Miami‑Dade retains A rating for sixth year; superintendent highlights AI, telehealth and apprenticeship programs

Miami‑Dade County Public Schools kept its A rating for the sixth consecutive year and saw the share of A‑rated schools rise from 53% to 64%, Superintendent Dr. Jose Deltras told the School Board on July 23.

Dr. Deltras said the district also identified 10 signature initiatives from the 2024–25 school year intended to advance the district’s priorities of excellence, choice, innovation and safety. The slate includes a partnership with Google to make advanced AI tools available to staff and students, a Student Perspectives Initiative to solicit regular input from learners, a “0 Drownings Miami‑Dade” water‑safety education campaign, a student‑led food show, health apprenticeships in medical assisting and pharmacy technician roles, a paid teacher apprenticeship program for college juniors, expanded telehealth services and a principal‑preparation program called SPARK.

“The big picture here is that our school district is rated A, and this is for the sixth consecutive school year,” Dr. Deltras said. “We have 22 schools supported by our ETO team now rated A — up from six last year — and nine schools have earned an A for the first time in their history.”

Nut graf: The report frames the district’s performance gains as the context for new investments and operational changes. Officials said the initiatives are designed both to maintain academic gains and to expand student access to career pathways, mental and physical health services and leadership development for staff.

Among the highlights Dr. Deltras described: - Google AI: Training and classroom tools to introduce teachers and students to Gemini and other AI resources for instruction and assessment. - Student Perspectives Initiative: Monthly and electronic feedback programs to gather student views on school climate and programs. - Telehealth expansion: A districtwide telehealth contract intended to provide on‑site and virtual medical and mental‑health services year‑round, with partners including Hazel Health and coordinated support from the Children’s Trust and the Florida Department of Health. - Apprenticeship and teacher pipelines: New health apprenticeship cohorts (medical assisting and pharmacy technician) and a teacher apprenticeship program that pays college juniors while they gain classroom experience. - SPARK principal pipeline: A Florida Department of Education–approved pathway that certifies aspiring principals inside the district, designed as a more practical (and lower‑cost) route to administrative certification.

Board members broadly praised the gains and asked clarifying questions about how the new programs will be publicized and scaled. Board Member Luisa Santos asked how the district would ensure families and students know about telehealth; Dr. Deltras said the district and its telehealth vendor planned an outreach campaign and that some registration procedures were simplified after initial feedback. Dr. Linda McElroberts, who leads the Student Perspectives work, described monthly school meetings, targeted focus groups and electronic surveys that schools will use to gather student voice.

The board and superintendent also discussed implementation details for SPARK, distinguishing it from the district’s existing bench and induction programs: SPARK aims to make candidates eligible for the state educational leadership certification before they hold assistant‑principal or principal posts. Dr. Deltras said the program is grounded in Florida’s leadership standards and will be taught by experienced principals.

Ending: The board took no policy vote on the presentations at the July 23 meeting; Dr. Deltras said the listed initiatives will be the subject of ongoing briefings and implementation reports this fall.