The search to replace Carvalho must be a serious, thoughtful — and transparent — process | Opinion
Our community is about to make one of the most important decisions of the decade. Whom will we appoint as the next superintendent of Miami-Dade County’s public school system? Over the past 14 years, under the sustained leadership of Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and our School Board, we saw graduation rates rise from 58% to over 90%. Carvalho is largely considered an educational giant. While not without his detractors, he led our district to receive almost every national award for innovation and demonstrated bravery in the face of state and national pressures.
His will be no easy shoes to fill, and we must treat this search process with the gravity that it deserves.
No factor impacts the future of our community more than the quality of our public school system. As a minority-majority, immigrant city, the core promise we make is our commitment to ensuring that all residents have access to an exceptional education. The quality of our schools also deeply impacts our business community, and as Miami’s star continues to rise, the first question prospective businesses and residents will continue to ask is about the strength of our schools. The choice we make in our future superintendent will impact each of us, whether we have children in school or not.
The pandemic has been tremendously trying for school systems, and six out of the largest seven school districts in the country have experienced a transition of their superintendent since the pandemic started. We are the fourth-largest school district in the country, and the final district of the top seven to seek new leadership. With the futures of more than 340,000 students at stake and a city poised to leap forward, this shift in leadership comes at a pivotal time. We must learn from our peer districts’ experiences and draw from their best practices.
The search for our next superintendent should be serious and meaningfully consider both national and local talent. The next superintendent must embody every great leadership skill, a demonstrated commitment to educational equity and eagerness to be a lifelong learner. The choice either should know Miami already, or be an exceptionally astute learner who will be swift in understanding and appreciating every corner of this community.
We must insist on a transparent, community-driven search process that holds itself accountable to defined search criteria and that attracts a pool of candidates worthy of this tremendous charge.
This is a pivotal moment, Miami. Pay attention to this search, and invest in getting it right.
David Lawrence is chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida; Tony Argiz is South Florida Managing Partner, BDO; Kerry-Ann Royes is president CEO of YWCA South Florida; Rebecca Fishman Lipsey CEO of The Miami Foundation.
