teachdade.com

I had an interview with Geno Perez in which he developed his philosophy of unionism and his strategy for winning election. He is 47 years old and of Cuban parentage. He raised two handicapped daughters by himself and is now remarried and has a total of five offspring.

Although Geno is a Republican, his two running mates are both Democrats. He is a Republican on issues of national security, but he is quite moderate on social issues.

I am hopeful that having a Republican president of UTD would make the Republicans on the School Board and in the Florida Legislature more forthcoming regarding pay increases for teachers.    Read More...

Lately I have been reflecting on my 10 year career as a teacher and all the time I have given to so many children while at the same time sacrificing time from my own.

I have been thinking back on the many nights I have been in my room checking papers, researching and preparing for lesson plans, calling parents from my home, attending open houses, working second jobs to supplement a teacher's meager income, and attending ongoing professional development in order to maintain my license as well as advance my career in order to secure additional credential pay. All of this while my son waits for the day that I can exhale and that day never comes. For 10 years that day still seems unattainable and my son's childhood has passed never to be regained.    Read More...

With the upcoming January 14th rally at the MDCPS School Board building, a rare opportunity currently exists for often disparate social groups to unify for the common goal of protecting public education in both the state of Florida and Miami-Dade County. The rally is being led by the Miami-Dade Council of PTAs/PTSAs amid the growing concern of deep budget woes facing our state as tax revenues continue to plummet by tens of millions each month.    Read More...

Meet Ms. Ceresta Smith, a reading coach at Miami Norland Senior High and a former Dr. Michael Krop Senior High teacher. A 19-year veteran of the classroom, Smith believes the best way to improve MDCPS is to minimize administrative control and maximize teacher input. Her call for “teacher-led communities” is grounded in the belief that teachers hold the answers to MDCPS’s biggest problems — and that many of these problems originate at the administrative level.    Read More...

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten addresses the MDCPS School Board, asking its members to fund the teachers' frozen salary raises. Weingarten: "I'm a former social studies teacher. We teach our kids the rule of law. Ultimately, when a contract gets negotiated and then it gets pulled away, then it's hard for our members — teachers — to be able to teach kids the rule of law." Weingarten was introduced by United Teachers of Dade President Karen Aronowitz as a "national treasure, especially in regard to urban education." The UTD is an affiliate of the AFT.

MDCPS School Board member Marta Perez spells out the status of the district's BOSS project. Again she calls for a Special Board meeting to vote on whether to cancel or postpone BOSS. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, however, did not unequivocally agree to convene such a meeting.

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(6:10) Alberto Carvalho has just announced that MDCPS will sue the State of Florida for unconstitutionally withholding funds from the school district.

Carvalho: "This is probably, in my opinion, the most important step that we as a district will take in the months to come."

(5:23) MDCPS will pay its students for grades. $550,000 has been raised in the business community to compensate certain MDCPS students for their participation in a financial literacy program. This pay-for-grades initiative has sprung up recently in districts across the county. There is only shaky proof, if any, that paying students results in better grades.    Read More...

Meet Mr. Lesperance and Ms. La Monica, two veteran educators at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High with unique ideas on how to better MDCPS. Mr. Lesperance believes that showing teachers that they are "prized and treasured" is one way to "immediately change the dynamic" in the classroom. He also makes a revelatory point concerning how some students regard their teachers knowing that they do not make a lot of money. Ms. La Monica, a guidance counselor, expresses her frustration at not being able to give each of her 600 students the individual attention they often need. She tells the story of how giving one student a little extra care had a big impact.    Read More...

The Miami-Dade County School Board will hold a workshop Thursday to discuss BOSS, MDCPS's floundering software-overhaul project which district officials have said is running overbudget and behind schedule to the tune of $7 million (at least) and four months (at least), respectively.    Read More...

Meet Ms. Lauchaire and Ms. Johnson, public-school veterans with a combined 47 years of experience who both teach at W.J. Bryan Elementary in District 1. Each has a unique idea of how MDCPS can improve: Ms. Johnson would like to see administrators with more in-classroom experience and Ms. Lauchaire thinks schools need to educate parents as well their children. Interestingly, the two educators share a teaching philosophy — “Every child can learn” — but have very different interpretations of what that means.    Read More...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, TD would like to announce, “1000 Years in the Classroom,” a new project showcasing the insight, sincerity, frustration and wisdom of the Miami-Dade County Public School system’s most under-appreciated asset, its veteran teachers. Here’s the gist: TD intends to conduct short video interviews with veteran teachers from schools across MDCPS’s nine districts, asking them all one simple question: How do you think the district can improve? It is our belief that these “old pros” hold the answers to many of MDCPS’s problems.    Read More...

In today’s Miami Herald, MDCPS Superintendent Alberto Carvalho asked the federal government to consider a bailout of the nation’s public schools. “The question in my mind is this: At a time when we’re continuing the bailout of key industries, at what point do we have a bailout of public education?”

An intriguing, if somewhat coy question, Mr. Superintendent. (Coy because, as University of Miami economics professor Michael Connolly points out in the Herald article, public schools cannot be “bailed out,” as they already get all their funding from the government.)

TD believes the answer to Carvalho — as well as to GM, Chrysler and Ford — should be: When you catch up to the 21st century, we’ll consider giving you more money.    Read More...

TD has obtained an audio recording of a Nov. 13 Audit Committee meeting containing rare candid discussion regarding BOSS, MDCPS's $85-million software overhaul project. (Listen to meeting excerpts below.)

Among the revealing statements: Superintendent Alberto Carvalho threatening to fire Deloitte, the company hired to implement BOSS, if it refuses to renegotiate its contract with the district; BOSS Executive Sponsor Deborah Karcher admitting the project is no less than three months behind schedule and at least $7 million over budget; and Project Manager Steve Maldonado confessing that the BOSS team knew the project was running over budget in March, even though Ofelia San Pedro, the project’s former Executive Sponsor, told the Board otherwise in June.    Read More...

(6:13) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is announcing plans to cut $123 million from the MDCPS budget, much it from central administration. Carvalho says this represents the biggest administrative cut to a school district in Florida history. He expresses regret for the people who will have to lose their jobs or suffer salary reductions.

Carvalho: "I am proud of this work. I am not proud of the human toll it represents."    Read More...

Larry Feldman was sworn in as Miami-Dade County School Board member for District 9 at 10:33 this morning. Feldman defeated Evelyn Greer in the August 26th election by promising to fight for teachers and to hold then-Superintendent Rudy Crew accountable for the district's budget woes. Feldman was visibly nervous as he took the oath of office. While delivering a thank-you speech afterward, he had to stop many times to fight off tears.    Read More...