Strategic Initiatives

Resiliency Through Community Funds

The Resiliency Through Community Mini Classroom Funds provide teachers up to $300 to provide additional classroom supplies and resources. In order to be eligible, teachers must:

• Apply by August 16
• Be full-time Duval County teachers
• Spend 75% of your time on direct classroom instruction

Apply

Teacher Leadership Initiative

JPEF’s Teacher Leadership Initiative empowers Teachers of the Year to implement equity-focused best practices at their schools. Teachers embark on a world-class professional learning experience with leading experts on trauma-informed practice, action research in classrooms and restorative justice. Then, JPEF supports teacher leaders to implement the best practice through coaching with fellow teacher leaders in Duval County. Finally, teacher leaders share the results of their work by leading a professional learning session of their own, presenting their project to educators in their school as well as educators across the Duval County education system. 

The School Leadership Initiative 

Great schools can only exist with great leaders. Effective principals are more likely to retain high quality teachers, and they are also more likely to dismiss poorly performing teachers. According to a national study conducted by Stanford University, students in schools with high-performing Principals will have between two to seven months of additional learning gains. There are virtually no cases of a school being turned around without a powerful leader. While there are numerous factors that contribute to successfully turning around a school, strong leadership is clearly the catalyst. This is the reason for the JPEF School Leadership Initiative. Learn more about the School Leadership Initiative.

 

The Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship

The Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship is an unprecedented opportunity for K-12 Duval County public school teachers to elevate their teaching careers through a professional development activity of their choosing.

The Fellowship, launched in 2019, is intended to identify and reward excellence in teaching and support a program of professional development or research. Fellows can receive up to $6,500 per individual or $10,000 per team of teachers for approved expenses.

The Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship is an endowed fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, which means it will exist in perpetuity. The Jacksonville Public Education Fund administers the grants in partnership with The Community Foundation.

Learn more about the Edelman Fellowship

Wolfburg Fellowship for Social Justice in Education

The Wolfburg Fund for Social Justice in Education, based at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, exists to advance the work of educators committed to social justice.

As a component of the Fund, the Wolfburg Fellowship is a unique opportunity that provides up to $7,000 for teachers to deepen their knowledge around issues relating to social justice, diversity and inclusion, and to implement an aligned action research project in partnership with students.

The award is given annually as a named grant and announced publicly to recognize teachers who have demonstrated an interest in and talent for ensuring equitable access to supportive learning environments for students in diverse and low-income school communities.

LEARN MORE about the Wolfburg Fellowship

 

2024 Teachers of the Year

Congratulations to the more than 180 teachers who were nominated by their principals to be the 2024 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year. 

 

 

The EDDY Awards

The EDDY Awards, an annual event to celebrate Duval County's leading teachers, is a time-honored tradition that has grown into its new mission to elevate the role of Jacksonville's best teachers. Each year, we celebrate each school's Teacher of the Year and announce the winner of the VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year.