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Miami‑Dade superintendent praises North Miami Beach partnership, highlights AI use and district gains
Summary
At North Miami Beach’s inaugural State of Education address, Miami‑Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. José Dotres touted the district’s academic gains, described telehealth and mental‑health supports, and said AI tools like Gemini are being piloted to expand learning — while calling on city‑school partnerships to deepen.
Dr. José Dotres, superintendent of Miami‑Dade County Public Schools, told an audience in North Miami Beach on Nov. 13 that the district’s recent gains reflect both school and community effort and that local partnerships will be central to further progress.
"Progress should inspire … not pacify us," Dotres said, repeating a line he attributed to Steve Gallon III as he outlined a strategy to move the remaining roughly 40% of students toward grade‑level proficiency. He told attendees the district has been an A‑rated district six years running and that the district achieved a 95.2% graduation rate.
Dotres used his keynote to list district programs and supports that he said undergird those results: roughly 223 schools offering prekindergarten, about 38 adult‑education centers, seven accredited technical colleges with more than 60 career paths, approximately 128 magnet schools and about 395 specialized programs. He said the district reached a 60% overall grade‑level proficiency mark this year, and that third‑grade proficiency rose to about 65%.
The superintendent emphasized safety and student supports, saying the district maintains close to 500 school police officers so each school can have a consistent officer on site. He also highlighted mental‑health investments, noting more than 150 mental‑health specialists and a telehealth program available to students and families — services he said are available during the school day and after school through 5 p.m., and during summer months as well.
On classroom technology, Dotres said the district has adopted the AI tool Gemini through a partnership with Google and has a 15‑member iLearn team that vetted the tool for classroom use. "AI can expand learning, individualize instruction and help English learners and students with disabilities," he said, while warning that tools must be used ethically and with parent and teacher support.
Dotres also pointed to rising advanced‑course participation: he said dual‑enrollment participation grew 48% in two years, with about 16,000 high‑school students currently in dual enrollment and about 34,000 students taking Advanced Placement courses.
The address, presented as North Miami Beach’s first State of Education event, included student speakers, a library video spotlighting Discovery Library programs, a proclamation read by Mayor Michael Joseph honoring the superintendent, and the induction of the city’s Youth Advisory Board. Organizers also announced scholarship support: two donors pledged $5,000 each to city education funds and individual schools received $500 to support parent‑teacher activities.
The city and school leaders closed the evening urging continued collaboration between municipal programs and the school district to sustain academic gains and expand opportunities for students.
