‘We can do better’: Miami business leaders push for education reform in new report

Miami Herald | By Clara-Sophia Daly | September 19, 2025

A newly released report issued by a Miami philanthropic group takes a critical look at the state of education in Miami-Dade County.

The report, prepared by Partnership for Miami, an organization with some of Miami’s most influential business leaders, includes findings related to educational outcomes and suggestions for strengthening education in Miami. The stated goals are to find ways to create high-quality schools, develop teachers and school leaders, strengthen senior leadership and empower families so they can make better decisions.

Partnership for Miami, which was established almost two years ago at the urging of Andre Dua, managing partner of McKinsey & Company, follows models like the Partnership for New York City, which includes CEOs from JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs.

The group has a roster including local business leaders like Eric Woolworth, president of the Miami Heat; Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel; Bo Boulenger, President and CEO of Baptist Health and Tom Garfinkel, Vice Chairman, CEO and President of the Miami Dolphins.

Their goal: to build a coalition focused on strengthening Miami into a world-class city accessible to everyone by improving education, housing and affordability.

Their recently-released report, Beyond the Grade – A Close Look at Miami’s K-12 System, was shared with “key stakeholders” such as Miami-Dade superintendent Jose Dotres and school board members.

The report includes a look at declining student performance, citing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Miami-Dade County students outperform national and state averages in fourth-grade math. But in 2024, 46 percent of eighth graders scored at the lowest level in math; 37 percent of fourth graders and 35 percent of eighth graders were below basic in reading, the report highlights.

The report also looks at Florida’s FAST Assessment results.

According to the report, while Miami’s public high schools report a 92% graduation rate (district and public charter), less than two-thirds of students scored on grade level or higher on the 10th-grade language arts assessment. Less than a half score on grade level or higher on the geometry end-of-course assessment.

The report states that Miami must ensure that all students achieve proficiency in math and English Language Arts early, or else risk stark declines.

“When 40 plus percent of our students are not reading at grade level and not doing math at grade level, then you know, we can do better,” said Ana-Marie Codina, CEO of Codina Partners and a Partnership for Miami board member.

Codina, who founded two charter schools in Doral and is a parent of three, added that even children at well-resourced private schools struggled during the pandemic.

“What is the next labor force going to look like when you know so many children were failed during that period and have not caught up?”

She said that education is the foundation for both society and the job market.

“At the end of the day, we want this city to be great, because that’s good for business, and part of that is making sure that we have a Miami that works for all,” she said.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment on the Beyond the Grade report.

Re-focusing resources

Enrollment has become a pressing issue. This school year, Miami-Dade’s student population dropped by around 13,000. According to the report, the utilization rate across the district was 69 percent as of spring 2025, with some districts experiencing schools operating at as low as 56 percent capacity, while others operate at 95 percent.

The report also points out that over time, enrollment in public schools has decreased as enrollment in charters has increased. If current trends continue, the district’s share of the county’s school-age children could drop from 59 percent today to 41 percent by 2035—an enrollment decline from roughly 252,000 to 173,000 students, according to the report.

The report stresses that despite declining enrollment, the district must continue providing access to high-quality options.

Raul Moas, president of the Partnership for Miami and former senior director at the Knight Foundation, says replicating proven school models could be part of the answer. He pointed to Ada Merritt K-8 Center’s International Baccalaureate Dual Language Program as one example.

The Partnership announced in May an initiative to boost enrollment in six high-achieving schools: Crestview Elementary, Phyllis Miller Elementary, Snapper Creek Elementary, Zora Neale Hurston Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Elementary, and Southwood Middle School.

“We welcome a conversation with the district on how to maximize the resources, how to get a higher return on investment in our public education spending,” said Moas.

Because under-enrolled schools often lack the budget for counselors or reading specialists, Moas argued that repurposing schools more efficiently could improve outcomes:

“When you are able to better allocate resources, you are able to properly staff a school,” said Moas.

He suggested concentrating funding on smaller schools that have shown strong outcomes.

Jaret Davis, senior vice president of Greenberg Traurig and a Miami-Dade Public Schools graduate, said one of his motivations for joining the Partnership is ensuring that employees — both current and future — have access to good services, including excellent public schools.

“They have to convince employees to move here,” Davis said, noting that companies evaluate housing affordability, transit, and schools before relocating.

He emphasized less concern over governance models — district versus charter — and more focus on ensuring children have access to high-quality schools.

The Partnership has already started putting its mission into action.

The group has pledged $2 million to the Lucy Project, a literacy initiative that brings specially-trained reading assistants into kindergarten classes. The money will fund the program in four Miami-Dade schools as a trial to test the model. $1 million of that donation came from Citadel’s Ken Griffin. The full commitment also includes major gifts from Robert & Melly Sanchez, the Knight Foundation and Leslie Miller Saiontz.

The report further outlines the importance of having a pipeline of educators ready to work, and also ensuring district leadership is prepared for the job of leading a school district in a rapidly evolving education landscape. The report also stresses the importance of parental input and creating schools and programs that address the needs that parents have.

“We’re committed to the long game, we’re committed to playing a role when it comes to oversight and stewardship,” said Moas.