Rafael Villalobos will have to wait until he takes over as Miami-Dade County Public Schools superintendent to make changes, but he’s using the months before then to determine what those changes might need to be. Mr. Villalobos was selected unanimously by the Miami-Dade County School Board on July 29 to succeed Superintendent Jose Dotres. Mr. Dotres will remain in the position until Feb. 14, 2027, according to the district. In the meantime, Mr. Villalobos said, he’s talking with teachers, school leaders, support personnel, parents, PTA representatives, unions, elected officials and other community leaders to get a better understanding of the district before he takes the helm. “The first thing that I’m doing is making sure that I’m cultivating collaborative cultures,” Mr. Villalobos said, “so making sure that I have conversations with all stakeholders to understand better what is actually happening.” Mr. Villalobos, who has been the district’s South Region superintendent since 2022, said he needs to look beyond the region he has overseen and understand the needs of the entire school system. The South Region includes more than 100 schools and 80,000 students, according to the district. “For me, it’s important to really understand and dive into the entire district, not just the South Region,” he said. That includes getting a clearer picture of what is working, where there are gaps and what may need to be addressed after he takes office. He said declining enrollment is one issue he already knows the district faces. But he said he needs to examine the system more closely before deciding whether specific programs or policies should be changed. “I have to dive in a little deeper once I’m in the seat to understand if there are policies or programs that aren’t working,” he said. Another area he wants to examine is how the district communicates with families about the educational options available to them. Miami-Dade has more than 1,000 magnet programs, Mr. Villalobos said, and offers a wide range of choices for students. He said the district needs to make sure families know what those programs offer. “There is something for every child and for every family … so when we speak to those individuals, some of them may know, some of them may not,” he said. Mr. Villalobos said the district has a lot to be proud of. He pointed to its seven consecutive years as an A-rated district and credited teachers, principals, assistant principals and other school employees with helping produce those results. Still, he said, strong performance does not mean there is no room for improvement. Proficiency rates will be an area he watches. Mr. Villalobos said the district is outperforming the state in many areas but needs to continue raising its performance. He said the work should begin early, with a greater focus on preparing children before third grade. “My goal is to get to 100%, and that should be everyone’s goal at the end of the day,” Mr. Villalobos said. He acknowledged that reaching that goal is complicated by the different needs of students, including those with special needs and those who are learning English. Graduation rates are another area where Mr. Villalobos said the district is performing well. He cited a 95% graduation rate but said he would like to see every student graduate. “I don’t think that we should have any child left behind,” he said. Mr. Villalobos also wants the district to keep pace with changes in the workforce. Artificial intelligence, drones and other emerging technologies are among the developments he said schools need to understand as they prepare students for jobs that may look different from those available today. He said that means maintaining relationships with businesses, community leaders and colleges and universities, including Florida International University and Miami Dade College. “We have to make sure that we’re also on the cusp of that, and that we understand what that is, and that we also change our programs according to those needs that the future will need to have more employees for,” Mr. Villalobos said. He described education as a “live document” that has to evolve as technology, the workforce and communities change. He said he also wants to carry forward what he learned from Mr. Dotres, whom he described as a mentor. Mr. Dotres, he said, has led the district with “heart” and compassion, and Mr. Villalobos wants to maintain that approach while keeping students and schools at the center of decisions. “He has led with compassion, and I want to make sure that I continue to lead with that heart, with that compassion, with that ability to put students first and schools first,” he said. “That is the key component.” Mr. Villalobos also raised teacher compensation as an issue he believes deserves attention. With the November election approaching, he said voters should understand the importance of the referendum in providing teachers with more competitive salaries and supporting school security. Mr. Villalobos said Miami-Dade’s cost of living makes it particularly difficult for teachers who may need to work multiple jobs to support their families. He said he wants to continue working with the state on teacher pay and urged the community to view the referendum as an investment in the school district. Mr. Villalobos also sees the school system as an important part of the region’s economy. The district has more than 40,000 employees and more than 300,000 students, he said. Those students will eventually enter the local workforce, start businesses, buy or rent homes and contribute to the communities where they live. “For 140 years, Miami-Dade County Public Schools has been a product of that growth in Miami,” Mr. Villalobos said, “has been a product of influencing and making sure that Miami is the very best place to be and to live in.” The transition gives Mr. Villalobos time to learn the district from a broader perspective before he’s responsible for making decisions about it. For now, he said, his priority is understanding the system and listening to the people who work in it and depend on it. Once he takes the superintendent’s seat, he said, that groundwork will help him determine where Miami-Dade schools should continue what they’re doing and where they need to change. The post Schools superintendent-to-be Rafael Villalobos digging into changes appeared first on Miami Today. ...read more read less