The Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) system is the 4th largest school district in the United States, including 348 schools, 369,578 students, 19,411 teachers, 12,700 volunteers, and 2,501 business partners.

Responsibility for administration of schools is vested in the Superintendent of Schools, Rudolph F. Crew, who was appointed by the School Board on July 1, 2004. Each of the district’s schools is assigned to a Region Center, which provides support for schools, advocacy for students and parents, and partnerships with businesses.

Fellows commit to teaching in high-need schools throughout M-DCPS, where the necessity of having highly qualified teachers is critical. Teachers in these schools must be especially committed to overcoming the challenges that they face in helping their students achieve.

The school day in M-DCPS is approximately 6.5 hours long. A typical school day for children in most elementary schools is 8:30- 3:00. Beyond the formal school day, Fellows should expect to spend time out of class preparing their lessons, grading students’ work, and communicating with parents and guardians, among other responsibilities.  

Fellows will be provided with additional professional development activities to support their classroom efforts, in addition to the extensive summer institute training. But the first year for any new teacher is challenging. Fellows should anticipate an intense effort – especially in the first semester.