JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board is asking community members to take part in shaping the future of the school district by sharing their opinions in an eight-question survey that’s now available online.
SURVEY: Click here to share your thoughts with DCPS
The questions include identifying ways Duval County Public Schools can hire and retain what it considers “highly effective” educators.
It also asks about transparency when it comes to what the district is doing with the half-cent sales tax, ways the district can provide support to struggling students and how to establish a culture that leads to a student developing academically, socially and emotionally.
It ends by asking community members to list the district’s biggest strengths and the most significant challenges it is facing.
None of the questions ask about a superintendent candidate’s education, background or experience.
The district hopes to have a new superintendent in place by January.
In addition to the online survey, the district is holding six community forums over the next two weeks to talk about the responses to the survey and how the search for the next superintendent is going.
The community forums over the next two weeks are scheduled for the following dates, times and locations:
Aug. 22
- Baldwin Middle/High School media center -- 11 a.m.
- Westside High School media center -- 6 p.m. - 6 PM
Aug. 24
- Atlantic Coast High School media center -- 6 p.m.
Aug. 29
- Raines High School media center -- 6 p.m.
Aug. 31
- Fletcher High School media center -- 11 a.m.
- Sandalwood High School media center -- 6 p.m.
If you can’t attend a meeting in person, you can do so virtually, but you must register first. To register, go to https://dcps.duvalschools.org/search and choose the date you would like to participate online.
Board members will attend the forums to greet and thank people for engaging.
School Board Chair Dr. Kelly Coker has said that what the community wants to see in the next Duval County schools superintendent is vital to the search.
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The board is hoping to get survey responses from across the community.
Coker said they’re going to use that feedback when they advertise the position in a national search.
After hearing from the public about what they want in a superintendent, the plan is to post the job in mid-September, and identify semi-finalists about a month later.
The board expects to conduct interviews with three or four finalists in November and choose the next superintendent by the end of the month.
“We’re staying on this timeline,” Coker said. “The only thing that could interfere with it is [if] the caliber of candidate isn’t what we’re looking for. But at this point, that’s the timeline, and we’re hopeful we’re going to draw really strong applicants.”