Q & A with Duval County School Board Member Lori Hershey, District 7

Q: Can you shed some light on the recent grand jury investigation in which Duval County was mentioned?
A: This grand jury report was the result of a grand jury investigation that Gov. DeSantis instigated upon becoming governor. The purpose was to investigate all Florida schools with an eye to school safety in an effort to try to avoid another tragedy like what happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. 

What’s important to understand is that the practices in place in Duval County during the years the grand jury investigated, 2016 – 2020, were put in place by our previous Superintendent Nicolai Vitti. The concerns identified by the grand jury report were the result of a goal of his administration to move towards restorative justice. In that approach, students were given the opportunity to correct their behaviors. Duval County was cited for under-reporting incidents of a disciplinary nature as a result of these previous policies.

In 2019, new superintendent Dr. Diana Greene took active steps to ensure incidents were reported correctly and the district is continuing to address concerns that have arisen out of the grand jury report. The school board is currently reviewing policies to ensure compliance with state law. Additionally, we’ve had a change in leadership for our school police. New chief Gregory Burton now oversees our school police department.

Q: Can you give an update on the adopt a teacher initiative by Mandarin High School?
A: Mandarin High School has had great success with its Mane Initiative. They had such good response from the community that they were able to cover not only all teachers, but also office staff and coaches. Now Mandarin Middle School is looking for community members to adopt teachers at its school. Suggestions include sending the teacher little notes or coffee, helping in the classroom, or perhaps a birthday or holiday surprise — anything to communicate appreciation throughout the year. If you would like to participate or if you have any questions, you can contact Mandarin Middle School at (904) 292-0555. 

Q: Are there any other opportunities for the community to be involved with neighborhood schools?
A: Yes. Our schools are open and we invite community members to get involved with their neighborhood school. There are many volunteer opportunities. Just call your local school and see how you can help. Strong schools are a sign of strong community support.

Q: Do you have anything else to share with Mandarin?
A: I will be hosting a Chat with the Superintendent on Oct. 6 beginning at 6 p.m. at Greenland Pines. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and community members to come out and learn about all the exciting things happening in Duval County schools.

Q: How can our readers contact you?

A: They can email me at HersheyL@duvalschools.org or call me at (904) 390-2375.