Viewpoint: KIPP is investing in education to power Jax's future

Reading is the cornerstone of every child’s education – a skill that, when mastered early, opens the door to a lifetime of opportunity and economic freedom. At KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, a nonprofit network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving elementary, middle and high school students across Northeast Florida, we are proud to champion those “choice-filled” lives by investing deeply in early literacy instruction, teacher development and evidence-based curriculum. These investments are already delivering measurable gains in classrooms across our network.

In September, our network announced more than $500,000 in new philanthropic support from The Louis Calder Foundation and The Warren and Augusta Hume Foundation to strengthen literacy instruction across our four schools. These investments directly fuel the professional growth of our educators—those on the front lines of change.

Through The Louis Calder Foundation’s $350,000 grant, we’re expanding our English Language Arts program with new Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA)-aligned materials during the next two years. We are also continuing Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training. Already, 92 percent of KIPP Jacksonville teachers report that LETRS has improved their content knowledge—a key driver of student progress.

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