School Board members engaged in a visioning session and discussed priorities with Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho in preparation for the school year ahead at a meeting at the Doubletree Hotel. Carvalho unveiled the new programs and improved procedures specifically designed to better serve the needs of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools students and stakeholders, and laid the groundwork for a five-year District Strategic Plan for 2014-2019.
Carvalho presented School Board members with 51 new choice and magnet programs including AP/Capstone, Cambridge, Science, Mathematics, Information Technology and the Art. Eighteen new Cambridge schools and 10 new Capstone Programs are included.
Magnet programs focus on STEM-related fields, including Geospatial Information Systems, iCode, Engineering, Conversation Biology, Environmental Science Agriscience, and Enterprise Resource Planning. Some programs are provided in partnership with local colleges and universities, as well as science agencies. An improved magnet application and random selection system will help administrators manage the rapid growth in magnet programs and increase student access with clarity and transparency.
New education partnerships for specific groups and schools within the District include collaboration with local technology industries to provide training, job opportunities and internships for students with autism, and the creation of a specialized teaching institute with the FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management to provide tourism and hospitality training for individuals with disabilities.
The meeting also included a review of the school district's budget and projects funded by the General Obligation Bond approved by Miami-Dade voters, including 201 projects in the first three years, and another 76 projects from years 3, 4, and 5 that have been accelerated for the coming year.
The district's digital transformation is well underway, with a record number of 11,000 Promethean interactive boards being installed for the coming year, and WiFi installation completed four years in advance of the national average. More than 100,000 electronic devices, including laptop computers and tablets, will be available to students, providing them access to online textbooks and digital content.