JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Out of nearly 180 teachers who were selected as the best from their respective schools, only one could be named the top educator in all of Jacksonville.
The honor went to Jean Ribault High School’s Charles Darwin Magdaluyo Saturday night at the 31st annual EDDY Awards, presented by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. The 9th and 12th grade Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher has seven years of teaching experience.
Magdaluyo said he was emotional to learn he won.
“It’s a mixture of different emotions because I know I’m not just representing myself. I’m also representing the top five finalist because we became a family and I’m representing all Duval County teachers who have been working so hard to show our stakeholders the dedication and brand of education that we are providing to kids. As a teacher, I always choose to rise above the challenges. We always encounter different challenges and we have our own version of challenges. It’s always our choice and that is something I want to show the kids as well,” he said.
Magdaluyo was one of five finalists who were honored alongside their other Teacher of the Year colleagues. The EDDY Awards are presented at the yearly gala to honro and elevate the roll of the district’s top educators. Each school’s Teacher of the Year is eligible to apply to join JPEF’s Teacher Leadership Initiative, which offers world-class professional learning and leadership coaching to help teachers make an even bigger impact in their schools.
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent think-and-do tank that believes in the potential of all students. The organization works to close the opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color. It convenes educators, school system leaders, and the community to pilot and help scale evidence-based solutions that advance school quality in Duval County.
The group’s mission is to spark innovation, relationships and resources to power the potential within and around Jacksonville’s public schools to achieve excellent outcomes for all students.