Overview

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.

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 served 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. The achievement gap that exists between high performing schools and those that serve Miami-Dade students living in poverty is as visible and wide as anywhere else in the country.

Life

With the expanse in area and lifestyles, there is really something for everyone in Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade corps members most often decide to find housing near the locations of schools they are placed at. 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 lies 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. While Miami is known to have a relatively high cost of living, 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. The efforts of corps members have been recognized and lauded by the school district, which shares Teach For America’s 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 service and improve achievement outcomes for children throughout the county. In 2008, 25 percent of Miami-Dade teachers were nominated for Rookie Teacher of the Year. These teachers averaged over 1.5 years of reading growth with their students, and led them to stunning score increases on state exams.

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 the efforts for Miami-Dade students are as purposeful and productive as possible. Miami-Dade is a region with a tremendous amount of potential and in entering the eighth year, the corps is united by a common purpose and a desire to take it to the next level for Miami-Dade students.