Latrece Brown named 2017 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year!
2/24/2017
Latrece Brown named 2017 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year
Andrew Robinson teacher selected at the 26th Annual EDDY Awards
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 24, 2016 — Latrece Brown was named the 2017 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year tonight at the 26th Annual EDDY Awards. Brown, a fourth grade math and science teacher at Andrew Robinson, was selected by a committee of volunteers from nominees from 173 public schools.
Brown, who is a lead teacher at her school, is passionate about learning and her students and colleagues say it shines through the former cheerleader every day. A Duval County Public Schools herself, Brown is known not only as a data guru, but for her innovative approaches to parent involvement. She started a Facebook group for parents and students, going live each week to model strategies, review commonly missed questions and help parents understand the new approach to teaching math — all in real time. Whether it’s planning a STEM week or a pep rally, Brown is known as a “go-to” faculty member at Andrew Robinson, where more than 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch.
As the 2017 Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year, Brown will go on to compete for the statewide title.
“The passion, dedication, and commitment to excellence our teachers show every day as they strive to help students excel in the classroom and in life are the best examples of service to improve our communities and the outcomes for children regardless of their obstacles. On behalf of Duval County Public Schools, it is my honor to congratulate Latrece Brown and all of the teachers of the year!” said Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.
The EDDY Awards teacher of the year program is an initiative of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, and a year-long effort to celebrate and elevate Duval County’s best public school educators.
In addition to the Teacher of the Year, the EDDY Awards also included a presentation of the Community First Innovation Prize, presented by the Community First Cares Foundation. The winner was Susan Burns, a teacher at Fishweir Elementary School, recognized for the creativity of her project, called “One Teacher’s Trash…” aimed at reducing waste in the classroom while encouraging student entrepreneurship.
“Too often, our city’s best teachers work outside of the spotlight, yet the work they do to prepare our city’s children to succeed in the future is vital,” said Trey Csar, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. “The EDDY Awards seeks to change all that, demonstrating the impact of excellent educators and creating a network of innovative teachers that can learn from and support each other.”
In addition to a cash prize and a classroom grant thanks to the Rotary Clubs of Duval County, Brown will join the Jacksonville Public Education Fund Board of Directors as an ex-officio member for the next year, as is tradition with every Florida Blue Duval County Teacher of the Year.
Teachers of the year from 173 schools were nominated, and evaluated by committees of volunteers, who ultimately narrowed the down to 15 semi-finalists, and then five finalists. Bios, photos and more information on all the teachers of the year are available at www.eddyawardsjax.org.
Contact Deirdre Conner, Director of Advocacy & Communications, at (904) 345-0597 or Deirdre@jaxpef.org for more information or additional photos.
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About the Jacksonville Public Education Fund
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent nonprofit organization that works to inform and mobilize the community to advocate for universally high-quality public schools for all children. For more information, visit www.jaxpef.org or call (904) 356-7757.