>> THE YEAR END GRADES ARE OUT NOW FOR STUDENTS IN MIAMI DADE AND BROWARD AND IT’S ONE OF
THOSE GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS
SITUATIONS, FOR THE FIRST TEST
RESULTS SINCE STUDENTS WENT BACK
TO THE CLASSROOM FULL TIME.
>> FROM COVID SLIDE TO THOSE
SIGNIFICANT NEW LAWS AFFECTING
STUDENTS AND EDUCATION, SOUTH
FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
SCRAMBLING TO MAKE WHATEVER
CHANGE MAY BE NECESSARY IN
ADVANCE OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
NEXT MONTH.
DR. JOSE DOTRES TOOK THE HELM OF
MIAMI DADE’S PUBLIC SCHOOL
DISTRICT IN FEBRUARY JUST AS THE
LEDGE SLAILT TURE BEGAN DEBATING
THE BILL THAT WOULD BECOME THOSE
NEW LAWS.
DR. DOTRES GREAT TO HAVE YOU
ABOARD THIS MORNING.
>> WELCOME, SIR, GREAT TO SEE
YOU.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
HAPPY SUNDAY.
>> THANK YOU, AND I KNOW WERE
YOU IN TALLAHASSEE DOING A
LITTLE LOBBYING ON YOUR OWN.
JUST KIND OF A BIG BROAD
QUESTION TO START, I’M NOT SURE
WERE YOU ABLE TO HEAR OUR
CONVERSATION WITH THE TWO SOUTH
FLORIDA LAWMAKERS WE TALKED A
WILL LITTLE BIT ABOUT, THE
SPECIFIC EDUCATION BILLS COMING,
NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE NEW SCHOOL
YEAR, HOW TO TEACH RACIAL
HISTORY, HOW TO TEACH SEXUAL
IDENTITY, AND GENDER IDENTITY.
WHAT KIND OF CURRICULUM CHANGES
NOW DOES THE DISTRICT HAVE TO
MAKE IF ANY TO MEET THAT
MANDATE.
>> GLENNA, VERY GOOD QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, RIGHT NOW SOME OF
THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE SURGING, I
HAVE TO BE VERY IMLEER WITH YOU,
WE DON’T HAVE SOME OF THESE
ISSUES REALLY PERTAINING TO US
AS IT RELATES TO CURRICULUM, FOR
EXAMPLE ONE OF THE MANDATES IS
THE SEXUAL OR YEN DAIRGS TAITION
OR GENDER IDENTIFICATION IN
GRADES K THREW THREE, THAT I
THINK WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR,
THAT IS ONE AREA THAT OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT REALLY DOES NOT HAVE TO
SPOPPED TO.
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE IT AS PART
OF OUR CURRICULUM.
IT IS NOT PART OF OUR
INSTRUCTION.
AND SO THEREFORE THE TRAINING
THAT WE PROVIDE TO TEACHERS IS
IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
>> YEAH.
DR. DOTRES, WE KNOW THAT FORMER
STATES SENATOR MANNY DIAZ OF
HIALEAH IS NOW THE STATE
EDUCATION COMMISSIONER.
THEY ARE HIS-- HIS DEPARTMENT IS
SUPPOSED TO ISSUE GUIDELINES
WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
ABOUT HOW THESE NEW LAWS
PARTICULARLY THIS ONE ARE
IMPLEMENTED.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN THOSE GUIDELINES
YET?
>> SURE.
MICHAEL, WE HAVE.
IN FACT, THE COMMISSIONER SENT
SOME COMMUNICATION TO US.
I BELIEVE AROUND MID JUNE,
PROVIDING SOME GUIDANCE IN TERMS
OF A LOT OF THE ITEMS
SURROUNDING THE NOTIFICATION TO
PARENTS.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE
CLARIFICATION AGAIN ABOUT THE
K-3 CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AS IT
RELATES TO SEXUAL OR YEN
TAITION.
>> CAN I JUST INTERPRET YOU FOR
A MINUTE,-- INTERRUPT YOU FOR A
MINUTE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, NOT
IN MIAMI DADE, BROWARD AND
NOWHERE IN FLORIDA WAS THERE ANY
KIND OF CURRICULUM WHERE IN K
THROUGH THREE TEACHERS WERE
TEACHING ABOUT SEXUAL
ORIENTATION OR GENDER, WERE
THEY?
THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS
GOING ON.
>> SO I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY
YES, HOWEVER I AM THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF MIAMI DADE
COUNT EYE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
MICHAEL.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, AND ATTEST
TO THAT IN OUR DISTRICT.
>> OKAY.
SO THERE IS OTHER PORTIONS OF
THAT BILL THOUGH BECAUSE IT GOES
ON TO SAY MUST BE TAUGHT IN AN
AGE APPROPRIATE WAY IN THE
HIGHER GRADE, AGE APPROPRIATE IN
SOME OTHER TERMS MAY BE
CONSIDERED VAGUE AND THERE MIGHT
BE IN THE GUIDANCE YOU GOT FROM
THE STATE, A MORE CONCRETE AND
PRACTICAL WAY TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE HAVEN’T SEEN THAT.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN HEARING, ACTUALLY, FROM
TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS IS THIS
KIND OF CHILLING EFFECT BECAUSE
THEY’RE NOT SURE WHETHER, THEY
DON’T WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE TO
SAY SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE IN
THIS BILL IT GIVES PARENTS
EVENTUALLY THE RIGHT TO SUE THE
DISTRICT.
SO DO YOU SEE A HESITANCY OR
CHILLING EFFECT THAT THIS MIGHT
HAVE OR ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT
THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME REALLY
CLEAR GUIDELINES.
>> SO I ALWAYS HAVE TO, WE AS A
SCHOOL DISTRICT DO HAVE TO BE
VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR TEACHERS.
THAT’S CRITICAL IN OUR ABILITY
TO MOVE FORWARD, AND REALLY HELP
OUR STUDENTS.
AND YOU LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OF OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT THUS FAR,
THEY’RE PHENOMENAL RIGHT IN
TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH
THAT WE’VE DONE IN ORDER TO
RECOVER MUCH OF THE LEARNING
THAT HAS OCCURRED.
WE WILL PROVIDE VERY CLEAR
GUIDANCE TO OUR TEACHERS.
IN FACT, THIS SUMMER WE HAVE
SCHOOL TEAMS COMING ON BOARD
WHERE WE HAVE MAJOR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND WE ARE CURRENTLY
IN THE PROCESS OF INTERPRETING
THE GUIDANCE THAT MICHAEL WAS
REFERRING TO, AND MAKING SURE
THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE CLEAR AND
THEY’RE COMFORTABLE AND THERE IS
VERY LITTLE AMBIGUITY IN TERMS
OF WHAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO
INSTRUCT AND APPROPRIATE
GUIDELINES PER SE.
AT THIS POINT WE DO HAVE A TEAM
AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS
BEING CAREFUL TO ANALYZE ALL THE
GUIDANCE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING
AND AS IT PERTAINS TO AGE
APPROPRIATES, I BELIEVE AND I’M
COMFORTABLE THAT WE WILL PROVIDE
THE NECESSARY CLARITY SO THAT
TEACHERS ARE CONFIDENTS AND
THEY’RE COMFORTABLE AND IF THERE
ARE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY KNOW WHO
TO RELATE TO, WHO TO GO TO,
WHETHER IT IS THROUGH PRINCIPALS
OR EVEN THE DISTRICT.
WE ALL HAVE TO BE TOGETHER IN
MAKING SURE WE’RE CLEAR, THAT
WE’RE SUPPORTIVE AND THAT WE’RE
MOVING FORWARD AND REALLY
CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT
REALLY PROVIDES FOR EXCELLENT
EDUCATION AND CREATING
INSTRUCTION THAT IS SCHEERLY
GROUNDED ON STATE STANDARDS.
>> YEAH, LET ME ASK YOU THE
QUESTION THAT I HAD ASKED
EARLIER TO THE TWO STATE
LAWMAKERS WHICH IS A CENTRAL
FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TOLD
APPARENTLY ITS TEACHERS,
DON’T-- TAKE AWAY ANY
PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOUR SPOUSE IF
YOU ARE IN A SAME SEX MARRIAGE
OR RELATIONSHIP.
YOU GOT TO TAKE DOWN ANY SIGNS,
A RAINBOW FLAG, ANYTHING PRIDE,
POSTERS, WHAT ABOUT MIAMI DADE,
ARE YOU TELLING YOUR GAY
TEACHERS OR ANY TEACHERS WHO
SUPPORT THE GAY MOVEMENT TO
REMOVE THOSE ITEMS?
