Magnet Enrollment Skyrockets!

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) ended its open enrollment period for magnet programs on January 15th and received a record number of applications. This year’s applications outnumbered the previous year by thousands, indicating that parents are recognizing the value and quality of the school district’s diverse magnet programs.

Beating the Odds of the FSA

Every year, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) waits with anticipation for the release of the schools report card from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The schools report card is critical for our community, as it is the indicator of how our education system is performing. For the 2014-2015 schools year, the State of Florida implemented new Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) which caused confusion, conflict, and controversy leading to lower school grades across the state. However, Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers and students did well in comparison to the rest of the state.

Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Wins Prestigious Education Prize

Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho was recently named winner of the 2016 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Carvalho will receive the U.S. K-12 prize for his “exemplary leadership in raising standards and improving graduation rates in a complex urban district, which is an outstanding model for others.”

M-DCPS OEO: Providing Opportunities for Our Community

One thing is certain, business-to-business relationships are booming as a result of the work of Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The OEO was created to promote the economic development and growth of Small/Micro Business Enterprises and Minority/Women Business Enterprises through its certification program, community outreach, contract review and monitoring activities

iNspiration @MDCPS

A shining example of perseverance and determination, Sterling has not allowed obstacles stop him from achieving his goals.

Name: Sterling Velazquez

School: 12th grade student at School for Advanced Studies (Kendall Campus)

Accomplishments: Despite a serious medical diagnosis when he was 15, Sterling Velazquez continues to achieve at the School for Advanced Studies, where his weighted GPA of 5.04 places him in the top group of high school seniors graduating in this year. He will graduate from Miami Dade College in May with an Associate of Arts degree, more than a month before he graduates from high school.

iNspiration @MDCPS

A tireless educator, transformer, and leader, meet the 2017 Francisco R. Walker Teacher of the Year.

Name: Precious Symonette

Occupation: Creative Writing Teacher at Miami Norland Senior High School

Accomplishments: Precious has been teaching students for ten years. She is the co-founder of the academic cohort “Knowledge is Connected” at Miami Norland Senior High School. Precious launched the Freedom Writers Writing Gala when she taught at Charles R. Drew Middle School and continues the tradition at Miami Norland, where she also launched the Viking Freedom Writers Creative Writing Club in 2013. She is an official Freedom Writers Teacher.

Stay iNformed and Connected

This issue of iNews gives you a view of the momentum that consistently elevates our world-class educational programs, initiatives, and community partnerships as well as the standard of excellence that has come to define Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Read about the many ways students benefit from the work of the Foundation for New Education Initiatives. Get the latest news about our cutting-edge magnet and choice programs in Trade & Logistics and Cyber Security. Learn more about the many business opportunity access points for small and minority/women-owned firms through the work of the District’s economic opportunity office. Be inspired by Miami-Dade’s Teacher of the Year Precious Symonette, and share our excitement about record-breaking number of applications for our District magnet programs.

Although exciting, breaking records and leading the state in school and district academic performance are not necessarily new to M-DCPS. We have steadily outpaced similar school districts and the state as a whole on high-stakes, standardized tests. Recently, the Florida Department of Education released the preliminary 2014-2015 School Performance Grades for all schools. Despite the challenges surrounding the Florida Standards Assessments, Miami-Dade’s school performance grades continue to demonstrate the instructional rigor and curriculum development ingenuity of our educators and administrators as well as the academic focus and competency of our students.

As you will read in the stories that follow, M-DCPS is a story of success and achievement, and as remarkable as it may seem, the M-DCPS story just keeps getting better.

iNfact

School for Advanced Studies (SAS), a nationally recognized collegiate high school, will be opening a new campus at Miami Dade College (MDC) West Campus in Doral for the 2016-2017 school year.

Nearly 12,000 students and their families attended the 2016 Miami National College Fair to learn about 200 colleges and universities from around the country.

M-DCPS’ Office of Early Childhood Programs has begun open enrollment for the 2016-2017 Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Applications will be accepted through May 10, 2016.

Open since January, the Comprehensive Primary Care Clinic at the John H. Peavy Health Center at Miami Northwestern Senior High is a first-of-its-kind, providing exceptional health care services to the community

Thousands of participants attended the Miami-Dade STEM Expo to support the best and brightest STEM students in our community

M-DCPS is hiring teachers. Learn more about upcoming recruitment events, and current & anticipated vacancies at http://jobs.dadeschools.net

iChoose M-DCPS

"Mr. Shaw cared deeply about each of his students. I returned to him after starting high school for advice on my struggles with a particularly challenging math course - a first in my academic career. He said he believed in me and knew it was a matter of time before I found my stride. He was right, and with each major transition I've appreciated his words, knowing that with a little time I will settle in and be successful."

iNtouch

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
1450 NE 2 Avenue
Miami, Florida 33132
USA

	dadeschools.net
	305-995-1000

Copyright 2015
All rights reserved.

Editors
Daisy Gonzalez-Diego
Vanessa Lopez

Contributors
Daiva Fernandez
Hilda Diaz
Ruben Gomez
Tammy Reed

Photography
Jimmy Abraham