HML's Ray Parris named Teacher of the Year for MDCPS North Region

Ray Parris, Hialeah Miami Lakes (HML) Digital Media and Entrepreneurship teacher, has been named Miami Dade County Public School North Region Teacher of the Year. Parris’ teaching career spans over 20 years at middle school, high school and community college levels.
At HML, Parris has created a unique, experiential classroom through project-based learning, challenging his students to take ownership of their own progress and their future. Students learn about and compete in the areas of STEM, gaming simulation, digital media, app design and robotics.
Last summer, Parris recruited 25 HML students for a summer entrepreneurship camp to provide exposure and business opportunities for students entering HML this fall. His own work has been featured at a variety of venues, including Art Basel Miami and Artscape Baltimore.
Most recently, Parris was selected from 90 applicants at the national level to be the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Model Teacher for the 2018-2019 school year. This award including a $20,000 top prize was given to Parris for his effective classroom management, sound pedagogical content knowledge, data driven decision-making and belief that growing a student’s entrepreneurial mindset can change their life trajectory.
Parris will continue to the district-wide Teacher of the Year competition, proudly representing HML and the North Region.