Five educators from Jean Ribault High School traveled to Orlando with one shared goal: learn what successful schools are doing differently and determine how those strategies could strengthen their own school community. They returned convinced that meaningful change is possible.
Through the Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, Mari Richardson, Ashley Cozad, Victoria Nolen, Stephanie Parks, and William Griffin attended the 2026 Model Schools Conference. The team represented different roles and areas of expertise, allowing them to explore strategies for instruction, student support, leadership, and school culture.
Their experience centered on three major lessons: strong school culture must be intentional, collaboration drives sustainable change, and learning must lead to action.
First, the team saw examples of schools facing challenges similar to Ribault’s that successfully transformed their culture and student outcomes. Richardson described learning how high-performing schools align instruction, professional learning, and student support around a common vision. Nolen similarly said seeing schools like theirs successfully make changes was “very encouraging.”
Second, attending as a team made collaboration part of the learning experience. Between sessions, the educators met to compare takeaways and discuss how ideas could work at Ribault. Cozad called collaborating with her coworkers her favorite part of the trip, while Parks highlighted the opportunity to “learn and grow” alongside her team.
Most importantly, their learning is already moving into action. The team plans to establish a School Culture Committee focused on teacher morale, student attendance, and creating an environment where students and educators want to be. They also plan professional learning opportunities, shared resources, and stronger systems for collaboration across the school.
The five educators went to Orlando looking for strategies to improve their school. They returned to Jacksonville not simply with ideas, but with a shared commitment to put those ideas into action and build the school culture they know is possible.