JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Local teachers were pleasantly surprised to receive $100 gift cards for Academy Sports Monday evening.
Former Jags star lineman and hall-of-famer Tony Boselli teamed up with the store to show his appreciation for educators.
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“I know for a fact that you guys spend your own money, and last time I checked, it’s not like you guys are getting paid millions of dollars a year to do your job,” Boselli said. “If you wanna talk about making a real impact in kids’ lives, go make an impact in teachers’ lives. Because you’re the ones who are with them. This time of year, you’re probably with them more than their parents.”
For the third year in a row, the Boselli Foundation has partnered with Academy Sports in the Teacher Fellowship Program. The non-profit gives academic and athletic support to local kids – especially those who struggle financially.
“In a lot of the schools in Jacksonville, if it’s not you, it’s nobody,” Boselli added.
Third-grade teacher Jameea Jackson said the gift was completely unexpected.
“The district gives us a little bit, but before then we’ve already spent almost a thousand dollars just trying to prepare our classrooms and get things ready for kids and make sure they’re enjoying their experience in the classroom, so it’s a lot. We spend a lot of money,” she said.
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The initiative comes at a time when some teachers are leaving the profession because of inadequate pay. Florida has traditionally ranked among the lowest-paying states for teachers overall, although average starting salaries for teachers have improved.
Last week, DCPS reported it still needed 389 teachers for its roughly 6,500 instructional positions, and it needs another 111 paraprofessionals beyond the roughly 1,100 it currently has.
In June, Action News Jax told you about the district posting emotional interviews from teachers discussing the impact of low pay.
The teachers getting the gift cards Monday were simply grateful for the generosity.
“It makes me feel like there’s hope for us, you know, there are truly people that care about us in the community,” Jackson said.
Academy is also offering all teachers and school employees 10 percent off until September 5.
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