To address Florida’s teacher shortage, United Way Miami and Achieve Miami collaborate on the Teacher Accelerator Program
South Florida – From the battlefield to the classroom, a local veteran is being assisted by a new alliance in South Florida.
A collaboration between United Way Miami and Achieve Miami is attempting to alleviate the classroom teacher shortage in Miami-Dade County. And the “Teacher Accelerator program” at Achieve Miami is responsible for it all.
The initiative places suitable people in Miami-Dade County public schools and offers employment training.
As of the 2023 academic year, there are more than 5,000 open positions in the state of Florida alone. And that figure hasn’t improved,” stated Leslie Miller Saiontz, CEO of Achieve Miami. “Hundreds of classrooms are empty in Miami-Dade County alone, meaning that thousands and thousands of students are not having a teacher in front of them.”
United Way Miami Chief Executive Officer Symeria Hudson stated, “It truly cuts to the heart of who we are to be able to partner with an amazing organization that’s on the frontlines, to solve this issue, and for United Way to be part of that.”
One of TAP’s members is Carlos Griffin-Benitez.
He currently teaches at South Dade Senior High School and is a veteran. He has a varied history that includes time in the Marine Corps and banking, and he has a master’s degree from Syracuse University.
Griffin-Benitez, however, was certain that he intended to improve the classroom rather than the battlefield.
“I wanted to contribute to the solution and try to come down here and make a difference after reading an article about the teaching shortage in Florida.”
He looked into programs that assist those from non-traditional backgrounds in entering the educational system, and he claimed that TAP helped him get started by providing him with the tools he needed to succeed right away.
addressing the kinds of pupils we have classroom management, behavior, and classroom operations. Correct? In order to provide us practical experience interacting with students, educating them, and creating lessons, they placed us in front of students during a summer school program and internship program, