YOUR voice at work in major education initiatives!

Some very exciting news was announced this morning at THE PLAYERS Champions for Education Summit!

A group of local philanthropists have set out to raise $100 million to improve public education in Duval County. This fund, which will be housed at The Community Foundation in Jacksonville, has already received $15 million in commitments. The fund will invest in strategies to strengthen the human capital, governance and central operations integral to a successful public school system (see more details below).

Even more exciting is the spirit of collaboration that this effort entails. First of all, the process of developing it has been informed by ONE by ONE. The results of the first half of conversations informed the development of a plan to use those funds.

And as the ONE by ONE conversations continue, JPEF will work to ensure that YOUR ideas play a big role in determining how this philanthropic effort goes to work in our schools. The Community Foundation, as a supporter of ONE by ONE, knows that community support is essential to creating lasting change in public education!

Second, although plans for this fund have been sketched out, they are far from finalized and will not be until a new superintendent is on board. This is positive for two distinct reasons:

- The fund is a selling point to any potential candidates, showing how seriously our community takes the need for investment in public education.

- The new administration will play a key role in helping to develop the project, ensuring that the investments will work collaboratively for the greatest impact on students.

The future for public education in Duval County looks incredibly bright! But the next six months are critical. We need YOU to do two things:

- Participate in a ONE by ONE conversation if you haven't already. We'll ensure that your voice is heard not only in the development of a community-supported action plan for our schools, but also in the development of a plan for private investment in improvements to the public education system.

- Stay informed about the search for a new superintendent of Duval County Schools (click here to learn more). Finding a new leader for our public schools is the most important decision our school board will make in the next decade. It's critical that you play a role in ensuring that our next superintendent is the kind of leader we need to create significant improvements to our school system!