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Miami-Dade
At the core of each significant
issue facing our community is the need for equity and excellence in education. We are so fortunate to have the Teach For
America program hard at work in Miami-Dade.
- Ruth Shack, President, Dade Community Foundation
Teach For America • Miami-Dade is playing a critical role in improving schools and communities. This year, a corps of nearly 100 of the nation’s top recent college graduates is working in underserved schools across Miami-Dade to ensure that students facing the challenges of poverty are given the educational opportunities they deserve. Our alumni are leaders in the classroom, in education more broadly, and across all sectors. Together, they are making educational equity a reality in Miami-Dade. Learn about living and teaching in Miami-Dade.
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Corps Impact |
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Alumni Impact |
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Regional Supporters |
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Contact Us |
Press
Recent press releases
Recent press coverage
Corps Impact
During the 2009-10 school year, nearly 100 corps members are directly impacting the lives of approximately 7,000 students in Miami-Dade. Kelli Valdez is one example of the tremendous difference our corps members are making.
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Kelli Valdez (Miami-Dade Corps '07) |
When Kelli Valdez (Corps ‘07) began teaching second grade at Chapman Elementary, not one of her students was reading on grade level. Undeterred, Kelli set high expectations for her class, aiming for 1.5 grade levels of growth for the year. The class monitored its progress using bar graphs, and Kelli also volunteered at an after-school program to give her students additional help. By year’s end, Kelli’s students surpassed their goal by growing, on average, two full grade levels in reading. One student, Luis, entered Kelli’s classroom unable to read or write in English, and was at a second grade reading level when he left. Like Kelli, our corps members are working throughout Miami-Dade to give students the academic opportunities they deserve.
Principal Satisfaction
- 97 percent of recently-surveyed principals (in schools with Teach For America corps members) reported that they would hire another Teach For America teacher.
- 97 percent of principals surveyed regard Teach For America teachers as effective as, if not more effective than, other beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement.*
*"Teach For America 2009 National Principal Survey,” Policy Studies Associates, July 2009.
Impact on Student Achievement
A growing body of research shows that corps members have a positive impact on their students' achievement. Read more about our impact.
Student Profile
- Students served who are eligible for free/reduced lunch: 80%
- Students served who are African-American and/or Latino: 97%
Miami-Dade: Corps Member Placement
| Assignment | % of Corps* |
|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten | 4% |
| Elementary School, Lower (1-2) | 17% |
| Elementary School, Upper (3-5) | 19% |
| Secondary Math | 17% |
| Secondary English | 15% |
| Secondary Science | 17% |
| Secondary Social Studies | 13% |
Characteristics of the 2008 Corps
| Corps Profile |
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| Average GPA: 3.6 |
| Average SAT: 1344 |
| Held leadership roles on campus: 89% |
| People of color: 30% |
*Percentage of senior classes who applied to Teach For America
Alumni Impact
Fostering Alumni Leadership for Systemic Change
As the number of corps members grows, so does our alumni base. By 2010, we will have over 450 Teach For America • Miami-Dade alumni pursuing professional careers and impacting educational reform from every sector.
- Nationally, more than 60 percent of corps members continue to work in education,
including more than 360 who are school leaders. - 93 percent of all alumni report they are supporting Teach For America’s mission
through their career, volunteer activity or graduate study.
Gemma Torcivia (Miami-Dade Corps '04) |
Gemma Torcivia (Corps ‘04) taught reading and special education at Miami Central Senior High during her two-year teaching commitment. Her experience in the classroom inspired her to open Rise Academy-South Dade Charter School, the first tuition-free college preparatory K-8 school in Florida. Gemma also plans to expand the Rise Academy network, opening a second K-8 charter school in 2010 and a high school in 2011. Her goal is to ensure that every child in South Dade, currently one of Miami-Dade’s lowest performing academic regions, has the opportunity to attend college. Gemma is just one example of the impact our alumni continue to have in Miami-Dade.
Regional Supporters
We are grateful to have many supporters who generously contribute to our movement in Miami-Dade. The foundations, corporations and individuals listed below have made it possible for Teach For America to continue to recruit, select, train, and support teachers who are working to eliminate educational inequity in our city.
| Advisory Board |
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| Maria Alonso SVP & Market Development Manager Bank of America |
| C.L. Conroy (Chair) President The Conroy Martinez Group |
| Evelyn Greer Partner Hogan, Greer & Shapiro |
| Jack Lowell Vice Chairman Flagler Real Estate Services LLC |
| Jeffrey J. Stay Chief Relationship Officer Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler |
| Corporation, Foundation and Public Support Show more + |
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We thank the following lead corporate supporters for their extraordinary support of our work:
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$100,000 - $199,999 |
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| Miami-Dade County Public Schools |
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Contact
To support Teach For America • Miami-Dade with a gift or to request additional information about our impact or finances, please contact:
Teach For America • Miami-Dade
Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, Executive Director
Dorit Matthews, Development Director
3250 NE 1st Avenue, Suite 209
Miami, FL 33137
p 786-245-8416, f 786-245-8418
rebecca.fishmanlipsey@teachforamerica.org
dorit.matthews@teachforamerica.org
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Executive Director
Rebecca Fishman Lipsey leads the Miami-Dade region, managing a team of talented staff and nearly 100 corps members as they work to create a movement for educational equity across South Florida. Rebecca joined Teach For America as a 2004 corps member where she taught 4th and 5th grade in Harlem, New York. During her first year of teaching, Rebecca was able to increase student learning in her classroom by 1.5 years, and in her second year, Rebecca’s students demonstrated more than 1.77 years of growth. Inspired by her work in the classroom, she brought her skills and talents to the New York City regional team as a program director, where her corps members demonstrated record breaking satisfaction levels. Rebecca went on to become the managing director of program in New York City, managing approximately 200 teachers in their work with 6,000 students across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, while fostering partnerships with principals, teachers, community members, and leaders in the educational reform movement. Rebecca was the valedictory speaker from her graduating class at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a M.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education.
