November 6, 2011
"The most impressive feature of Teach for America is not the fact that thousands of the best college students have been convinced to teach in America's neediest communities..."
Learn To Earn
As part of Mayor Alvin Brown’s focus on education, Teach For America - Jacksonville corps members, Jacksonville University (JU), Edward Waters College, and the Mayor’s Office are partnering to run Learn To Earn, a residential summer program for 500 low-income students. During Learn To Earn students will get a taste of college as they live at JU for two weeks and take summer courses designed to prepare them to continue their education beyond high school. Students will also Learn To Earn by working on campus as part of their experience. The goal of Learn To Earn is to make college a tangible reality for these students and prove that a college education is not only valuable but attainable.
Teach For America - Jacksonville corps members have taken a leadership role in Lean To Earn. Since being approached by Mayor Brown to organize Learn To Earn, Jacksonville corps members have risen to the challenge and have been working relentlessly. They have created committees, planned a marketing campaign, and have organized everything from transportation to course curriculums. Corps members also staff and run the day to day operations of Learn To Earn during the summer.
Learn To Earn highlights our corps members’ passion for Jacksonville and is a key part of our mission to build a broader education movement in our region. We are excited about this partnership and the opportunity to bring key players together to make college a tangible reality for every student in Jacksonville. Only by working together can we truly bring transformational change to our city.
Region Timeline
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Brown vs. Board of Education: The Supreme Court strikes down the practice of separate but equal and calls for the full integration of public schools.
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NAACP Boycott: To protest the slow pace of integration, the NAACP organizes a one-day boycott of the Duval County Public Schools. Seventeen thousand black students skip school on one day. Ten thousand fail to return the next day.
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Busing: In an effort to desegregate Jacksonville Schools a busing system is implemented. Results: still 113 totally segregated schools, 89 white and 24 black.
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The end of busing and the beginning of magnet schools: The NAACP and the School Board reach an agreement to stop busing and to create a system of magnet schools to promote voluntary integration.
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Full Desegregation: The Duval County Public Schools are finally declared fully desegregated by the federal courts.
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FCAT: As part of No Child Left Behind, The Florida Comprehensive Assessment (FCAT) becomes a requirement for graduation and grade promotion.
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"Eliminating the Achievement Gap": A Jacksonville Community Council report finds that the achievement gap in Jacksonville is growing.
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Teach For America Launches: During the summer of 2008, Teach For America - Jacksonville welcomes its first 50 corps members.
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Teach For America - Jacksonville Grows: Teach For America - Jacksonville doubles its incoming corps to over 100 during the summer of 2012. These teachers will directly impact close to 11,000 students during the 2012-2013 school year.
Overheard
One of my students recently told me, "Mr. Harris, I want to be like you when I grow up. Well no, I want to be better than you when I grow up." I could do nothing but smile at this statement.”
Jacksonville Corps 2010
