WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Outgoing Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has a busy schedule on Friday before leaving for Los Angeles.
Carvalho started his education journey at Miami Jackson Senior High in 1990 and returned to the school on his last day on the job.
He also visited other schools he worked at, including William H. Turner Technical Arts High School where he worked as an assistant principal.
There were many hugs, tears and emotional goodbyes for the superintendent on Friday.
He started as a science teacher at 24 years old and climbed the ranks becoming an assistant principal, a principal and worked several other administrative duties before being appointed the district’s superintendent.
Debrah Reddick has known Carvalho since 1990 and she is someone he considers his second mom.
“I’m just really sad because I’ve been with him his whole educational background, you know, when he started here as a young man,” said Reddick. “I’m just so proud of him. I was proud when they announced him as superintendent and he’s done great things for our city, for our students, especially here at Miami Jackson.”
His accolades include National Superintendent of the Year and 2018 National Urban Superintendent of the year.
During his time as superintendent, the M-DCPS system became one of the nation’s highest-performing urban school systems.
It’s a journey Carvalho calls the honor of a lifetime.
“This school, this district, made me,” he said. “From homeless kid, poor kid, undocumented immigrant to teacher, to superintendent is a journey that could only be lived in this community and in this country so I feel very honored and privileged.”
His replacement, Dr. Jose Dotres, has several decades of experience working for M-DCPS.
He left the district last year to take a role as deputy superintendent for Collier County Public Schools in Southwest Florida.
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