Miami-Dade school board to elect Chair, Vice Chair
MIAMI - The Miami-Dade school board will meet on Tuesday to elect two important positions.
The nine school board members will select a Chair and Vice Chair to lead the third-largest school district in the country.
The vote will help determine who will preside over the board meetings, appoint members to committees, and be a liaison between the board and the superintendent.
The board has seen drastic changes in recent years. Some members have left their seats, others were appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
No doubt many eyes will be on the board which has tackled controversial issues across the district this past year, including recognizing LGBTQ+ History Month, which was voted down again in September, and the way Black history is taught in schools which has recently come under fire.
A controversial part of African-American history standards approved by the State Board of Education in July requires middle-school instruction to include "how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."
State education officials, including Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., have vehemently defended the standards.
In October, voted unanimously to approve a slate of new books for social studies, history, and personal finance. According to school board member Dr. Steve Gallon, there is no mention of benefits from slavery contained in the books approved by the board. Board members said the books were chosen by a very inclusive process that included parents, teachers and students working together.