As you may know, we are facing severe budget cuts from the Florida Legislature. At the beginning of this fiscal year, we cut more than $12 million and have been asked to cut an additional $10.6 million before the end of the year. Along with the cuts to the 2007/2008 budget, the state revenue projections for our 2008/2009 budget leave us with an $86 million revenue shortfall.

In February, the District implemented budget reduction strategies to try and alleviate any financial burdens to our classrooms. Some of the strategies included a hiring freeze for all current non-school cost center positions, discontinuation of overtime with the exception of emergencies, no promotional or salary increases for staff and limits on travel. These are just some of the steps the District has taken, and will continue in order to meet the cuts the state has imposed upon us. District departments have also been tasked with adjusting their proposed 2008/2009 budgets back to the 2006/2007 revenue figures.

Unfortunately, with additional cuts looming, the District is forced to look at cutting budgets at our schools. We are dedicated to providing quality education to all of our students and will continue to ensure that Duval County students receive all of the proper tools they need to succeed.

With our schools potentially operating on a minimized budget, your continued support of our programs will be more valuable than ever. Please help us to maintain the level of excellence that is representative of all of our schools.

Thanks again for all that you do.

Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent

Let your voice be heard, contact the Duval Legislative Delegation.

More than 750 Duval County high school students, from 19 public and nine private schools, participated in the third annual Stop Teen Underage Drinking "STUD" Rally on Thursday, March 20, at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium.

The rally, which addressed decisions that teens face on a daily basis about underage drinking and making healthy choices, was sponsored by the Jacksonville Automobile Dealers Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, Publix Super Markets, LongHorn Steakhouse, First Coast News and Duval County Public Schools (DCPS).

"The purpose of this event is to help students say no to drugs, alcohol and drunk driving, and to encourage them to make positive choices," said Kathleen Bowles, supervisor of safe and healthy schools at DCPS. "We also want our students to help others make good choices so that we can all be healthy and safe citizens of Duval County."

During the rally, community leaders, Sheriff John Rutherford, Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals and First Coast News Sports Director Dan Hicken encouraged students to make positive life decisions and to seriously think about the consequences of their actions.

Next month, 13,709 DCPS students will sit for 23,847 Advanced Placement examinations.

Advanced Placement courses, commonly referred to as AP, are college-level courses that provide high school students with the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the country's colleges and universities.

Students enrolled in AP courses have been preparing for their exams all school year. A complete testing schedule is available here.

Good luck to these students who have accepted the challenge of rigorous AP course work! For more information about the AP Program, visit the College Board's Web site.

By Dr. Alvin G. White
Chief of Staff and Partnerships

Advertising copywriters have developed many slogans that vary on the theme of building customer support "one by one." And so it is with Duval County Public Schools' students. Educational reforms being pushed forward by Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals focus on one primary goal -- tailor our instruction so that its end result is improved academic success of each DCPS student. One by one.

Differentiated instruction, as we call it, works well but requires extraordinary resources, both in dollars and manpower.

In the case of Duval County, turnaround schools have been labeled as failing by state officials or in danger of becoming F schools. These schools receive specialized training, support and resources to help dedicated teachers achieve improved achievement at the student level.

Even in a disastrous budget year, we're ready to do our work. What's missing is what Duval County public schools cannot provide -- outside support. Superintendent Pratt-Dannals has sounded a challenge to all Jacksonville residents, faith communities and businesses to step forward. The Superintendent hopes to have a primary business and faith partner linked to each of our turnaround schools and he wants to bolster student success with a force of 20,000 mentors.

In recent days, those involved in the Mayor's Jacksonville Journey anti-crime task force have repeated the need to significantly increase the presence of mentors in our schools and in the lives of children who need positive role models the most.

Becoming a mentor, adopting a turnaround school or expanding mission work beyond the confines of the church building is not nearly as appealing as making Jacksonville’s Super Bowl a success. But our city's successes in 2005 demonstrate our collective ability to band together, reach out and help.

In 2008, our challenge is more personal and critical. Greater effort is required. The stakes are high – the lives of Jacksonville’s children and the future of our city. The numbers are daunting – several turnaround schools require business partners and faith-based supporters, 17,000 new mentors are needed.

Learn how to support a school or become a mentor by calling 390-2960 or e-mail hansonk@duvalschools.org. Help each of our 124,000 students succeed. One by one.

By Steffani Gilligan

"I am the School Instructional Coach at J. Allen Axson Montessori School. I became a Take Stock in Children mentor when I worked in the Magnet Office. My mentee was a sixth-grade girl at LaVilla School of the Arts - and I was scared to death! As a second-grade teacher and a marketing coordinator, I knew nothing about teenagers or middle school students! Courtney and I began checking out books together from the media center. In the beginning, it was great for us because it gave us something to talk about before we really got to know each other. We had our chapters to read and we had our own little book discussions. I stayed with her all through high school and then off to FAMU. I helped pack her off, giving her my beloved classroom fridge and a gift card to the school bookstore.

She has since returned to go to junior college here in Jacksonville, so we have resumed our ongoing meetings. I have watched her grow into an amazing strong young woman and have now become a friend. We meet monthly for lunch on the weekend and I really love that we are both willing to maintain this special relationship."

If you're a mentor and would like to share a story like Steffani's, or you were touched by this story and would like to become a mentor, please contact the Community Involvement Office at 904-390-2960.

Please review the Strategic Plan draft, and provide feedback by completing a brief online survey by April 15.

Later, the board approved expansion of Project Safe Students In Schools, a collaboration with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to identify students with repeat violations and provide early intervention.

The next school board meeting is Tuesday, May 6th at 6 p.m..

"School Matters," a panel discussion, is broadcast the fourth Sunday of each month on WJCT-TV and each Wednesday at 5 p.m. on Comcast Channel 29.

"REALSchool" airs the first Sunday of the month at 10 a.m. on WJCT-TV and every Monday at 9 p.m. on Comcast Channel 29.