>> MICHAEL, WE’RE NOT DOING
THAT.
I CANNOT STATE FOR ORANGER
COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, WE’RE IN THE PROCESS
AGAIN OF CLARIFYING ANY GUIDANCE
POINTS AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT’S
PART OF THE TEAM.
AT THIS POINT, WE DON’T BELIEVE,
WE’RE NOT DOING THAT.
AND I DON’T BELIEVE OR I DO NOT
SEE REFERENCES OF THAT ON THE
BILL.
>> YEAH, WELL, GOOD.
>> WHEN WE COME BACK, SCHOOL
GRADES HAVE JUST COME OUT.
NOT ONLY THAT, A NEW STATE LAW
ELIMINATES THE DREADED FSA AND
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN
WE COME RIGHT BACK.
STAY TUNED.
>> WE ARE BACK WITH MIAMI DADE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JOSE DOTRES IN VAFNS THE UPCOMING
SCHOOL YEAR, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE
IT OR ALREADY, NOT EVEN JULY
4th.
>> THE DREADED FSA FLORIDA
STANDARD ASSESSMENT THAT HIGH
STAKES TEST THAT THIRD GRADERS
LOSE SCHEEP OVER, THAT’S GOING
AWAY UNDER THESE NEW STATE LAWS
AND INSTEAD THEY’LL BE TESTING
PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS AS WE UNDERSTAND IT AS
PROGRESS MONITORING IS WHAT
THEY’VE CALLED IT WHICH SEEMS IN
THE HEADLINES AS A MUCH BETTER
IDEA TO ASSESS STUDENT AS
SESMENT BUT WHAT DO WE KNOW,
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, WHAT I THINK IS WE’VE
HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONLESS
WITH THE DOE, AND WITH THE
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, HAVE
I TO TELL YOU, GLENNA, AS AN
EDUCATOR MYSELF, I BELIEVE
STRONGLY IN FORM TIFF
ASSESSMENTS.
AND FORM TIFF ASSESSMENTS ARE
ASSESSMENTS THAT DEAL WITH
PROGRESS MONITORING.
WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT.
THEY SHOULD PROVIDE IMMEDIATE
ABILITY TO A TEACHER TO CORRECT
OR REALIGN THEIR INSTRUCTION.
IT’S LIKE REALTIME-- REALTIME
INFORMATION FOR TEACHING AND
LEARNING, WE’VE BEEN RELYING FOR
TOO LONG ON SUMATIVE ASSESSMENT,
RESULTS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL
YEAR.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO THEN?
I WANT TO BE VERY OPTIMISTIC
THAT THE MORE FREQUENT, MAYBE
THESE TWO OR THREE FORM TIFF
ASSESSMENTS OR PROGRESS
MONITORING ASSESSMENT PIECES,
THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED WILL BE
SHORTER IN LENGTH AND THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO REALLY INFORM
INSTRUCTION FOR ADJUSTMENT.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU AGAIN, IF
YOU LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT, CURRENTLY, IT’S
REALLY REMARKABLE WHAT THE
TEACHERS AND THE SCHOOL LEADERS
AND WITH THE GUIDANCE AND
LEADERSHIP OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD,
YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN
ABLE TO OUT OF 22 ASSESSED
ITEMS, OR CATEGORIES, OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICT HAS BEEN ABLE TO
OUTPERFORM THE STATE ON 18 OF
THESE 21.
AND SO OUR TRAJECTORY CONTINUES
TO IMPROVEMENT IS ONE THAT IS
SHOWING RESULTS.
AND THAT OF COURSE IS BECAUSE OF
ALL THESE ADDED EFFORTS BY
TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS WHEN
IT COMES FROM EXTENDED LEARNING,
AFTER SCHOOL, SATURDAY
ACADEMIES, THEY EVEN
PARTICIPATED IN WORK DURING THE
WINTER-- SPRING BREAK, WINTER
BREAK, SPRING BREAK.
SO WE’RE JUST VERY, VERY
ENCOURAGED THAT SOME OF THESE
UNFINISHED LEARNING AND ACADEMIC
RECOVERY WE’RE SEEING THE
RESULTS OF THE INCREDIBLE EFFORT
OF SO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS OUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND WE HAVE TO WELCOME, LEARN
AND BE ABLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE STATE ASSESSMENT WILL
BE REPLACED WITH.
