Highlights Of The 2013 ‘State Of The School System Address’ Delivered By School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2013 ‘STATE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ADDRESS’ DELIVERED BY SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR PERLA TABARES HANTMAN

Miami-Dade County School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman delivered an accounting of the progress and challenges of Miami-Dade County’s public schools during the 2013 State of the School System Address, last Tuesday at the board’s regular monthly meeting. The issues addressed in the report included student performance and the outstanding accomplishments that Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has achieved in this past year. The highlights include the following:

MDCPS posted the highest graduation rate in history - 80 percent - outpacing the state.
After five nominations, Miami-Dade was selected as the winner of the Broad (Brōde) Prize for Urban Education from among 15,000 school districts nationwide. This prestigious award specifically recognizes growth in student performance and closing the achievement gap for minority and economically-disadvantaged students.
The College Board recognized M-DCPS’ success in preparing students to succeed in advanced placement courses. The District is among the highest achieving school systems in the nation for Hispanics and African Americans scoring highly on advanced placement exams.
More than $9 million in federal funding were secured for Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Projects, to help ensure that students are safe as they travel to and from schools.
Nine new police officers were sworn in, and the District is in the process of filling 18 additional positions.
The Wireless Initiative funded through the Federal E-rate program along with matching funds contributed by members of the community will result in all Miami-Dade public schools having Wi-Fi Internet access by March 2014.
The 21st Century School Construction Bond, valued at $1.2 billion, was passed by voters and will provide every school in the District with upgrades to infrastructure necessary to support today’s instructional technology, enhance safety and security, and where necessary renovate or replace school buildings.
The budget currently under consideration by the School Board calls for a decrease in the millage rate of .021, which will protect elective and bilingual programs, athletics and after-school activities, maintain school safety spending, and will not compromise the District’s goal of complying with class-size mandates, while ensuring that teachers do not face layoffs for economic reasons.
The District implemented nearly 100 new choice options for parents including the launch of iPrep Math at 49 middle schools, and the addition of Cambridge programs at 23 additional schools, and the first high school on a college campus with MAST at FIU Biscayne Bay Campus.

Additionally, the District will continue to work to preserve programs that are integral parts of a world-class education, such as art, music, and world languages, while infusing classrooms with technology and providing access to the world of knowledge that lies beyond the walls of our school buildings.