Special Letter from the Superintendent
To
parents, students, teachers, principals, staff
and citizens of Duval County:
A lot has been said recently
about public schools in Duval County, and I would like
to respond on behalf of the students, faculty and staff
to some of the information recently reported.
We are grateful for the
attention that has been given to what I believe is the
most important issue facing Jacksonville – the education
of our children. This has been a topic that for
too long has been on the back burner within the city of
Jacksonville.
No one is more aware and
committed to the significant improvements necessary in
our most struggling schools than the faculty, staff and
students of Duval County Public Schools. For these
reasons, the School Board and I worked diligently along
with community members to develop a Strategic Plan to
ensure that every student will graduate from Duval
County Public Schools with the knowledge and skills to
be successful in post-secondary education and/or the
workforce.
Progress is being made in our
schools, but it will not happen overnight and we cannot
do it alone. Last year 45 of our schools increased their
school grades by at least one letter grade over the
previous year. The progress over the last 10 years is
even more encouraging, as the number of “A” and “B”
schools has increased more than 500%, with 102 of our
166 schools receiving an “A” or “B” last year. In 2009,
for the second consecutive year, Duval County Public
Schools earned a District grade of “B” from the State of
Florida.
Our district is making gains
in spite of our budget being significantly cut each
year. We are facing another budget shortfall this year,
which could be as high as $125 million. This coupled
with $106 million in cuts made over the past three years
is making it more challenging to provide the adequate
resources to properly address the needs of our students.
It is well known that an
increase in students who graduate from high school is
good for the entire community. Students who graduate
from high school are more likely to secure high paying
jobs, while dropouts are more likely to receive public
assistance.
Duval County requires all
students to complete a post-secondary ready curriculum
unlike the rest of the state and country. While
graduation rates have improved in Duval County,
additional improvement is needed to ensure our students
can compete in the global workforce.
Some have suggested that we
should have more Charter Schools as they have an
advantage of operating free of mandates and funding
restrictions. However, some of the more successful
charter schools require $1,500 more per student than we
are currently funded to extend learning time for
students. This is the same type of funding necessary to
make the same impact in our traditional schools.
The state and federal
government place mandates on the funding provided to
public schools which do not allow for flexibility in
spending. This hinders our ability to put in place some
educational reform programs that we feel are necessary
to increase the academic achievement of our students.
I am hopeful that the
dialogue on the importance of education will continue
and our leaders will support solutions that are aimed at
the continued success of our students.
I urge you to attend one of
our upcoming Budget Community meetings to learn about
ways you can assist our schools and learn of the
achievements that our students are making every day.
 |
Ed
Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent |
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