Creation of new early college teacher academy on Duval County School Board's Tuesday meeting agenda

Jacksonville, FL — A new early college teacher academy could become a reality, as the Duval County School Board is poised to vote on its creation as part of their February 5th meeting.

If the school board passes its consent agenda on Tuesday, the academy would be established at both Westside High School and First Coast High School. The district expects each school would then enroll at least 25 students into the program during the 2019-2020 school year.

According to slides from the meeting, the purpose of the DCPS Early College Teacher Academy includes creating a sustainable pipeline of educators, who will help fill teacher vacancies in the district.

DCPS spokesperson, Laureen Ricks, says while they do hope some of the potential future graduates of the program return to the county to teach, the students would be under no obligation to do so.

However, if these students did return with the correct certification requirements, they would receive preferential interview status with the district.

Instead, Ricks says the program could help some students pursue a college degree.

"This initiative provides our students – many who live in low-income areas -- with an opportunity to earn college credit while in high school, thereby saving them and their families money. It also creates a pathway into college for many of these students through our partnership with FSCJ. Essentially, students who successfully complete this program will graduate high school with a diploma AND an Associate’s Degree!," says Ricks.

In addition to high school and college-level coursework, potential program participants would also have a chance to experience one-to-one tutoring and internships at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Read more about what the program would entail, including potential course schedules by year, by clicking HERE.