The accolades and recognitions keep piling up for Miami-Dade School Board Chair Perla Tabares Hantman.
The Jose Marti Foundation and The Hispanic Education Committee recently honored Hantman during the Florida Dual Language Leadership Awards Luncheon.
Hantman, a longtime Miami Lakes resident, was recognized with the Seal of Biliteracy Leadership Award for her outstanding leadership in strengthening and providing support to the expansion of bilingual and biliteracy skills among students, staff and the community.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” said Hantman. “I firmly believe the hard work this School Board has done to provide quality biliteracy programs will enrich the lives of our students and their families and prepare them for today’s global marketplace.”
The School Board recently approved the Seal of Biliteracy Initiative, which recognizes high-school graduates who have attained a high level of competency in listening, speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English.
The purpose of the Seal of Biliteracy is to encourage students to study languages, certify attainment of biliteracy, provide employers with a method of identifying an individual who has language and biliteracy skills and promote world language instruction in public schools.
Last school year, about 132,000 students who enrolled at Miami-Dade Public Schools participated in a foreign language program promoting bilingual and biliterate education.
The school district offers more than 30 specialized language programs, including the Extended Foreign Language, Dual Language and International Studies programs in bilingual education, enhancing cognitive and social growth, competitiveness in a global marketplace and understanding of diverse peoples and cultures.