Back to School with Action News Jax 2022

​Your kids may not be ready to go back to school, but chances are YOU'RE ready!

Action News Jax This Morning will be there to help families prepare for what's new this year in St Johns County, leading up to the first day of school and beyond.  

Anchors Dawn Lopez and Phil Amato have both raised their kids in Jacksonville and they're familiar with what parents have to go through and the questions that need to be answered.

"My kids are older now, but I can still remember what it was like to get them and myself ready for the "back to school" routine," says Dawn.  Added Phil, "Our experiences with raising families in the Jacksonville area gives us the unique advantage in our news coverage, knowing how we can help families prepare better and avoid some of the mistakes we've made!"

Our in-depth team coverage on Action News Jax will cover the many new laws and rules from the legislature as well as new transparency requirements for school curriculum and learning materials.  We'll also cover the impact of School Resource Officers and budget cuts as well as a bus driver shortage, and we'll show you which cell phones are the safest for young kids.
You can watch Phil and Dawn and the entire Action News Jax This Morning team, weekday mornings starting at 4:30am on CBS47 or FOX30.  You can also stream the newscasts live on the "Action News Jax Now" app, available wherever you stream. 

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​Chandler Morgan

​"Every day you wake up, you get another chance to change your life." It’s a saying Chandler Morgan thinks about every morning as she’s getting ready to help you get your day started on Action News Jax. Chandler anchors Action News Jax weekday mornings alongside co-anchors Phil Amato and Dawn Lopez.

“There’s something really special when you think about what ‘the morning’ of your day really means,” says Chandler. “It’s a blank page, a new journey awaits.”  

For Chandler, her journey started in Georgia. Born in raised in Atlanta, the peach state has always been close to her heart. Even at a young age, Chandler always knew she wanted to be a news anchor.

“After my first day of Pre-K, my teacher called my dad to tell him I was quite the chatter box,” says Chandler. “I think that was the first indication that my career should probably involve talking a lot.”

“There’s something really special when you think about what ‘the morning’ of your day really means,” says Chandler. “It’s a blank page, a new journey awaits.”  

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​Chandler’s love for talking and connecting with people only continued to grow as she got older.

“I also, admittedly, am a nosey person by nature,” Chandler say’s laughing. “But I promise, its with good intentions only!”
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She graduated from The University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism with a specialization in Public Relations and sports. From there, she headed back to Georgia where she was an anchor and reporter for 2 years at the local ABC and FOX station in Columbus. Chandler then moved to Charlotte, North Carolina joining the local CBS station as an anchor and reporter for 3 years. During her time in Charlotte, she was nominated for four EMMYs and would eventually go on to win an EMMY for her outstanding field anchoring coverage.

As 2021 came to a close, Chandler started a new journey, moving to Jacksonville. “I’m always asking for recommendations on which restaurants I should try next, or which hidden gems I should go explore,” says Chandler. “Jacksonville has so much to offer!”

You can get your day started with Chandler Morgan every weekday morning on CBS47 and FOX30 Action News Jax.

​Marcine Josephs

​Marcine Joseph is the Morning Traffic Anchor for Action News Jax This Morning. 

She was born and raised in Miami, FL but is happy to call Jacksonville her new home.  With Jacksonville’s growing community and diversity, she says moving from South Florida to Northeast Florida has been a great experience. 

"I love Florida and I'm so happy to continue my career in the Jacksonville area."
Marcine is Caribbean-American and is from Haitian descent. She speaks both Kreyol and French.

She also speaks a little bit of Spanish from growing up in South Florida.

Marcine is excited to be in Jacksonville and wants to help you navigate your commute, weekday mornings on Action News Jax.