The recent discussion by the School Board
to reconsider the 2.0 GPA required to remain at nine
secondary dedicated magnets has generated extensive
discussion. While some of these conversations have
been productive, some have been based on inaccurate
information. For instance, other than the
International Baccalaureate programs at
Stanton and
Paxon, no grade point average is required to enter
these schools. Many in the community also do not
realize the robust Advanced Placement (AP) offerings
available in all of our high schools. In fact, all
of our high schools maintain the mission of high
academic achievement, offering more AP courses than
the number required for the honors programs at
Stanton and Paxon. From the beginning, Stanton was
created to be a model of high academic expectations
with support systems for those willing to take on an
honors/AP only curriculum. The model was then to be
spread to other schools in many different forms. It
is time to fulfill this original mission.
The school system is creating a committee
to review all of our high school acceleration
programs: International Baccalaureate (IB); Advanced
International Certificate of Education (AICE) from
Cambridge University; Early College where students
earn dual enrollment at Florida Community College at
Jacksonville (FCCJ), potentially earning an
Associate of Arts (AA) degree; and Advanced
Placement Scholar, which mirrors the honors programs
at Paxon and Stanton. The committee will recommend
to me where and when to place one of these four
acceleration programs in each of our comprehensive
high schools. The purpose of this effort will be to
expand the Stanton/Paxon concept to neighborhood
high schools without harming the world class
reputations of our dedicated magnets.
The committee will also propose entry and
exit criteria for each program, where appropriate.
Committee members will include a teacher and the
principal from each high school, as well as a parent
selected by the School Advisory Council.
It is my belief that we can strengthen the
academic programs, improve the reputations of our
neighborhood high schools, maintain the mission of
high academic achievement in our magnet schools, and
increase the performance of our students. Our high
school graduates are meeting some of the most
rigorous requirements of any school district in the
country to ensure that they are ready for
post-secondary education and work. It is time to put
aside the “have” vs. “have not” issues and guarantee
a high quality education for all.
Click here to view the superintendent's message.
