Stay iNformed and Connected

Inspiring generations – in many ways this has been the promise of Miami-Dade County Public Schools since the late 1800s when a small single-story, one-room wooden structure served as the District’s first classroom. Now more than a century later, I am reminded of this promise every time I visit a classroom in one of our more than 300 schools and I look into the eyes of a child who is brimming with excitement and anticipation for learning and discovery. On Monday, August 22, teachers and employees across the school district welcomed our more than 350,000 students and their families back to school for the 2016-2017 academic year. Children entered schools, some for the first time and others returning to continue their education, with unbridled enthusiasm and great expectations. I am proud to say our expert team of highly-skilled, highly-qualified professionals continues to meet them at their level of expectation and raise the bar even higher.

Over the past eight years, I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting parents, educators, policymakers, and business leaders from every corner of the United States. They are eager to share with me their high regard for the work we do in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, including our success in transforming classroom instruction through a substantial investment in technology as well as the implementation of a variety of programs and educational offerings, such as magnet and choice options. This school year, M-DCPS rolled out 61 new choice and magnet programs that include Design, Animation, and Gaming; Sports Medicine and Sports Management; Botany and Zoology; Legal Studies, and International Supply Chain Management just to highlight a handful of the academic options for students. This brings the total number of choice and magnet programs offered throughout the District to 600. Additionally, our continued focus on digital convergence has changed the academic landscape as students and teachers infuse the use of technology in learning and instruction. We have distributed an additional 35,000 mobile devices to students bringing the total number to nearly 140,000. This year, the new devices will be used in 6th grade U.S. history, 7th grade language arts, and 11th grade language arts and U.S. history. Additionally, 900 interactive white boards and 8,000 teacher desktop computers have replaced aging equipment in classrooms throughout the District.

To say that I am excited about this new school year and all it has to offer our students and employees is an understatement. We have established a tradition of excellence in Miami-Dade County Public Schools – excellence in teaching, excellence in learning, and excellence in accountability and operations. This year we will continue that tradition and fulfill our promise to inspire generations.

New Year, New Programs, Refreshed Look

Sixty-one new choice/magnet programs were created for this school year, the most ever in one year. These new courses, which bring the total of choice programs to nearly 600, are in the areas of STEM (robotics, coding, biomedical), music, entertainment technology, business studies, visual and performing arts, Advanced Placement, legal studies, and sports medicine and management.

Some of the new programs sound like the subjects for Hollywood movies: Cybersecurity – Design, Animation & Gaming – Sports Medicine and Sports Management –Entertainment Technology and Game Design, just to name a few.

In addition, we are also launching M-DCPS Refresh: A New Look for 21st Century Learning, a community-wide contest to update the M-DCPS logo and brand to allow for a more modern and relevant representation of the digital learning transformation the District has embarked upon.

A well-designed logo is one of the most important symbols of an organization. It represents the organization’s brand, identity, vision, and core purpose. It has been more than 15 years since the Miami-Dade County Public Schools logo received a true redesign.

During that time classroom instruction and learning have evolved as we moved from pencils and paper to Wi-Fi and tablets. Technology has led to new ways of teaching and learning. M-DCPS is a 21st century nationally-recognized education system, and it’s important that our logo reflect our cutting-edge innovation and world-class brand.

Through the #MDCPSRefresh contest, you now have a chance to redesign the M-DCPS logo. The contest will be open to the general public and the entry form will be available in October. Look out for contest details and you could be the designer of the next M-DCPS logo!

Technical Training: M-DCPS’ Best Kept Secret

Miami-Dade County Public Schools has served the community over the last century, improving education and offering quality programs for families. Over 75 years ago, the school district took it a step further, offering its first adult and community education program at Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center.

The adult and community education program was developed in order to serve a growing population of ambitious members in the community who were looking for a way to enter the workforce. Recently, the school district converted seven of its technical education centers into technical colleges. Now, by offering the lowest tuition costs in Miami-Dade County, with less than one year programs that can effectively place students into careers of high demand, Miami-Dade Technical Colleges and its Adult and Community Education programs are today’s best kept secrets.

The team fosters ongoing relationships with employers and top industry leaders in the community in order to deliver more than just professional enhancement, but also to connect students with full-time job opportunities. Toyota, Braman Motors, CISCO, Whirlpool, Jackson Health Systems, Walgreens and Honda are some of Miami-Dade Technical Colleges’ premier community partners who offer students hands-on-training to fulfill their career dreams.

