Florida Education Commissioner Picks
Top DCPS Administrator for New Post
JACKSONVILLE - A veteran Duval County education leader has been tapped by Florida’s Education Commissioner to become one of five new Regional Executive Directors charged with providing focused support to help districts meet student proficiency goals.
Leila Mousa, who began as a classroom teacher and rose to serve as Assistant to the Superintendent during her 38 years with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) will begin her new role immediately. She will assist education reform efforts in 18 Northeast Florida counties, including Duval, Clay, Baker, St. Johns and Nassau.
“Leila has been a proven leader in Duval County,” said DCPS Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. This role allows her to share her expertise and leadership with school administrators, teachers and students in all of Northeast Florida.
Mousa, a former DCPS principal and regional superintendent, most recently led the district’s EXCELerator program which opens Advancement Placement (AP) classes to all students, then supports them for success in the more rigorous classes. For three years, Mousa also guided the College Board program to increase enrollment and student achievement.
Enrollment in AP courses and successful AP test-taking has soared dramatically in Duval County schools since 2005. In particular, African American and Hispanic AP test-takers are outpacing their peers in Florida and the nation. EXCELerator is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Duval County program is being expanded to become a national model for opening AP opportunities to all students.
“The establishment of our regional offices ensures that each school receives the support it needs to be successful,” said Florida Department of Education Commissioner, Eric Smith. “We’ve pulled together an outstanding team of individuals to lead our targeted reform efforts, and I am confident their expertise will foster improved student academic performance.”
He also named Joseph Burke, Gail Davies, Nikolai Vitti and Jeffrey Fernandez to fill roles similar to Mousa’s in other areas of the state.
Each regional director will provide guidance and assistance for teams of school improvement facilitators to aid in the development and review of district and school improvement plans, and monitor the implementation of interventions. The state’s top education official said Mousa and the others were selected for their proven management and teamwork abilities in effecting change throughout their careers.
Florida is one of six states selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s differentiated accountability pilot program. This allows Florida to create a tiered approach to address required interventions for schools that do not make “adequate yearly progress” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act for two or more years.
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