Cultural Diversity in Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Demographic Overview of Miami-Dade County

There is a high degree of cultural diversity within the Miami-Dade Public School System. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010), the county is 73.8% white and 18.9% Black, with other groups making up the remainder. Within these broad categories, however, there is significant diversity. For example, 65% of the population reported Hispanic or Latino origin, and of the white population, only 15.4% identified as non-Hispanic. A full 71.9% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, and foreign-born persons accounted for 51.1% of the total population. These figures indicate that the community is extraordinarily diverse — a reality with tremendous implications for the county school system.

Most non-English speakers in the county are Spanish speakers, but not all. The county has a significant Brazilian population, for example. Among Black residents, the majority are African American, but a sizable minority are Haitian, many of whom speak Haitian Creole at home. Even within the Hispanic population there is notable diversity: while Cubans make up the largest group, there are substantial percentages of Nicaraguans, Colombians, Argentinians, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans as well. Many parts of the county also exhibit a fair degree of residential segregation. In the city of Hialeah, for example, 94.2% of residents speak a language other than English at home, and 94.7% are of Hispanic origin.

The county addresses diversity in a number of ways, the most basic of which is language. Miami-Dade County offers services in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. According to Miami-Dade Public Schools, the district is the fourth-largest in the nation; its approximately 345,000 students speak 56 languages at home and come from 160 different countries. The School Board's website includes Google Translate functionality, providing translation into German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole — helping families whose first language is not English become acquainted with the district. Printed materials are available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

District Approaches to Diversity

The Miami-Dade School District recognizes the following holidays: Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. Religious holidays are also accommodated, but the Board maintains an approved list; any holiday outside that list must be cleared by the Board in advance.

A number of services are available for non-English-speaking students and their families. The Board outlines its multicultural programs in Section 2225 of its policies, affirming its commitment "to equity in education for all students, and to providing a learning environment that reflects the cultures, traditions, customs and historical legacies that comprise the District's population." The school district also ensures that the curriculum "is structured to enable students to view concepts, issues, events and themes from the perspective of diverse ethnic, national origin and culture groups."

The School Board believes that multicultural education "must go beyond the observance of holidays, tributes to famous people, fairs and festivals" and that it must account for different learning styles and levels of academic preparation.

Services for Non-English-Speaking Students and Families

Helping students achieve English proficiency is one of the district's primary objectives. To that end, the District maintains an extensive English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, which is required of all students whose first language is not English. At the same time, the School Board provides "the opportunity to study in and through their native language until they can participate fully in the regular program in English," though it is not entirely clear whether this applies to all languages or only the major ones, such as Spanish and Haitian Creole.

At the secondary level, students "shall be strongly urged to participate in programs using Spanish, Haitian Creole" or another language other than English. The District thus aims to graduate students who are functionally proficient in multiple languages, with English as the foundation.

For newly arrived foreign students — of whom there are many — the Board provides several services: an orientation program in English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole; information about social agencies that can provide assistance and support to families; English and mathematics assessment; and, where available, staff members who speak the family's home language to assist with the registration process.

The District is also inclusive with respect to religion and seeks to incorporate aspects of religion into music, literature, and social studies classes. The county is largely Christian (predominantly Catholic, then Protestant), with a small Jewish minority. No student may be exempted from coursework on religious grounds. Under the District's policy on religious absences, students cannot be penalized for missing school to observe a religious holiday, but they are required to make up any missed work. Students may not, however, be granted an absence to attend mass religious instruction during the school day — such as leaving school in the middle of the day to attend religious services.