School Zone
Facilities, new teachers, mentoring topics of August “School Matters”
On the next “School Matters,” Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals and guests discuss updates to the Academic and Community Excellence plan, a new teaching corps in Jacksonville, the city-wide mentoring initiative, and the success of the Achievers for Life program. The Duval County Public Schools monthly public affairs television show is televised each Wednesday at 5 p.m. on Comcast cable Channel 29.
In the first segment of the show, Superintendent Pratt-Dannals, School Board Vice Chairman Tommy Hazouri and Chief Operating Officer Doug Ayars provide viewers with an update about the Academic and Community Excellence plan (ACE). The guests will offer details about the importance of providing efficient and effective learning environments at facilities throughout Duval County and community groups now at work.
This summer, 50 new teachers were hired in Duval County through the nationally recognized Teach For America program. This is the first year the program has brought highly-trained corps members to the River City for an opportunity to teach in high-need schools. In segment two, Jacksonville’s Teach For America Executive Director Crystal Jones sheds insight about the history of the program and Jared Billings, a Teach For America social studies teacher at Robert E. Lee High School, shares his experiences from training and working in Los Angeles, California.
Inside the Duval County School Board Building, there is a department completely dedicated to serving the community. This office has always been in existence, however few people know exactly what they do. One of the major responsibilities of the Department of Community and Family Engagement (CFE) is to carry out the Superintendent’s call to recruit 20,000 mentors by the year 2020. Segment three profiles the office with Director Dr. Constance Hall joining the Superintendent in the discussion. CFE Coordinator Victor Morris also gives insight about the details of the outreach effort.
United Way’s Achievers For Life program is helping middle-schoolers take the step from fifth to sixth grade with ease. This program served both Arlington and Ft. Caroline Middle schools in the 2007–08 school year and demonstrated excellent results. The drop-out prevention program will expand to two other middle schools this school year. Tune in to find out more details from Superintendent Pratt-Dannals, Principal of Ft. Caroline Middle School, Kathy Kassees, and President of United Way of Northeast Florida, Connie Hodges.
“School Matters” is produced monthly by WJCT-TV and the Communications Department of Duval County Public Schools. Veteran interviewer Joyce Morgan Danford is the moderator of “School Matters” which premieres the fourth Sunday of every month at 10 a.m. on WJCT-TV and is then repeated each Wednesday at 5 p.m. on Comcast cable Channel 29.
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