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School Zone
Superintendent's Message: State of
the District
The 2008/2009 school year is
off to a great start. I am privileged to have had the
opportunity to serve as Superintendent for the last
year, and appreciate all of the support I have received
from parents, faculty, staff and the community.
During the past year we, along with our School
Board and the
Alliance
for World Class Education, developed a long-range
Strategic Plan that will govern the work of our school
district during the next four years. It spells out the
board's vision, mission, core beliefs and commitments.
It also details six goals and specific measurable
strategies to reach them. During the development process
of the plan, the community was heavily involved, which
will be very important in the future as we work with the
public to help us reach our goals.
Last month, our district was approved to
receive full district accreditation by the Quality
Assurance Review Team from the AdvancED/Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools. This is a major
accomplishment for Duval County Public Schools. In the
past, all of our schools were individually accredited.
District accreditation validates how well all the parts
of our education system – the district, school and
classroom – work together to meet the needs of our
students. This is a testament to the hard work and
dedication of our teachers, administration, parents and
district staff. Our School Board also deserves credit
for helping to create a climate of respect, and for
keeping our focus on academic achievement.
This year, we have put a greater emphasis on
more effectively supporting our 31 Turnaround Schools,
which are those schools that received a state school
grade designation of F as measured by the FCAT, or whose
school performance has dropped dramatically in one or
more targeted areas during the previous school year. We
will continue to provide additional resources and
professional development opportunities to these schools
so they are guided on the path toward long-term success.
It has been a great first year as
Superintendent. I am blessed to work with wonderful
teachers, administrators, faculty and district staff, as
well as students who all have tremendous potential. What
we need to focus on now is making sure we are
integrating our curriculum effectively and engaging the
public to help us, as well as joining together to make
sure our strategic plan is a truly operational plan that
meets the goals and aspirations of this community.
Thank you for supporting Duval County Public
Schools.
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Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent
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