Q: Can you give a brief recap of your Chats with the Superintendent that were held in January?
A: I hosted two of these community meetings in January and I’d like to thank everyone who came out and participated. We had great questions from the community. I am pleased to help provide this opportunity for us to come together and get an update on District 7 schools. Among other things, Superintendent Diana Greene shared the excellent graduation rates at Atlantic Coast High School and Mandarin High School as well as master plan specifics for District 7 utilizing funds from the half cent sales tax.
Q: What are upcoming important dates regarding School Choice for next school year?
A: Families still have time to apply for VPK, Magnet Schools and School Choice; the deadline is Monday, Feb. 28. Keep in mind that when parents submit a school choice application, they are entering into a lottery process with other parents and there is no guaranteed placement of students in a school or program. Visit https://dcps.duvalschools.org/schoolchoice for more information.
Q: Can you give more information about Duval County Public Schools leaders who recently served as substitutes in several of the schools?
A: In January, we had a shortage of teachers and staff due to the omicron variant. Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene announced an initiative where her leadership team would step in to fill some of the gaps. I accepted the challenge and served as a paraprofessional one day in an ESE class at Mandarin Middle School. It was a very insightful day. It was great to be back in the school and see what our educators, administrators, and students do every day. I have made myself available for additional dates if needed. I’d like to applaud Dr. Green for her ability to lead by example when she and her cabinet members and other leaders stepped up to fill the gap.
Q: Is Duval County Public Schools actively hiring teachers and paraprofessionals at this time?
A: Yes. There are a variety of roles within each of our schools that are essential to student success. If you want to make a positive impact in our schools, then explore employment opportunities by emailing Vicki Schultz, Assistant Superintendent Human Resource Services, at SchultzV@duvalschools.org. I invite you to be the change you want to see in our schools and become part of Team Duval.
Q: Do you have anything else to share with District 7?
A: District 7 continues to have strong neighborhood schools. Bartram Springs Elementary and Mandarin Oaks Elementary have received the Schools of Excellence designation. “School of Excellence” status is awarded by the Florida State Board of Education and honors schools that rank in the 80th percentile for school grade calculations for at least two of three consecutive years. Also, the three high schools in District 7 continue to demonstrate a standard of excellence. Mandarin High has a graduation rate of 97.56 percent, Atlantic Coast’s graduation rate is 98.48 percent and Duval Charter at Baymeadows graduation rate is 100 percent.
Also, there will be a meeting at Atlantic Coast High School on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. to discuss redistricting of City Council districts. Every 10 years City Council district lines are reviewed and adjusted based upon population shifts within our city. All community members are welcome to attend. I look forward to seeing you there.
Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at HersheyL@duvalschools.org or call me at (904) 390-2375.
