SavetheSchoolNames.org
(...because now is NOT the time!)
post-decision message from robert lawrence,
founder of name change opposition group
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In the summer of 2020, the Duval County School Board approved two separate motions to consider the renaming of six NINE historic schools in Jacksonville, Florida, in response to demands from social activists who oppose school names referencing Confederate officers and soldiers. While the supporters of "savetheschoolnames.org" agree that more needs to be done to address social concerns in our community,
We vehemently oppose the removal of the original names of our schools.
renaming the targeted schools will disrupt their historic identities, decimate alumni financial support, and waste upwards of two million dollars : dollars that could be used to help with costs of covid-readiness, and for improving academic and social outcomes for the students, ultimately benefiting the entire community.
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learn how your donations will fuel our fight!
check out the video footage of the community meetings. MArch 25th at lee h.s. pretty much sums up our foes. And shines a light on Principal Feagins' failure to enforce his own meeting rules.
The Motion
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Board Chairman Warren Jones' letter proposing and initiating the renaming process for six schools
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Board member Ashley Juarez smith's July 7th letter proposing the renaming of three more schools
They're Pushing.
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Northside coalition "demands"
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Claims academic outcomes improve with renamings
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Disregards perpetual value of schools' contributions to community
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No proactive involvement of public in decision
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Where will it end? First, six schools... NOW NINE.
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Local media outlets giving disproportionate airtime to proponents of the name changes
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Northside Coalition president ben frazier rejects idea of name changes for schools he's personally connected to, claiming loyalty and "Deep roots"; dismisses same for other schools' past / present students
We're Pushing Back.
Priorities,
people.
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We question and challenge the school board's prioriti-zing of name changes over critical school needs.
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We encourage the public to scrutinize the push for a new, 15-year half-cent SALES TAX when at least a million donated dollars are being earmarked for other than the most critical structural problems across the district
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We challenge them to produce solid evidence of a positive academic outcome in similar name-change scenarios
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We protest depriving alumni of their historical connection to their Alma mater
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We cite the likelihood of a significant, negative impact on future alumni support based on accounts from other schools with changed names