Q: What school visits were you able to make on the first day of school?
A: I visited Mandarin Oaks Elementary and then Mandarin Middle School, where I witnessed Principal Humphries’ expertise in managing the car drop off line. While there, I also talked to some new sixth graders about their first day in middle school. Next, I visited Twin Lakes Academy Elementary, where I was happy to welcome new principal Julie Ehrenberg before also going to Twin Lakes Academy Middle School.
Q: Do you have an update on the potential move of the Duval County School Board’s offices off of the St. Johns River?
A: This process continues as we have many things to consider. The board will have a workshop about this topic on Sept. 12. This workshop will feature three presentations: JTA will make a presentation about building on their site, Florida Blue will make a presentation on leasing their building on Riverside Avenue, and a third presentation will be by the board’s consultant, CBRE, which will contain the pros and cons of each choice to help the board in this decision making process.
Q: What’s the latest on the search for a new superintendent for Duval County Public Schools?
A: We encourage community members to complete an online survey and share what qualities they are looking for in the next superintendent. The survey is open now and closes Wednesday, Sept. 6. Here is the link to the survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7461810/Duval-County-School-District-Superintendent-Search-Public-Community-Survey
The position will be advertised beginning Sept. 15 and will close on Oct. 13. The results of the survey will help identify characteristics and traits of the leader we are looking for.
Q: How can our readers contact you?
A: They can email me at HersheyL@duvalschools.org or call me at (904) 390-2375.
