Crew named Advocate of the Year

MIAMI – Schools Superintendent Rudolph F. Crew was recently presented the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) International Education Advocate of the Year award. The award is given to the educator, who, through outstanding contributions and commitment to international education has furthered the cause of international education.

The VIF awards selection committee commended Crew for the steps he has taken in providing students an education that will prepare them to face the challenges of the new global economy. The selection committee also credited Crew and his staff for their dedication to selecting and supporting highly qualified international teachers.

Crew became Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools on July 1, 2004, following a nationwide search by the nation's fourth-largest school district. He immediately defined three priorities for the school district: eliminating low-performing schools, increasing academic achievement for all students, and bringing cost-efficiency to the district's construction and business practices.

Under Crew’s leadership, Miami-Dade County Public Schools have improved in several key areas. Among them:

For a second consecutive year, the Broad Foundation has selected Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a finalist for its prestigious annual prize to the nation’s most effective urban school district, resulting in a minimum of $250,000 in scholarship money for Miami-Dade County Public Schools students.
An Education Council of International Cities (ECIC) has been established to prepare students to be competitive in today’s global economy.
Secondary School Reform has been initiated at 11 senior high schools, with plans to expand to 28 in the coming year.
Thirteen Miami-Dade high schools were recognized by Newsweek Magazine as among the nation’s best.
40,000 new student stations have been added to date, including five new schools opened this year.
Education compacts have now been forged with six municipalities to focus energy on improving schools and saving public dollars.
Enrollment in foreign language courses has increased by nearly 3,500 new students in two years
The Electronic Gradebook, an interactive tool to let parents see their child’s grades in progress and actively participate in their education is now online.
The most common school performance grade is “A” in M-DCPS.
Enrollment and performance excellence in Advanced Placement and gifted courses across the county has increased substantially, particularly among minority students.

VIF is the United States' largest international exchange program for US schools and teachers worldwide. VIF provides schools with highly qualified international teachers certified to teach a variety of subjects. Partnering with VIF gives schools access to the best international teachers, as well as a partner dedicated to providing thorough support.

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