Dr. Nahshon Nicks
has been beating the odds his whole life. Father was in prison, mother struggled with substance abuse, and he couldn't read until the 5th grade. But by the grace of God he was able to graduate as senior class president from Edward Waters University with a BA in Education, Masters Degrees in Management and Leadership from Strayer University, and a PhD from New York Theological Seminary. He is a successful entrepreneur and runs a Martial arts business where he mentors thousands of our at-risk youth throughout Jacksonville.
He developed his own curriculum SEALTeam Social Emotional and Academic Leadership through Mentoring and Martial Arts. Social Emotional and Academic Leadership builds executive functional skills that translates into workforce development which gives our youth a fighting chance at success. He has hosted numerous job fairs, Empowerment Mens Conferences, helped thousands of Duval Citizens register to vote, held preventative health initiatives, as well as hosted the Americans of African Descent Economic Summit helping minority businesses get access to capital and capacity building. His wife Shakira is retired from the US Navy and they have 3 beautiful daughters. Most importantly he loves God, he loves his family, and he loves our city.
What are your priorities for Duval County Public Schools?
Keeping our public neighborhood schools open, student safety, retaining and recruiting top educators, and college and/or career readiness for graduates.
Why did you choose these as priorities?
I believe these priorities reflect the concerns of parents, students, teachers, and citizens of Duval County.
Although school board members are elected by district, they make decisions for the whole of Duval County, which occasionally leads to conflict. What is your approach and philosophy for making decisions in this situation?
I believe that each elected board member brings unique experiences and skill sets that can bring spirited debate; however, every decision should be decided by how does this benefit the children of Duval County Public Schools and when answered correctly we should proceed with a united consensus.
Over the last few years, the Florida Legislature has had a significant impact on local public education. What are your top issues at the state level, and how would you work with legislators in Tallahassee to represent the needs of our students?
Teacher pay and or compensation incentives, funding for children that transfer back into DCPS schools whose funds may have been exhausted by prior attendance in charter schools, restructuring the disbursement of Florida’s Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) dollars.
Please provide a description of how you would differentiate between the governance responsibility of the school board and the management role of the superintendent.
The school board sets the strategic vision and governance policies for the district while the superintendent is responsible for the implementation and execution of those policies. In return it gives way for shared accountability and oversight.
The Duval County School Board recently heard a consultant’s proposal to redraw school boundaries, align feeder patterns, and consolidate many small or under-enrolled schools and has been collecting input from the community regarding the proposal. What will be your approach to adjusting the Master Facility Plan?
My commitment to my constituents is to be honest, open, and transparent while evaluating proposed changes, assessing the best and highest use of taxpayer dollars, and continue to gather community input.
While Duval County has made great progress in education, there are still students who are falling behind. How would you maintain a focus on addressing inequities in student performance, including by supporting schools in low-income neighborhoods?
First, I would like to mention that I have worked for years with schools within the district as a mentor and with martial arts programs for students who have improved tremendously, both behaviorally and academically, into thriving students. I firmly believe in collaboration, data-driven decision-making, retaining top educators, and maintaining a standard of academic excellence regardless of socio economic status.