2003
Year TFA Arrived
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In Miami-Dade, more than 100,000 students are growing up in poverty. By the time these students reach the tenth grade, less than 20% can read at grade level.
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Today, 300 corps members are teaching in Miami-Dade. One-third of these teachers were the first college graduates in their families, giving them unique insight into the challenges their students face.
About Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade is a city setting the bar for diversity in our country. Over two-thirds of our community identifies as Latino or Hispanic and nearly one-fifth as African American. Miami has been called a multicultural mosaic, with individual populations maintaining their cultures and contributing to a vibrant and exciting community.
With great diversity comes great potential for our city to be a launching pad for hundreds of thousands of future leaders with distinct backgrounds and perspectives. In many cases, however, our education system is failing to prepare these future leaders for the road ahead. Just 20% of the more than 100,000 children growing up in poverty here will read on grade level by the tenth grade.
Yet we know all students can achieve academic success and we have the ability to ensure that the kids we teach—90% of whom identify as minority—receive an excellent education. We are working diligently to bring the most exceptional leaders to our city to fuel the efforts for change and set their students up for a future of achievement.
Thanks to the incredible support of the Miami-Dade community, our 300 corps members are teaching 22,000 children living in poverty this year—nearly a quarter of our city’s highest-need students. Together, we can work to ensure Miami-Dade and its students live up to their enormous potential.
Connect With Us
Executive Director
Maxeme Tuchman is a graduate of Miami-Dade County Public Schools who began her Teach For America career as a 2004 corps member in Miami-Dade.
Maxeme taught high school social studies at Miami Northwestern and coached the school’s award-winning Urban Debate League team. Maxeme’s goal of ensuring a quality education for all children next led her to take on roles at the Mayor’s Office in New York City, D.C. Public Schools, Harlem Children’s Zone, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Maxeme holds a B.A. from New College of Florida and a M.B.A and M.P.P from Harvard University. After a few years away from home, Maxeme is thrilled to be back in the land of café con leche and sunny weather!
Regional Stats
35
Corps Size The First Year
300
Corps Size This Year
233
Alumni in Region
22k
Students Being Reached
22
Schools with Corps Members