SO WE STILL ARE WAITING FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND
GUIDANCE AND KIND OF GEARING UP
FOR THESE NEW ASSESSMENTS THAT
AGAIN, WILL BE MORE FREQUENT IN
NATURE AND HOPEFULLY EMPOWER
TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND
TO LEARNING IN A QUICKER WAY.
>> YEAH.
>> DR. DOTRES, JUST THIS MORNING
BEFORE THE CONVERSATION, I
REMOVED THE RESULTS FROM THE FS,
A, FROM MIAMI DADE AND BROWARD.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT, THE RESULTS
OVERALL SHOW IMPROVEMENT.
I WILL GIVE YOU JUST ONE, 59% OF
MIAMI DADE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
EARNED A GRADE OF THREE, I GUESS
A C OR BETTER IN ENGLISH
LANGUAGE SCHOOLS AND THAT IS A 3
PERCENT INCREASE OVER HOW THEY
SCORED LAST YEAR.
BUT HERE IS MY QUESTION.
SO YOU HAVE GOT 59% OF THESE
STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
DOING WELL ON THEIR ENGLISH
LANGUAGE SKILLS.
WHAT ABOUT THE 41 PERCENT, YOU
KNOW, WHO ARE NOT TESTING AT
GRADE LEVEL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING
FOR THEM?
>> SURE, MICHAEL, AND THAT IS
REALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE
WE’RE SHOWING GROWTH AND THE
EFFORT HAS BEEN THERE, THAT DOES
NOT MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO DO
MORE.
ABSOLUTELY, AND WHAT THIS IS
INDICATING IS THAT WE NEED TO
GET TO MORE STUDENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’RE
NOTICING IN THE DATA IS THAT IN
THE AREA OF READING AN LANGUAGE
ART, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR YOWJEST
STUDENTS, WE HAVE TO DO MORE
INTERCEPTIONSES AND REALLY PAY
MORE ATTENTION TO OUR YOUNGEST
STUDENTS.
AGAIN, THE, WHAT WE ALL KNOW IS
THAT THEY GET TO THIRD GRADE,
AND THEY’RE NOT PROFESSION IN
READING.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DELAY,
THAT’S ONE OF THE MAJOR PIECES
OF INTEREST OR FOCUSES THAT WE
WILL HAVE.
ON READING INSTRUCTION,
MATHEMATICS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE
EARLY GRADES, SO JUST BECAUSE WE
HAVE IMPROVED, DOES NOT MEAN
THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO DO,
AND WE ARE A SCHOOL DISTRICT
THAT IS VERY DRIVEN Z BY LOOKING
AT PROFICIENCY AND LEARNING
GAMES TRAJECTORIES.
WE DEPLOY ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO
THE SCHOOLS, BASED ON PRECISELY
THESE PERCENTAGES OF
NONPROFICIENCY OR NOT SUFFICIENT
LEARNING GOALS AND AS WE OPEN
THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOU WILL SEE AN
ADDED EFFORT IN DOING THIS.
ONE OF THE ITEMS OR ONE OF THE
PIECES THAT IS VERY SUPPORTIVE
IS ALL THIS ADDITIONAL INFUSION
OF FEDERAL DOLLARS, BE SURE THAT
WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE THESE
FEDERAL DOLLARS TO HELP US LIFT
THE ACADEMIC LEARNING OF OUR
STUDENTS.
WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON DOING
THIS, LOOKING AT EVERY SINGLE
GRADE LEVEL AND MAKING SURE THAT
WE ARE ADDING INTERVENTIONS, ANY
OPPORTUNITY, EVEN TUD ORING
BEYOND THE SCHOOL BILL,
SOMETHING THAT WE DID THIS YEAR,
BASICALLY WE HAD TUDDORRING FROM
5 TO 8:00 AT NIGHT.
WE WANT TO BRING IT IN EVEN INTO
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, SO OUR
TEENS ARE DOING THIS AS WELL, SO
THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY
TO TAP INTO TUTORS THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.
>> A LOT OF CHANGES GOING ON,
YEAH, AND SO WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY
WILL BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU
WATCHING HOW THIS UNFOLDS, WE
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US TODAY.