Duval County Teacher of the Year is finalist for 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year
Mandarin High history teacher Jim Schmitt among 5 finalists for statewide honor
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Jim Schmitt of Mandarin High School is the 2021 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year. (WJXT)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jim Schmitt, who teaches history and global perspectives and research at Mandarin High School and was named the 2021 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year, is a 2022 Florida Teacher of the Year state finalist.
K-12 Public Schools Chancellor Jacob Oliva and Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality Dr. Paul Burns from the Florida Department of Education made the announcement during a surprise visit to Mandarin High on Tuesday.
Publix, public schools to continue mask requirements in Florida, for now
Kellie Cowan reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Despite the sweeping executive order issued by Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday, masks will remain in place in many public spaces around Florida, including some school districtions and at least one major grocery chain.
On Tuesday morning, Publix told FOX 13 it will not change its COVID-19 safety policies. Customers will still be required to mask up while shopping at Publix, at least for the time being.
School districts will also likely continue to require masks through the end of the school year.
Hillsborough County Superintendent Addison Davis said Tuesday morning that masks will continue to be required in Hillsborough schools, FOX 13 s Aaron Mesmer reports.
He s one of five finalists chosen from district teachers of the year, out of 185,000 public school teachers throughout the state.
After the announcement, Garaitonandia got back to business with his fifth graders: making cards to show their gratitude on Mother s Day. My hands are still a little shaky, he laughed as he showed his students how to paint flowers.
Garaitonandia immigrated to the U.S. as a child after living in Costa Rica and Cuba, and said his teachers were the ones who helped him navigate those changes in his life. He worked as a professional artist before becoming a teacher 16 years ago. Now, he tries to help his students find their paths and teach them that it s OK to make mistakes.
Greg Schwartz at the Grand Canyon in a 2018 picture he posted to Facebook. He’s been named principal of Flagler Palm Coast High School.
Last Updated: 12:57 p.m.
Flagler County superintendents’ recent habit of using Volusia County as an Eldorado of potential principals for its two high schools is continuing as Greg Schwartz, Principal at South Daytona Elementary, today was named principal at Flagler Palm Coast High School. Schwartz replaces Tom Russell, the popular and charismatic principal who’d led FPC for less than two years by the time of his death from covid last December.
Schwartz, one of 38 candidates to apply for the FPC post, is the fourth Volusia candidate in the last four years to be named principal at one of Flagler’s two high schools, starting with Jeff Reaves at Matanzas High School in 2016, followed by Bob Wallace–a former boss of Schwartz’s–and Russell at FPC. But Schwartz, an Ormond Beach resident, has intimate connections to Flagler and FPC in partic