Saturday was an enchanting evening for Team READ USA as we celebrated our Board Member Vincent Taylor, who was selected as the 2025 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year!
At the 34th Annual EDDY Awards hosted by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, over 1,000 people gathered to celebrate the teachers of Duval County. The special evening recognized the daily, unwavering commitment that every Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) teacher makes to their students’ lifelong success. Teachers leave a lasting impression on their students that extends far beyond the classroom, inspiring and motivating them to not only succeed academically, but personally as well.
This is precisely why Cedar Hills Elementary teacher/math interventionist and READ USA Board Member Vincent Taylor was so deserving of this recognition! Not only does Vincent understand the unique needs and learning style of every student he encounters, but he also brings his trademark style of making mathematics and learning fun and engaging to every lesson. Through music, movement, and lyrical magic, Vincent makes the lessons come alive and be relevant and applicable to daily life.
Vincent is also embedded in the local community as well as the global community of educators. He is a published author, a renowned and highly sought-after public speaker, and the mastermind behind Cornbread, his children’s book series that teaches valuable lessons but in fun and relatable ways. The Cornbread character also makes in-person appearances at events across the community and state, instilling a love for words, literacy, and reading in children through music, lyrics, and “Rhythmic Reading with Rap.”
But don’t just take our word for how impactful and engaging Vincent is – hear directly from his students here:
While every teacher deserves to be celebrated, Vincent and the four other Teacher of the Year finalists have demonstrated a commitment to our community’s youth that has gone far above and beyond the norm. To each of them, Team READ USA extends a hearty and highly deserving congratulations! We are honored and proud to work alongside you and every Duval County educator in classrooms across the district every day.
Thank you to the Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) for hosting yet another exceptional EDDY Awards – we are so grateful for how JPEF rallies our community to support and embrace the backbone of our education system: our teachers! Thank you also to the incredible sponsors who made the evening possible, including VyStar Credit Union, who is a long-time supporter of READ USA, and our READ USA Board Chair Ellen Wiss, as well as many other exceptional organizations and businesses.
Finally, thank you to the DCPS School Board and DCPS Administration for your commitment to our educators, families, and students of Duval County! It was wonderful to see all of you at the EDDY Awards!
Congratulations again to Vincent and all of Duval County’s teachers of the year!
Inspiration Through ‘Audacious Faith in the Future’
Team READ USA had the honor to attend the sold-out annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast presented by Florida Blue last week, and we departed truly inspired. As Dr. Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” We are committed to do better in and for our community!
Mama Blue performs "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing"
The musical performances were extraordinary and uplifting, and the overarching message and event theme of ‘Audacious Faith in the Future’ resonated strongly with READ USA. It is precisely this mantra that inspires our team to do what we do every day.
READ USA exists to help children learn to read, but the real mission and purpose behind our work goes much deeper. It’s about helping children achieve and create their own futures that they yearn for and dream about. It’s about uplifting our community as a whole and making sure no one is left behind, simply because of a struggle to read. It’s about having big, hearty, audacious faith that we can make the future stronger and more vibrant for our nation, our community, and for every individual through literacy. It’s by having audacious faith in “what’s possible” that motivates us to continue pushing ourselves and our students, no matter the challenges that present themselves.
This is also the audacious faith that inspired and drove Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be relentless in his pursuit for equality, equity, and peaceful change.
And for that, we will forever be inspired and humbled by Dr. King and his lasting legacy – a legacy that we seek to uplift and uphold at every opportunity.
Thank you to the City of Jacksonville, the NAACP Jacksonville Branch, the Jacksonville Urban League, the JAX Chamber, Florida Blue, VyStar Credit Union, and the many other sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who make this annual event happen, including our Board Chair Ellen Wiss!
Check out some of the event photos here!
Recruiting a Recruiter…For Real?
Yes, that’s correct – we are recruiting for a recruiter!
Through funding from the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program, READ USA is offering a one-year, full-time service opportunity as a Volunteer Recruitment Associate. This opportunity will give practical work experience to an individual while adding capacity to READ USA and helping us continue to scale and grow our programming and volunteer engagement efforts.
Share this email if you know a young adult who:
The Volunteer Recruitment Associate will work alongside READ USA leadership to create, implement, and evaluate volunteer recruitment strategies. Measured over four phases during the year-long service opportunity, the Volunteer Recruitment Associate will essentially create a handbook for READ USA to use in perpetuity to strengthen our volunteer engagement.
Interested in learning more? Access the service opportunity description, read the program benefits (end-of-service stipend or education award, living allowance, etc.) and apply directly through VISTA here.
Thank you to AmeriCorps VISTA for this fantastic opportunity to help READ USA continue to grow our impact!
Children’s Book: What’s in Your Pocket by Heather L. Montgomery
Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
“Every famous scientist was once a curious kid.”
Although these children didn’t know it when they were little, their attraction toward collecting nature’s clutter, stuffing pockets with discoveries, and writing about the wonderful curiosities they found were growing their brains as up-and-coming scientists!
This children’s book introduces famous scientists but not as we know them. We learn about Jane Goodall and how she kept worms under her pillow. Jane grew up to be a famous primatologist who studied and reported on chimpanzees. We follow George Washington Carver as he finds a seed pod that explodes all over his living room, much to the chagrin of his mama. George later helped farmers grow peanuts in poor soil and find multiple uses of the crop.
There is a whole world around us. Kids have helped to discover that world, to create collections, and “change the world of science.” This narrative tale encourages children to start with one tiny discovery that may even be able to fit in their pocket.
Submitted by Tabetha Cox, READ USA Chief Tutoring Officer
Parent Education Corner: Parents Can Change the Home Environment
A study published by Wiley (Phys.org, 2016) discusses the findings that parents tend to change the home reading environment based on reading needs of children in the home.
Although this sounds like a good thing, what this means is, as a child grows and becomes more independent as a reader, many parents tend to stop offering reading options over time because they don’t know what to offer. The study also found that parents do not know where to find resources, how to match their child up with reading that is a right fit, or even how to start a conversation about reading interests.
We know that young readers show interest in familiar texts, such as: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, or Where the Wild Things Are. But what happens when children move away from these types of books? Often the reader, quickly approaching or newly into school-age content, demonstrates a more complex need. Many times, parents just don’t know what to do to help. They may feel disconnected or not as familiar with school-age needs. So, as a result, they leave book acquisition up to the schools.
Here are some steps to start that conversation and action in school-aged reading:
First, reacquaint yourself with reading.
If you’ve let reading slide to the margins of your life, now is the time to bring it back. Make the space, and time, for books you read for yourself, and books you read with your child. If you want to raise a reader, be a reader. (Paul and Russo, 2017).
Next, use community offered resources.
Libraries, bookstores, small businesses, and community groups are often times laser-focused on age-appropriate reading ideas and practices. Here are some local resources to check out:
Finally, talk to your child’s teacher and media specialist. Teachers and media specialists would LOVE to recommend series and genres your child is sure to devour.
Additionally, every Title 1 school in Duval County has a parent resource center, and schools are waiting for you to visit, access, and use these resources!
Submitted by Tabetha Cox, READ USA Chief Tutoring Officer
Do you have any questions or ideas for the Parent Education Corner? Anything you’d like to learn? Let us know here!