May 23, 2024
In a 7-0 vote, the school board selected Dr. Christopher Bernier to be the next superintendent of schools, starting July 1.
The board credited both candidates for being good candidates in their interviews and for their work in their respective counties. Every board member saw Dr. Daniel Smith to be a visionary and someone who was seeking to collaborate and would be great for classroom leadership. However, the board leaned towards Dr. Bernier as the candidate best suited to address the issues the county is facing currently. Board members praised Dr. Bernier for his leadership during the rebuilding of Lee County after Hurricane Ian along with his experience in understanding operations and views on safety.
While this was a national superintendent search, the board also made it very clear that in this climate they would like someone who is familiar with the educational landscape and operations in Florida.
Board members said the input received from the community was split between the two candidates and they asked that community members and stakeholders work with Dr. Bernier to move Duval County forward.
Join us for Advocacy Night
Want to hear more about the new superintendent, the search, school consolidations, the reduction in school and central office positions, and school board elections? Join JPEF for a Community Conversation: The Future of Public Education on Tuesday, May 28 from 6-7:30 p.m.
May 7, 2024
The School Board selected Dr. Christopher Bernier and Dr. Daniel Smith as the two finalists for the position of school superintendent. A community-wide meet and greet for the finalists was held on May 13 from 6-8 p.m. at EverBank Stadium. If you attended, please fill out the DCPS Community Feedback Form by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.
The Board will make its final selection on May 23, with the successful candidate beginning on July 1.
April 23, 2024:
Six semifinalists have been selected by the Duval County School Board to move forward in the search for the next Duval County Superintendent.
The semifinalists are:
- Dr. Cheryl Proctor
- Dr. Josiah Phillips
- Dr. Christopher Bernier
- Adam Taylor
- Dr. Daniel Smith
- Dr. Luis Solano
Superintendent candidate written and video questionnaire responses http://dcps.duvalschools.org/search
April 16, 2024
The Duval County School Board reopened its search for a new school superintendent on March 15 and closed the search on April 15. A total of 20 individuals applied for the position, with the majority applying in the final days. Below are the names of the candidates, with summaries of their applications being added.
On April 23, the School Board members will select semifinalists and questions for them, as well as appoint members of the Community Focus Group.
For more information, watch Dr. Shannon Varga, JPEF Director of Research and Data, and Leofric Thomas, Jr., Manager of Research and Policy, discuss the superintendent search.
In October 2023, the board suspended the search it had begun following the retirement of Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene in July. Board members cited a lack of qualified applicants as the reason to postpone the search.
During the search last year, Duval County Public Schools conducted a series of community events and a public survey to get input from the community.
In this blog post JPEF explains the current educational landscape and the many responsibilities of a school superintendent.