“It’s a new day at Miami Norland Senior High School.”
That’s the start of a new video administrators hope will help turn around Norland’s reputation.
A new principal, Luis Solano arrived last year and is committed to making changes.
“Although we were a D school last year, our prediction right now is that we will be a C school. We are currently at 83 percent graduation rate. This is above the district average and above the state average," said Solano.
Getting top performing students to come to the school is a challenge that concerns Miami Gardens Councilman Andre Williams. The school has lost more than 600 students in the last few years. That’s why he paid a production company to put together the video.
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“Eighty percent of our talent on a regular basis is leaving our community. That’s incredible brain drain from the city of Miami Gardens,” said Williams.
Ben Jackson who recently scored 1900 on his SAT is a perfect example. His mother said she sent him to live part time with his aunt so that he can attend Dr. Michael Krop Senior High.
“I felt that Krop offered me a better chance of getting into the colleges I wanted to go to especially with the courses they offer and the fact that colleges look at Krop as a good school,” said Jackson.
His younger brother will be entering high school soon and will probably not go to Norland.
“If your kid is academically inclined you’re going to want them at a school that has a reputation for rigorous academics,” said their mother Karen Jackson.
Norland points to its newest magnet program which started last year: biotechnology and forensic science. Its hospitality program offers every student a paid summer internship.
Perhaps the best sales pitch to parents might actually come from Ben Jackson, even though he opted to go elsewhere three years ago.
“I think they should look at Norland. I don’t think a school should be ruled out because of how it has been in previous years,” Norland said.
