FIU, M-DCPS join forces, take on the challenges of urban public education

MIAMI – Leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Florida International University have formed a taskforce to identify and leverage each organization’s strengths for the benefit of students and families throughout Miami-Dade County.

“An M-DCPS – FIU partnership can be a national model that demonstrates the power and benefits of two large educational institutions working collaboratively for the community’s well being,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

Rosenberg and a group of FIU vice presidents, deans and professors met with Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools Alberto Carvalho and top members of his team August 5^th to formalize a relationship that has been growing for years, as evidenced by the more than 50 current collaborative projects that directly impact more than 25,000 students annually. Most recently, Rosenberg and Carvalho participated in a series of town hall meetings about public funding for higher education.

“Our partnership is a natural because the synergy between M-DCPS and FIU is absolutely perfect:  a large percentage of FIU’s students graduate from M-DCPS and many of our teachers and staff are FIU alumni,” said Carvalho. “This is a strategic partnership between two anchor institutions that will benefit our entire community.”

Among other items, the leadership teams agreed to form several working groups to promote student success through increased dual enrollment activities, streamlined articulation, clinical internships and violence prevention. The university and the school district will also collaborate on enhanced teacher preparation techniques, with a special focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) development.  FIU and M-DCPS will collaboratively develop a research agenda that will benefit both organizations. The district and the university also will use a collaborative approach towards state and federal grants, external funding and communications and agreed to meet on a quarterly basis.

Some of the ongoing collaborative projects between the school district and FIU include:

The Academy for Advanced Academics (AAA). Students at AAA are enrolled in courses taught by FIU professors and sit alongside FIU undergraduates at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus and build class schedules based on their academic interests. Additionally, students attend Advanced Placement college-level courses taught by high school teachers and are provided the opportunity to complete up to two full years of college by the time of their high school graduation.

FIU students work alongside M-DCPS students and faculty. FIU’s Honors College, for example, has adopted Sweetwater Elementary School: FIU students work as volunteers in the Girls’ Athletic Program for fourth and fifth graders, conduct Everglades education and hold cultural evenings for students, their parents, and the community.

Leadership training and graduate education. The Center for Leadership recently completed a weeklong, intensive program with elementary, middle and high school principals to teach proven leadership techniques. The Principals Academy is made possible through a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant. FIU also secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, to fund Master’s in Urban Education degrees for Hispanic teachers in low performing schools and doctoral degrees for principals and administrators.

Media Contacts: Jean-Paul Renaud at 305-348-2716 or John Schuster at 305-995-1126.