James Parker, the “booming voice” of Miami Lakes Educational Center, retired in early November, passing the torch to the school’s next “Top Jaguar:” Lourdes Diaz.
Being the next “Top Jaguar” of MLEC is a tough job. The school is known for its top students, active clubs and its environment is nothing like a typical high school. Last year, MLEC became an “A” school for the seventh consecutive year. The job is meant for someone looking for a challenge, like Diaz.
“I want to be in a place like this, that is challenging, where there are ideas, where there is academic thought, where there are discussions and conflict in a good way, where students are learning and challenging themselves, taking things to the next level,” said Diaz.
This idea of an intellectually stimulating environment echoes Diaz’s college education. Diaz graduated with a major in both Literature and Psychology from Brown University, an Ivy League University known for its tradition of intellectual inquiry. She finished her graduate work at Nova Southeastern University where she received a Master’s degree in English Education.
Diaz began her teaching career while she was still a college student, working as a substitute teacher at Miami High, her alma mater, during her winter and summer breaks from college. It is there that she got her first official teaching job and then moved the following year to Barbara Goleman Senior High School, where she taught English for five years before pursuing a career as an administrator. She started as an assistant principal in Coral Park Senior High and after completing a principal training program, became principal of Hialeah Middle for eight years.
She is passionate about her job as a high school principal because she loves education and she relishes the opportunity to “create people, not products.”
Given that her leadership style is participatory, Diaz plans to become increasingly involved in MLEC. She is already engaging with students by attending as many events and club meetings as possible. Noticing that social media plays a huge role at MLEC, she created a Twitter account to interact with students, MLEC clubs and organizations and the community through social media.
But like all great leaders, she is not just observing, rather she is already beginning to leave her own imprint. Seeing that the school has a unique dynamic, Diaz has decided that MLEC only needs changes in the future that will help it grow and continue to succeed.
“We will change when the time is right, we won’t do it just because a new principal is here and it's time to change, that's not really my style. Instead, I want to continue the many the wonderful things that Mr. Parker has started and established here. I don't have any crazy agenda, this school is awesome and I want to maintain that,” said Diaz.
As principal, Diaz’s top priority is giving back to the students by making decisions which students can benefit from and creating opportunities that will help them improve.
“When I’m going to make a decision I also think back to what he would have done. He always said ‘Make a decision, the decision that is right for the students, and you’ll always be able to sleep at night’ and I always think about that,” said Diaz, quoting Dr. Marcos Maran, her inspiration as a professional.