It's time to drop Jax's Confederate school names

[Tacachale]

Jacksonville's Confederate school names are a relic of Jim Crow era school segregation – and it's high time to get rid of them.

Read more: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/its-time-to-drop-jaxs-confederate-school-names/

[Adam White]

Good article, Bill. I had totally forgotten that we named a school after Jefferson Davis. I can't really understand what they did in the past, but surely we're better than this today.

[BridgeTroll]

I agree with the confederate name changes. I would endorse eliminating schools named after humans and change to numbered school names (PS 1,2,3...) or regional names... Westside, Northside...

[Adam White]

I agree with the confederate name changes. I would endorse eliminating schools named after humans and change to numbered school names (PS 1,2,3...) or regional names... Westside, Northside...

That seems like a very sensible solution. Kind of future-proofing it, too - protects against situations where we name a school after someone who ends up doing something bad.

[BridgeTroll]

I agree with the confederate name changes. I would endorse eliminating schools named after humans and change to numbered school names (PS 1,2,3...) or regional names... Westside, Northside...

That seems like a very sensible solution. Kind of future-proofing it, too - protects against situations where we name a school after someone who ends up doing something bad.

And yet seems unlikely to happen... one groups batch of names will be replaced with another groups batch of names...

[CityLife]

Can't believe this is even having to be discussed in 2021. Should have been done a long time ago...

[bl8jaxnative]

BTW - Mass transit is a relic of the Jim Crow era.

Be careful with framing.  You may not like where it leads.

[Charles Hunter]

I agree with the confederate name changes. I would endorse eliminating schools named after humans and change to numbered school names (PS 1,2,3...) or regional names... Westside, Northside...

That seems like a very sensible solution. Kind of future-proofing it, too - protects against situations where we name a school after someone who ends up doing something bad.

And yet seems unlikely to happen... one groups batch of names will be replaced with another groups batch of names...

DCPS policy does not allow using "people" names, so the new names will likely be geographic. 

[Tacachale]

BTW - Mass transit is a relic of the Jim Crow era.

Be careful with framing.  You may not like where it leads.

Lol, I can't wait to hear the explanation of this claim.

[thelakelander]

I'd be interested to hear how myself!

[Adam White]

BTW - Mass transit is a relic of the Jim Crow era.

Be careful with framing.  You may not like where it leads.

What is now the London Underground - the first subterranean railway in the world - opened in 1863. Well before Jim Crow (and actually during the Civil War). And other forms of mass transit (non-subterranean railways, buses, trams) predated that.

So, methinks your claim is specious.

[BridgeTroll]

I agree with the confederate name changes. I would endorse eliminating schools named after humans and change to numbered school names (PS 1,2,3...) or regional names... Westside, Northside...

That seems like a very sensible solution. Kind of future-proofing it, too - protects against situations where we name a school after someone who ends up doing something bad.

And yet seems unlikely to happen... one groups batch of names will be replaced with another groups batch of names...

DCPS policy does not allow using "people" names, so the new names will likely be geographic. 

Good to hear... how new is that policy?

[Charles Hunter]

It's hard to say how long the "no people names" policy has been in effect. The "History" summary at the end of this section of the DCPS Policy doesn't identify which dates refer to specific changes. However, since it came up during the renaming of Westside HS, I suspect it was the 2008 revision. 
As a refresher, here is the entire relevant section of DCPS Policy.  Each of the schools considering renaming is in a different place in the process described below.

III.   Renaming an Existing School

A.   The Superintendent, any School Board member, or one of the initiating entities named below, may submit a written request to the School Board during a regular Board meeting, requesting the Board rename an existing school. An "initiating entity" is defined as:
1.   SAC of the school;
2.   PTA of the school;
3.   At least 75% of the school's students;
4.   Alumni of the school (the minimum number of which is at least 75% of the school's current student body population, as evidenced by a signed petition indicating the graduate's name and graduation year)*; or
5.   Community members within the school's attendance zone (the minimum number of which is at least 75% of the school's current student body population, as evidenced by a signed petition indicating the community member's name and address within the attendance zone)*.

*Note: The district will have no obligation to verify the accuracy of the petitions presented.

B.   Upon receipt of the written request described in subsection III.A. above, the School Board shall decide by a majority vote of the Board whether to accept the written request and refer the matter to the Superintendent for further review. If the School Board accepts the written request, then the Superintendent shall establish procedures for renaming the school, which include soliciting community input from the following:
1.   SAC of the school;
2.   PTA of the school;
3.   Students of the school;
4.   Community members within the school's attendance zone;
5.   Members of the school's faculty and staff; and
6.   Alumni of the school.

C.   The Superintendent shall offer to the School Board for its decision by a vote of the Board, either a proposed new name to the Board or recommend no change to the school's existing name. The School Board may, after considering the submission of the Superintendent's recommendation, accept or reject the recommendation, or request another name be proposed for its consideration, until the Board makes a final determination of the petition to rename the school.

IV.   Requirements applicable to naming or renaming a school:

A.   The name of the school shall not be of a person (whether living or deceased); and

B.   The name shall not be in conflict with an existing name of a school.

...

HISTORY:   
ADOPTED: April 1, 1997
REVISION DATE(S): 11/10/08
03/05/2019
FORMERLY: FF

[Tacachale]

Yeah it's been at least 10 years.