Employers such as Braman, Toyota and Honda are in search of quality and specialized talent. Miami-Dade Technical Colleges prepares students for over 65 career options in high demand such as; Health, Construction, Apprenticeship, Aviation, Commercial Foods/Culinary Arts, Commercial Art, 3D Animation, Information Technology, Personal Services, Manufacturing, Transportation, and more. English classes are also available to help integrate the immigrant community members into the work force.

Time is of the essence for both students and employers dedicated to advancing in these industries. Many of the career preparation programs offered by Miami-Dade Technical Colleges provide members of the community a chance to jump start their career within a year. With seven Technical Colleges throughout Miami-Dade County, prospective students can choose between day and evening classes that work seamlessly with their schedule.

Miami-Dade Technical Colleges also offers unmatched support and financial aid to help students afford an education. Programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education, Opportunity Grant, Fee Waivers, Florida Pre-Paid, Florida Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Veteran’s Assistance (VA), Career-Sources South Florida, S.A.V.E.S. (Skills for Academic, Vocational and English Studies) and Apprenticeship opportunities provide students with an array of options to afford their education and accomplish their career goals. Miami Dade Technical Colleges features state-of-the-art equipment, intensive and effective career programs at a fraction of the cost.

These programs have been optimized for the adult learner looking to transition into a successful working professional. Pursuing a certificate or license at the nationally accredited Miami-Dade Technical Colleges offers students an academic experience with unparalleled community support. The faculty is there to help students improve their lives and their careers for the benefit of their future and their families.

For more information on enrollment and financial aid options, please visit MiamiDadeTechnicalColleges.com. Additional resources may be found at CareerInaYear.com or by calling 305-558-8000.

#ValuesMatterMiami - A New Approach to Emphasizing Values @MDCPS

Which Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS) values describe you the best? The 2016-2017 academic year kicked off with the new Values Matter Miami campaign, which aims to create awareness and reinforcement of M-DCPS’ nine core values. This initiative supports our efforts to maintain a safe learning environment and develop productive citizens in our community. Our students are being challenged to become a positive influence in our schools by not only being model students, but by also having a positive impact on others. Our school counselors are also taking the lead in this initiative by creating interactive lessons for all grade levels intended to engage our students in a deeper, more focused conversation that allows them to make decisions based on core values.

This year, the Values Matter Miami campaign went beyond our classrooms, bringing our community together to help teach our students the importance of the three R’s: Respect, Responsibility, and Restraint. Community leaders, celebrities and influencers were asked to promote the #ValuesMatterMiami campaign on social media, reiterating to our students the importance of making constructive and lasting contributions that positively impact the world. M-DCPS also partnered with Sandy Hook Promise and was chosen as the site for the national launch of “Start with Hello”, a district-wide program to raise awareness and educate students to be more connected and inclusive. This initiative helps reinforce our core values by supporting the District’s commitment to making students from every background feel welcome and accepted in our schools.

With less than two months into the academic year, #ValuesMatterMiami has gone viral in our community, and we hope you can join us in teaching our students the importance of Citizenship, Cooperation, Fairness, Integrity, Honesty, Kindness, Responsibility, Respect and the Pursuit of Excellence. Learn more by visiting: http://osi.dadeschools.net/valuesmatter/.

General Obligation Bond Projects Continue to Be On Time, On Budget

Four years ago, when Miami-Dade County voters were asked to approve a General Obligation Bond to renovate schools, construct new schools, and install new classroom technology, the response was overwhelming. Nearly 70 percent of the electorate gave two thumbs up to the idea. Thanks to the dedication and efficiency of our team, we have been able to fulfill our commitments to the taxpayers of our community as promised.

We have made a dedicated effort to inform the public about the many different bond projects undertaken by the school district and the news is encouraging.

According to the latest reports by the Office of School Facilities, of the 68 projects initiated during Year 1, 66 have been completed, including the new Miami Norland Senior High School. Year 2 consists of 79 projects, of which 40 have been completed, 34 are under construction, four are currently in the design stage and one is in the bidding stage. It is important to recognize that 54 Year 2 projects are being handled by small local companies certified by the Small and Micro Business Enterprise program.

