Forty-one percent. That’s the share of Miami-Dade public school students in grades 3–10 who can read proficiently today — a number that highlights why education is central to the county’s future. Flip the statistic, and the crisis is clearer: nearly six out of 10 kids are falling behind. When children can’t read by third grade, their chances of catching up plummet — and Miami-Dade risks losing its next generation of entrepreneurs, teachers, engineers and leaders.
This is why we signed on as founding board members of the Partnership for Miami: to ensure the business community steps up on the issues that will decide our city’s future. Education stands at the center, because every other dream for Miami rests on whether our kids succeed in school.
The Partnership for Miami is a nonprofit organization of business leaders committed to collaborative solutions for long-term prosperity, tackling issues like housing affordability, transit, infrastructure, the environment — and most importantly, education.
Yes, Miami-Dade schools have much to celebrate — one of the nation’s top-rated urban districts and hundreds of high-performing schools. But averages and accolades can’t hide the truth: too many children are left behind, and families know it. That’s why the Partnership is investing in proven educational solutions. One example is the Lucy Project, a local nonprofit that equips teachers and delivers small-group literacy interventions.
Earlier this week, we committed nearly $2 million to expand its in-classroom program to four public schools. Our efforts are grounded in data and accountability, detailed in the Partnership’s report Beyond the Grade: A Close Look at Miami’s K-12 System. The report celebrates progress while also calling out tough realities. At its heart is a belief that every school receiving public dollars must deliver real results for students.
We’re ready to work with anyone — district leaders, charter operators, teachers, parents — committed to raising achievement. But we will also be honest about what isn’t working and demand better. Our children deserve nothing less.
Doubling down on Miami means investing in people: our children, our teachers, our families. This city has the talent and energy to build one of the strongest education systems in the nation. But that will happen only if we share responsibility and hold ourselves accountable for results.
Miami’s future will be written in its classrooms — and education will determine how that story ends.
