Five finalists announced for 2016 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year
2/5/2016
Five exceptional public school educators today were named finalists for the 2016 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year.
The finalists were selected by a committee of educators, community members and business leaders from a preliminary round of semi-finalists. All five will be on stage at the 25th Anniversary EDDY Awards on Saturday, March 12, where one will be named 2016 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year.
The finalists are:
Douglas Brown, Duncan U. Fletcher High School
Dionne M. Clayton, Paxon School for Advanced Studies
Kay Park, Alimacani Elementary
Jaime Plauche, Fishweir Elementary
Darryl L. White II, Matthew W. Gilbert Middle School
The teachers were surprised in their classrooms with a prize patrol that included Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti and DJ the Dog, the Duval County Public Schools mascot.
“Today is my favorite day of the year,” said Trey Csar, president of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. “It is inspiring to spend time with this diverse group of educators, who not only have done so much for children, but also for the teaching profession.”
Learn more about the finalists here.
“Our teachers are the most important asset in the district and the community. So many of our teachers could be named ‘Teacher of the Year’ for the district each year based on their skill, professionalism and dedication to developing future generations,” said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to specifically see the work and impact that these particular teachers have on their schools, communities, and most importantly, their students. They should inspire an entire Jacksonville community to support the work of public schools and teachers in general.”
Honoring the county’s most exceptional educators, the EDDY Awards have evolved over the last few years into a year-long initiative building a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the community and who work to improve our schools, accelerate student achievement and elevate the teaching profession.
The 25th Anniversary EDDY Awards Gala Dinner and Ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 12 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. Admission to the EDDY Awards, an initiative of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, can be purchased at eddyawardsjax.org for $55 per person.
