Central and Edison Pass the Test

Miami schools to stay open

Miami Superintendent Alberto Carvhalo arrived from Tuesday's meeting with the State Board of Education in Tampa with good news.

"They wholeheartedly agreed with our point that both Central and Edison had made remarkable progress over the past two years and they decided to keep these schools open," Carvhalo said. "It would be an understatement to say the Miami School Board is relieved. The hundreds of students, parents, faculty and community activists that made their points heard may now be relieved, and dare we say elated as well."

Carvhalo noted at the meeting that both schools have increased graduation rates dramatically, increased math proficiency, reading proficiency, college readiness, and advanced level courses enrollment in the past two years.

"The State Board of Education was extremely complimentary of the work that has taken place in these communities and wants to see it continue."

Though these proposed sanctions pulled the heart strings of both school communities, Carvhalo believes that is important for the community to remain engaged and smiled with approval as he said "it woke them up."

Less anticipated from the meeting, was an acknowledgment from the board "that the accountability system that put these schools in an intervened status is flawed and needs immediate attention and fix."

No doubt both communities will intensely wait for promises made to come to fruition.

Holmes was the third school to receive a waiver.

Carvhalo said the waivers did come with "some conditions but nothing extraordinary that we aren't already doing and it's something bottom line that is ultimately good for kids."

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