The Miami-Dade region represents a city of stark contrasts - rural and urban, rich and poor, perception and reality. It stretches from the rural, agricultural community of Homestead in the south to the urban sprawl of Liberty City in the center of town to Carol City in the North.
| Quick Stats |
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| Site Since: 2003 |
| Corps Size: 90 |
| Average yearly temperature: 75.9 ° |
| Car: Access to car is essential |
Salary: See cost of living  |
Miami-Dade offers its visitors and residents a culturally, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse landscape that stands alone. Yet, some people are surprised when they learn that 76 percent of the students we serve in Miami-Dade identify as African-American. While commonly known as a luscious vacation destination and play-land for the wealthy, this is only a sliver of the reality. Miami-Dade is a community where over 40 percent of the population earns less than $18,000 a year. Such contrasts define the Miami-Dade school system as well, where less than 50 percent of students graduate and the achievement gap that exists between the district’s high performing schools and those that serve our students living in poverty is as visible and wide as anywhere else in the country.
Upon moving to Miami-Dade, corps members quickly witness the incredible range of opportunities available for them to embrace and take on – from immersing themselves in the culture of Little Haiti to exploring the treasures of the everglades and the agricultural lifestyle of South Dade, to identifying the Caribbean and Latin influence in the dining and arts worlds. In Miami-Dade, corps members are immersed in an incredibly rich, vibrant community and in turn become catalysts for a powerful change in the academic prospects of their students.
Miami-Dade is both a geographically and demographically large region. There are over 31 different municipalities in Miami-Dade County – each with their own government and a total population of 2.2 million. Because of this expanse in area and lifestyles, there is really something for everyone in Miami-Dade. Our corps members most often decide to find housing near the locations of our schools. It is common to travel to different parts of the county for professional development meetings, corps gatherings, social events, and cultural happenings.
Corps members have many options when deciding where to live. In the city of Miami, the Design District and Brickell are urban neighborhoods where many young professionals reside. South of the downtown business center lie Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, South Miami, and Kendall, which offer appealing housing options near local shops and cafes. Farther south is Homestead, home to shopping outlets, farming communities, the gateway to the Keys, and more affordable housing. Many corps members who teach in the northern part of the county choose to live close to the beach in Sunny Isles or Normandy Isles. While Miami is known to have a relatively high cost of living, our corps members find that they are able to secure housing in a wide variety of areas and live comfortably on a teaching salary.
Corps Culture
Teach For America • Miami-Dade is a region on a mission to ensure that students maximize their life prospects by achieving rigorous goals and making significant academic gains. Our corps, alumni, and staff operate as leaders in our community by holding one another accountable and supporting, encouraging and challenging ourselves to realize our vision for student success in Miami-Dade. Our efforts have been recognized and lauded by the school district, which shares our commitment to closing the achievement gap within Miami-Dade County Public Schools. A recent district evaluation of Teach For America yielded a recommendation to continue growing the size of the corps in Miami-Dade in order to expand our service and improve achievement outcomes for children throughout the county. In 2006, the United Teachers of Dade honored a Teach For America corps member as the “Rookie Teacher of the Year.”
Outside of the classroom, Miami-Dade corps members meet monthly with their colleagues in Professional Learning Communities in order to develop professionally, share best practices, and support and challenge one another in their efforts. Corps members work closely with their program directors, who act as coaches and consultants to ensure that their efforts for our students are as purposeful and productive as possible. Miami-Dade is a region with a tremendous amount of potential and as we enter our sixth year, we are a corps united by a common purpose and a desire to take it to the next level for our students.
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