Gustavo Guzman received the Duval County Teacher of the Year Award on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. | Jacksonville Public Education Fund.
Published on January 22, 2024 at 12:03 pm
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A biology teacher at Terry Parker High School was has been named the 2024 Duval County Teacher of the Year.
Gustavo Guzman, a graduate of Edward Waters University and the first college graduate in his family, was selected as the winner among 180 top educators representing every school in the county.
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The award was announced Saturday night at the EDDY Awards, a program of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund that recognizes the district’s best educators.
Growing up in Belle Glade, Florida, as the son of agricultural laborers, Guzman learned the value of education early on. In his application for Teacher of the Year, he said he loves to empower students with positive affirmations based on character development, academic growth and athletic accomplishments.
As the Duval County Teacher of the Year, he said his message is that students need educators to be “the whole teacher.”
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“It takes diverse teachers, willing to meet students where they are, then push them further than they could see for themselves,” he said. “When students see themselves in their daily leaders an influx of positive change can occur.”
Within his classrooms, he’s implemented systems and instruction that last year raised one class’s test scores by more than 22%, according to the education fund.
“Mr. Guzman has that ‘it’ factor that makes students really love to come to his class and learn about science,” said Duval County Schools Superintendent Dana Kriznar. “His ability to engage students in higher-order thinking does more than just prepare them for the rigors of college.”
The Teacher of the Year program is accompanied by a year-long effort to celebrate and elevate Duval County’s best public-school educators.
“The EDDY Awards gala is an opportunity to celebrate the many incredible teachers in Duval County and thank them for all they do for our students,” said Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, president of the education fund. “The professionalism they bring to the classroom and the love they pour into their students is life-altering.
Beyond the title, Guzman will join the organization’s board of directors as an ex-officio member for the next year, a tradition for every Duval County Teacher of the Year. He also will receive a cash prize and a classroom grant through Florida Blue and the Deerwood Rotary Club.
