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    Andrea Y. Talley

    Principal 

     

     

       Principal Talley

  • Principal’s Message 2023-2024

     

     

    Going into my 5th year as principal of our renowned Charger Academy, I must say how proud and delighted I am that we were only 7% away from making a “B” on our school report card.  Therefore, I am so elated to tell each student to wear that crown with bragging rights.  This will give us an incentive to work even harder this year to make that “B” or even an “A” at the end of this school year!!!!   Let’s work together students, parents, teachers, staff, other stakeholders, and me to define to Duval County our motto: “AVERAGE IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!!”

     

    I am saddened to inform you that this will be our last year as a middle school.  Our school name, Charger Academy, will remain the same; however, it will become an elementary school, and I will no longer be principal here.

     

    Now I’d like to address on a happier note some of our accomplishments in the five years I’ve had the pleasure to serve as your principal.

     

    The first 2 years of my tenure we were Jefferson Davis Middle School and were one of the lowest performing middle schools in Duval County Public Schools.  When our school name changed, it seems as though our attitudes changed, our outlook changed, and we became the new and improved Charger Academy.  An academy community that exemplifies fineness, brilliance, quality, superiority, merit, and distinction.  All teachers, staff, students, parents, and community businesses have performed to that extent-absolute brilliance!!!  Further, it afforded me the opportunity to become Jefferson Davis Middle School’s last principal, Charger Academy’s first and last principal, and I was/am truly humbled!!!

     

    Because of all our hard work, as I stated previously, we received an almost “B” on our report card.  Our hashtag of “Nothing but the Best” stood the test, as they say, “the proof is in the pudding,” going from being one of the lowest performing middle school to where we were, YES, WE WERE THE ONLY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN 小丑撸 WHO MADE GREAT GAINS AND SHOWED GROWTH IN ALL STATE AND DISTRICT TESTED AREAS.

     

    Let me highlight some of those gains:

    87% proficiency/pass rate on Algebra I test

    87% proficiency/pass rate on Biology test

    66% proficiency/pass rate on Civics test

    62% proficiency/pass rate on Pre-Algebra test

     

    Now I would like to share with you how we, as teachers, staff, and other stakeholders, worked together to make that happen.

     

    • I completed the Distinguished Leaders Class.
    • I was also selected as Principal of the Year-middle schools-in Duval County.
    • I was selected as a member of the Superintendent’s, Dr. Kriznar’s, 2023-24 Principal’s Council.
    • Assistant Principal, Erica Dobson completed the Rising Leaders Class.
    • Assistant Principal, Dr. Monique Bassett was accepted into 2023-2024 Rising Leaders Cohort.
    • Arnold Bulanadi, Math teacher, and Erin Dobson, English Language Arts teacher, were identified as High Impact/Highly Effective teachers by the state of Florida.
    • Math teacher, Nichole Soest graduated from the Boselli Foundation Teacher’s Fellowship.
    • Instructional Coach, Megan Rexroad and Science teacher, Liza Juanich were accepted into this year’s Boselli Foundation Teacher’s Fellowship Cohort.
    • ELA Department Head, Erin Dobson and Pernice Brooks were accepted into 2023-24 小丑撸 Teacher Leaders Cohort.
    • Instructional Coach, Tiffany Hickson currently serves on the state’s BEST team for mathematics.
    • Charger Academy won the PBIS Model School Distinction Award.  That is a wonderful and great success, especially since it has been so long since the school had a charter!!!
    • Charger Academy has Grade Level and Team Lead Teachers to assist with content area professional growth.

     

    I listed the above to show how Charger Academy has achieved building leader capacity within the school.

     

    In addition, I was phenomenally excited and pleased that we were able last school year to bring back the National Junior Honor Society charter to Charger Academy.  Can you imagine how our students held their heads up high as they marched down the center isle to represent themselves, their parents, and our school as National Junior Honor Society members?  I was nearly “bursting at the seams” as I watched them step to receive that esteemed honor that all can attain but only a few do.

     

    I look forward to another impactful and successful school year, as well as a year of fun and memories, as we celebrate our history, present and future.  May we all celebrate together (students, faculty/staff, parents, and community) as we “go out with a bang” demonstrating to the world that when you let “Average be officially over” you will automatically become “Nothing But The Best!!!”

    Now as we begin our last year as Charger Academy Middle School, I sincerely hope that even though we leave Charger Academy Middle School, none of us will allow Charger Academy Middle to leave us.  Let us keep our school and the comradery we’ve shared in our hearts and let them reign in all we do and say!!!  While “It’s so hard to say, ‘Good-bye to yesterday,’” may our successes and fame continue to rise and remember that you will all remain very special to me, and I hope I will remain special to you!!!  So, with that, I tearfully, yet hopefully say, “I will miss you, and I love you all so very much!!!”

    So long,

    Andrea Yvette Talley, Charger Middle School Principal, 2019-2024