Year 3 includes 54 projects of which 24 are under construction, and five are in the design stage. Of the 50 projects of Year 4, one has been completed, six are under construction, two in bidding and 42 in design.

Also, another 222 smaller projects have begun in the areas of technology, air conditioning, playgrounds, dismantling portable classrooms and safety improvements. Of these, 165 have been completed, 21 are under construction and the remainder are under bidding and design.

The positive economic impact of the bond is evident throughout our community with the participation of dozens of architects, engineers and contractors involved in our school projects. To date, the costs have exceeded $362 million, of which $72 million has been used for technology upgrades and another $111 million is currently under contract. We are quickly approaching $500 million in investment towards the future of our community.

These accomplishments were achieved at the same time the School Board, through a prudent financial strategy, managed to lower the millage rate related to debt service to .184 mills this year. The decrease in the 2016 debt service millage rate represents a reduction of 17 percent from the debt service tax rate millage anticipated in 2012 and provides over $10 million in property tax savings for the County’s taxpayers this year.

The Office of Economic Opportunity’s (OEO) purpose is to promote the economic development and growth of our community’s Small/Micro Business Enterprises (SBE/MBE) and Minority/Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE). OEO has established pools of 798 SBE/MBE and 818 M/WBE certified firms that are willing and able to compete for business opportunities with the District.

Recently, we made a presentation to the Committee on Small Business Enterprise about the results of our local minority participation pilot program used to create incentive and diversification among sub-contractors and sub-consultants. So far, 36 primary architects have been used including 22 belonging to certified small businesses. This is in addition to the 32 contracting firms hired, of which 12 have been certified as small businesses.

We have an advisory committee consisting of 25 independent community members who closely monitor our progress. We are proud of our achievements, especially as we continue providing our students with quality education in a friendly, safe environment.

Together For Children

There is a troubling trend in our community and our children are in crisis. In recent years, far too many young people have been impacted by senseless, reckless violence as either perpetrator or victim. The carnage and destruction plaguing neighborhoods have left families broken and a community desperately searching for answers. Given this reality, a cross-section of local and state agencies have joined together to engage the community and develop solutions to keep kids safe through an initiative called Together For Children.

In April 2016, through a series of roundtable discussions, representatives from government, education, business, law enforcement, and justice came together to have candid dialogue about the epidemic of violence impacting our youth. Just months later in early September on the steps of the Children’s Courthouse, the initiative was officially announced with an invitation to the community to join the effort. Meetings were held in neighborhoods most impacted by youth violence to exchange ideas and eventually develop action plans that addressed the specific needs and concerns of each neighborhood.

By identifying root causes, such as social rejection and distrust, gang involvement, and poor self-control, which often lead to violence among juveniles, Together For Children hopes to develop sustainable solutions to youth violence and develop intervention strategies so that children and families have positive alternatives. Community engagement is at the heart of any solution. Only as one can we empower our youth.

iNspiration @MDCPS

Working in his home garage, Ethan challenged himself to develop, build and program an artificial heart model, using Lego NXT equipment. Through his passion for #STEM, Ethan hopes to improve the lives of people with heart conditions.

Name: Ethan Levy

School: 9th grader at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School

Accomplishments: His science project was selected as one of the top 30 among 80,000 projects competing in last year’s science and engineering fairs in the U.S. Ethan has been selected as a Society for Science & the Public Broadcom MASTERS Finalist among the top two percent of all students in the United States.

Fun facts About Ethan:

• He hopes to become a surgeon
• He volunteers regularly at a nursing home in his community. Once a week, he walks his dog, “Choco”, from room to room, talking with the patients and making their week brighter.
• His hobbies include reading, playing chess, art, computer graphics, video games and swimming

iNspiration @MDCPS

Claritha Perry has inspired a generation of Calusa Elementary students to channel their creativity through the visual arts. She has taught art at Calusa for more than 30 years, and inspired local artist Alex Yanes to follow his passion.

Name: Claritha Perry

Occupation: Art Teacher, Calusa Elementary School

Accomplishments: She was named the 2006-2007 Calusa Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the National Art Education Association and the Dade Art Education Association. Ms. Perry is a past winner of Dade County Youth Fair for submitting the most entries and her students have won numerous awards in District-wide Art Exhibitions.

Fun facts About Claritha:

• She loves classic movies
• She enjoys visiting Impressionist art exhibits
• Her hobby is painting abstract city scenes

iNfact

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