Four local teachers awarded $15,000 for teaching excellence
Imagine going to work on your typical Wednesday and being handed a $15,000 check. That is what happened to four local teachers. They were thanked for all their hard work in the classroom.
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Morgan Jackson is 1 of 4 Duval County teachers who was awarded the 2023 Gladys Prior awards for career teaching excellence by The University of North Florida College of Education and Human Services resulting in a $15,000 check.
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UNF says The Gladys Prior awards for career teaching excellence was established in 1998 by Gilchrist Berg, founder and President of Water Street Capital, to honor teachers with lifelong careers in education. Berg has given more than $2 million to honor Jacksonville teachers. The award is named after Berg’s fourth-grade teacher at Ortega Elementary school, Gladys Prior.
“It was just very overwhelming but exciting,” Jackson said.
“She’s just a master teacher,” Knight said.
“It really is a wonderful job. It’s just exciting to give them the words and the potential that they can have to make a change,” Jackson said.
Ms. Jackson was nominated by her co-worker, Principal of Lavilla school of the arts, Lianna Knight who selected Jackson out of 62 other teachers. She’s also the sixth teacher at Lavilla to win The Glady Prior award.
Read: VyStar Duval County announces Teacher of the Year
“We have a ton of fabulous teachers here. She’s innovative, she’s always looking for the latest teaching strategies and initiatives, the kids are engaged,” Knight said.
Ms. Jackson is an 8th grade English teacher here at Lavilla school of the arts and she’s been an educator for the last 25 years. She says the most rewarding part is knowing that she’s shaping our youths’ mind on a daily basis as well as playing a part in some of the beautiful artwork seen throughout the school.
The other three teachers who also got the $15,000 check were Mia Jenkins from Mandarin Oaks Elementary. She is a fifth-grade veteran teacher with 31 years of experience and a proud UNF alumna. She is certified to teach ESOL and gifted students in addition to being CET endorsed. For the 2002-03 school year, Mrs. Jenkins was the chosen recipient for Mandarin Oaks “Teacher of the Year.”
Latasha Lawrence from James Weldon Johnson College Prep Middle School. She is an eighth-grade biology teacher with almost 20 years of practical experience in teaching. Ms. Lawrence received her bachelor’s at Bethune-Cookman University and earned her master’s in health science at The University of Central Florida. She was a semifinalist for the VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year award in 2021.
Finally, Sangita Cody from Neptune Beach Elementary. She has 18 years of teaching experience in Duval County. Mrs. Cody is a proud alumna of UNF. She began teaching at Neptune Beach Elementary in 2009. Previously, she was a reading coach and taught third and fourth grade. She has been awarded Neptune Beach Elementary’s “Teacher of the Year” twice.
Ms. Jackson calls this award humbling saying there are so many teachers in Duval who are just as deserving.
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“I’ve loved working with kids,” Jackson said.
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