Jackson High School teacher named 2023 Duval County Teacher of the Year
A Jacksonville high school teacher is the 2023 Teacher of the Year for Duval County Public Schools.
Julia Mayeshiba, a math and physics teacher at Andrew Jackson High School, was honored as the 2023 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year during the 32nd Annual EDDY Awards on Friday night. She was selected from among 180 Teacher of the Year nominees — each representing a DCPS school — by a committee of volunteers.
An educator four years, Mayeshiba said she is inspired by “transforming my students’ self-image surrounding math and science," according to a news release announcing the award.
"As a teacher I not only have the power to see the best in all my students, but I also have the power to bring it into a light that students can see for themselves," she said. "By building relationships and getting to know students individually, I can see each student’s potential and speak to it every day and in every interaction.”
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Mayeshiba began teaching at Andrew Jackson High School in 2019.
Since then, she has initiated an after-school tutoring system for math and physics students and served on the Positive Behavior Intervention Support Team to implement school-wide incentives to reward good student behaviors.
Mayeshiba also has established ongoing partnerships with STEM 2Hub and WozED to initiate a school-based drone technology program. In addition, she is the Senior Class sponsor.
DCPS Superintendent Diana Greene described Mayeshiba’s lessons as "engaging, hands-on, and filled with thought-provoking investigations to get students out of their seats and learning,” according to the news release.
"She honors her students by making them work hard while making difficult concepts accessible to all. She is a tremendous example of the outstanding instruction happening in classrooms throughout Duval County and I am very proud to have her representing us as our Teacher of the Year,” Greene said.
Mayeshiba graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015. She went on to earn a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of North Florida in 2019 while serving as an AmeriCorps Teacher Resident.
She also is a Robert Noyce National Science Foundation Teaching Fellow as well as a WozED Certified STEM Trainer, the news release showed.
As the 2023 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year, Mayeshiba is a nominee for Florida Teacher of the Year.
“My primary message would be that everyone has a role to play to help the children of Duval County achieve greatness. Whether you are a teacher, parent, grandparent, neighbor, or even if you have no direct connection to my students, you have a role to play and valuable gifts and insights to offer our kids," she said after being named Duval County Teacher of the Year.
The EDDY Awards teacher of the year program is hosted by the nonprofit Jacksonville Public Education Fund. It is part of a year-long effort to celebrate and elevate Duval County’s best public school educators.
JPEF president Rachael Tutwiler Fortune said the EDDY Award is an opportunity to " recognize excellence in education and the professionals who do so much for our students every single day.”
“We are honored to celebrate them and showcase the work they are doing in Duval County schools. We know the key to closing the opportunity gap for low-income students and students of color lies in supporting our teachers and empowering them in their work," Fortune also said in the news release.
Mayeshiba will receive a cash prize and a classroom grant provided by the Rotary Clubs of Duval County and Florida Blue. She also will join the JPEF Board of Directors as an ex-officio member for the next year.
Each of the 180 DCPS school Teachers of the Year is eligible for ongoing professional learning opportunities through JPEF.
Brian Wolfburg, president and CEO of VyStar Credit Union, lauded Mayeschiba and said the credit union "appreciates the meaningful role that educators have in supporting students and building stronger communities."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville high school teacher lauded at Duval County's top teacher
