Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami Dade County Public Schools, has participated in “Coffee and Conversation” events across the county in locations such as the Adrienne Arsht Center, Betty T. Ferguson Center, and many others, the latest of which took place last month in the heart of Miami Lakes at the Main Street Playhouse.
Carvalho spoke from the black box theatre’s stage toward the audience, a full house of parents, students, faculty and administrators from local schools. He began by listing the many accomplishments of the county over the last handful of years, noting specifically how 79,000 English Language Learners (ELL) outperformed the rest of the country in a number of rankings, how the county has the highest number of academies of distinctions, the improvements made and that continue as a result of the General Obligation Bond which received 70 percent endorsement from voters and the focus on digital convergence for learning tailored to the 21st century.
Promethean boards were installed in every classroom in the county over one summer, and Carvalho expects that by 2019 every student will have a school-assigned tablet for assignments. Additionally, the graduation rate has soared to 80 percent, and by 2019 that number is expected to grow to 90 percent. What Carvalho listed as the pinnacle of success for the county was the 2012 Broad Prize for Urban Education which recognizes outstanding performance and improvement in student achievement and reducing gaps for poor and minority students.
Carvalho continued to name successes, all committed to memory, while parents and administrators nodded in agreement. Following Carvalho’s talk the floor was open for any audience member to ask questions or make comments about the school system, which quickly leaned heavily on the side of parents with special needs children who feel marginalized.
“To get to you is awful,” said one parent about trying to contact the superintendent, while the crowd roared with laughter.
Parents questioned the underfunded special needs programs at schools that reduced staff, and the efficiency of therapy provided on school grounds. Carvalho offered his sympathies and at many points requested that those parents stay after to speak with their district representatives to see what can be done for their individual situations, yet was upfront about the unfortunate reality that the county can only do so much with the federal and state funding provided.
Other concerns were discussed such as school safety in relation to guns and weapons, and the death of students.
“I have personally buried 45 Miami Dade County Public School students,” said Carvalho. “Coffins should not be made this size,” he said while gesturing a small gap between his hands. He referred to the shooting of Aaron Willis and the death of Jada Page and noted the efforts made to partner and collaborate with programs for research to identify those most at-risk for violence and continue encouraging students into the programs in those areas with empty seats still to be filled.
The evening ended with dialogue between attendees and district representatives and personal questions for Carvalho who stayed to continue answering and trying to resolve concerns for local parents.
Photo by Jimmy Abraham.