With a new school year upon us, many families are thinking about back-to-school shopping, helping their kids adjust to a new classroom and fitting school back into their daily routine.
But there’s another important thing parents can do to help their kids be successful this year: supporting their teachers.
Teacher retention is a huge issue in Duval County and across the nation. Research has shown that quality teachers are one of the most important factors in student success, but we’re not retaining enough of our best teachers. In a 2013 report, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) found that Duval County loses about one of every two teachers within five years of starting in the profession.
This summer, the top five 2018 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year finalists were lucky to join the Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s E3 Summer Fellowship program, which was designed to elevate and empower some of Jacksonville’s best teachers toward excellence. During that time, I joined with Will Smith, Alicia Lloyd and Tabetha Cox, some of the Teacher of the Year finalists, to develop a list of ideas for ways community members can show appreciation and support for teachers this school year.
Volunteer. Consider joining your local school at an open house, a literacy or math night, or job or career fairs. You may also consider coming to read to classrooms and/or mentor a student. You can sign up to be a Duval County Public School volunteer here.
Donate books and supplies.Teachers are always looking for school supplies and classroom books. We especially love books that come in a series, like Harry Potter. Or we’d love for you to bring us a set of your favorite books. We also always appreciate school supplies (dry erase markers, printer paper, pencils, erasers, etc).
Shadow a teacher for the day. We think the community would learn so much about the incredible things happening in our schools if they could spend a day shadowing a teacher. Informed community members can help advocate for better schools and vote for school board members who will help retain teachers. Remember, school board elections are happening in three districts across Jacksonville on Aug. 28.
Bring us breakfast. Teachers love the opportunity for a last-minute snack before the start of a long day. Consider dropping off donuts or bagels for the teachers’ lounge as a way to say “thank you for all you do.”
Offer a teacher discount at your business. If you own a business, consider offering a special price or deal for teachers. Discounts make us feel recognized by the community and help us stretch our salaries.
Duval County has more than 8,000 teachers who work with more than 120,000 students. There are so many opportunities for the community to show support for the work we do to prepare your children for success. As our superintendent has said, we are Team Duval, and we can make it a great school year for students and teachers!
Share a picture on social media of how you’re supporting teachers with the hashtag #JaxThanksATeacher.
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