4-8 p.m. /news/2011/09/one-by-one-makes-media-splash.aspx 11/27/2012 12:05:24 PM. 11/27/2012 12:05:24 PM On Sunday, The Florida Times-Union, in partnership with our friends at The Community Foundation in Jacksonville and WJCT, launched "Teachable Moments." This excellent series is a project of The Philanthropic Initiative of The Community Foundation in Jacksonville and highlights successful public school educators in Northeast Florida-specifically Florida Blue EDDY Awards Teacher of the Year finalists. /news/2011/08/teachable-moments-elevates-the-voices-of-our-best-educators.aspx 11/27/2012 12:40:13 PM. 11/27/2012 12:40:13 PM It's hard to believe the school year is almost here!The summer here has flown by as we gear up for the launch of the ONE by ONE campaign, which aims to involve the whole city in creating a unified vision for improving public education. /news/2011/08/back-to-a-busy-school-year.aspx 11/27/2012 12:44:22 PM. 11/27/2012 12:44:22 PM School may be out, but this summer was busy for the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. We have been working on a number of different projects, but by far the biggest will launch this fall. The details are coming together for the ONE by ONE campaign, which will be the biggest initiative in our history. /news/2011/08/one-by-one-transforming-our-future-together.aspx 11/27/2012 12:47:15 PM. 11/27/2012 12:47:15 PM The 2010 Duval County Teacher of the Year explains why he hates hearing, "Zak, you are too good to be just a teacher" - and what could be done to improve career paths for teachers. /news/2011/07/expanding-careers-for-teachers.aspx 11/27/2012 12:52:34 PM. 11/27/2012 12:52:34 PM Today, 2011 School Grades for Elementary and Middle Schools were published on the state DOE website for middle and elementary schools across Florida.26 schools improved 1 or more letter grade from last year, including Pinedale Elementary which went from an "F" in 2010 to an "A" in 2011 (no other school in the district improved more than 2 letter grades). /news/2011/06/2011-school-grades.aspx 11/27/2012 12:54:39 PM. 11/27/2012 12:54:39 PM The Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) released their much anticipated Spring 2011 community report this week, "Recession, Recovery … and Beyond."One of the most critical steps needed to revitalize our economy, they found, was the need to invest more in supporting and improving public education at all levels. /news/2011/06/jcci-study-education-is-key-to-northeast-floridas-economic-development.aspx 11/27/2012 12:56:34 PM. 11/27/2012 12:56:34 PM Duval County Public Schools launched its Read It Forward Jax initiative today at Matthew Gilbert Middle School, and the energy in the room was palpable.In support of the initiative, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund on Monday released a policy briefing on Duval students' reading proficiency. It found that third grade, when students first take the FCAT, is a critical tipping point. /news/2011/06/focus-on-reading-jpef-policy-brief-released-and-district-reading-initiative-launched.aspx 11/27/2012 12:58:28 PM. 11/27/2012 12:58:28 PM What is happening between elementary school and high school to cause such a drastic decline in the reading achievement levels of our students? What can we learn from studying this trend about how to better support and improve students' performance all the way through school? Following the achievement trajectories of a cohort of DCPS students from elementary school through high school, we examined the different paths that unfolded for those who were and were not on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. /news/2011/06/inbrief-spring-2011-reading-proficiency.aspx 12/3/2012 2:57:42 AM. 12/3/2012 2:57:42 AM If you didn't have a chance to watch the March 6 episode of School Matters, featuring the mayoral candidates at our Education Forum, you can see it here. Remember early voting ends March 20, and the election takes place on March 22. /news/2011/03/mayoral-forum-on-education-video.aspx 11/27/2012 1:01:14 PM. 11/27/2012 1:01:14 PM Together with DCPS, WJCT, ONE JAX, and the Jax Kids Coalition, JPEF co-sponsored a Mayoral Forum on Education yesterday afternoon. Four of the mayoral candidates attended the event: Alvin Brown, Audrey Moran, Warren Lee, and Rick Mullaney. The forum was filmed by WJCT and hosted and moderated by four DCPS high school students for a special episode of School Matters, which will air on Sunday, March 6 at 10 am on WJCT TV. /news/2011/02/mayoral-forum-on-education.aspx 11/27/2012 1:04:12 PM. 11/27/2012 1:04:12 PM This afternoon and evening, the school board revisited the topic of what to do with the district's four intervene schools-- Raines HS, Ribault HS, Jackson HS and Northshore K-8. The board was required to submit a plan to the state DOE by February 1 about what to do in the 2011-12 school year should any of the schools not exit intervene status by reaching a "C" grade in this academic year. /news/2011/01/school-board-votes-on-plan-for-intervene-schools.aspx 11/27/2012 1:08:21 PM. 11/27/2012 1:08:21 PM Four DCPS schools, Raines HS, Ribault HS, Jackson HS and North Shore K-8, are on the state's intervene list. The state is requiring the district to submit a plan for action should the schools not earn a "C" grade during the 2010-11 academic year. /news/2011/01/school-board-needs-a-plan-for-intervene-schools.aspx 11/27/2012 1:10:39 PM. 11/27/2012 1:10:39 PM