Leadership Initiatives
School Leadership Initiative
In the fall of 2024, JPEF, in partnership with the Center for Children's Rights, launched an innovative Community of Practice (COP) aimed at transforming school leadership and promoting positive youth development across Duval County. Inspired by Dr. Shawn Ginwright’s seminal work, "The Four Pivots," this program will guide school leaders in adopting healing-centered leadership practices to create safe, supportive, and thriving educational environments.
School leaders participate in professional learning sessions and engage in hands-on activities to learn and implement restorative practices that address the traumas faced by students, teachers, and families. This holistic approach not only improves academic outcomes but also fosters a nurturing system of care for youth. The program prioritizes relationship building and trust within school communities, ensuring that all students receive the support and attention they need to thrive both academically and personally.
Leadership Initiatives
Teacher Leadership Initiative
The Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI) ensures teachers are empowered and motivated to lead their classrooms effectively. TLI is multi-faceted, dynamic, and designed to elevate teachers' support and instruction of students, through engaging in monthly training, annual deeper fellowship work, day-to-day coaching, and excellence recognition through the Teacher of the Year process and other leadership opportunities.
Fellowships
Edelman Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching
Duval County K-12 school teachers have a unique opportunity to enhance their professional growth through personalized development activities. This initiative allows educators to select and engage in professional development experiences tailored to their individual career aspirations. Elevate your teaching career by choosing the professional development activity that best suits your needs and goals. Find out more at www.edelmanfellowship.org
Fellowships
Wolfburg Fellowship
The newest iteration of this project has been a Youth Participatory Action Research Project, in which students and teachers in Duval County collectively work to answer a research question and the project is led by students themselves. This year, the research question was around the idea of social justice in schools. A team of four students and two teachers collected over 30 pieces of qualitative data, including a more widely disseminated survey where they asked questions around social justice in schools. Ultimately, the team found that instances of social injustice happen everywhere, that generally people viewed the issue as one of collective responsibility and some potential solutions are around uplifting student voice and creating the space for critical dialogue.
Teacher of the Year
Teachers are the number one in-classroom predictor of student success, which is why JPEF recognizes outstanding teachers through the Teacher of the Year (TOY) initiative. The TOY initiative culminates in the annual EDDY awards ceremony where the Duval County Teacher of the Year will be named and teachers from 180 schools will be recognized for their achievements. All school-level Teachers of the Year have opportunities throughout the year to be featured in JPEF blogs and other communications!
Timeline:
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Begins in July/August
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Orientation in early October
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180 participating schools
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Top 15 semifinalists announced in November
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Top 5 Prize Patrol, early December
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Finalist announced at EDDY Awards in late January/early February
1,000 by 2025
Research shows that students of color benefit significantly when they have teachers who look like them, as this representation positively impacts their academic achievement, self-esteem, and long-term success. JPEF and partners are working to close the diversity gap through the 1,000 by 2025 initiative. Read more at www.teachduval.com.