MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The Miami-Dade School Board met on Tuesday to continue their search for Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s replacement. The majority narrowed the list of candidates to three finalists in preparation for a future public meeting that will allow community input during the interview process.
Without a national search, there were 16 confirmed candidates and two of them withdrew their applications. Walter J. Harvey, the School Board Attorney for Miami-Dade County, said human resources determined there were seven candidates who met the minimum qualifications set by the board on Jan. 5.: Oscar Rico, Jacob Oliva, Danita C. Duhart, Jose L. Dotres, Rafaela Espinal, Sherrell Hobbs, and Derek Negron.
The majority of the board members decided that the three finalists were Dotres, and Espinal, who have doctorates, and Oliva, who works for the Florida Department of Education. Tuesday’s selection process began when District 7 Board Member Lubby Navarro said she wanted the board to identify the final candidates and invite them to a public meeting for an interview after the fingerprinting and background checks.
“The majority of the board wants a public process,” Navarro said.
District 6 Board Member Mari Tere Rojas said the list needed to be narrowed down to three candidates. District 5 Board Member Christi Fraga, District 9 Board Member Luisa Santos, District 8 Board Member Marta Pérez and Navarro agreed. Fraga said the candidates need to relinquish their ability to listen to the other interviews and to provide an open and closing statement during the public meeting.
“Seeing that interaction to me is important,” Fraga said, adding the board should select organizations and questions ahead of the public interviews.
Fraga’s motion to move forward with the three public interviews was seconded by Navarro and supported by the majority.
District 1 Board Member Steve Gallon III, District 2 Board Member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingal and District 4 Board Member Perla Tabares Hantman, the chair, disagreed.
Tabares Hantman said she wasn’t ready to select any finalists. Gallon said he wanted to nominate Dotres to be the next superintendent.
“What we are doing is extending the discourse regarding the process,” Gallon said, adding his conviction came from his due diligence.
Both Bendross-Mindingal, Tabares Hantman, and Rojas said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic increased the urgency to replace Carvalho as soon as possible.
Tabares Hantman said that after Carvalho made the announcement on Dec. 9, she thought it would be a good idea to offer Jaime G. Torrens, Carvalho’s deputy superintendent, the opportunity to serve as interim superintendent, but the idea fell through when Torrens declined.
Cori’Anna White, the student advisor to the school board, said conducting the public interview will help students understand the process. The board has yet to determine the logistics of the public interviews or a date.
About the 3 candidates
Dotre’s application
Espinal’s application
Oliva’s application
Noon report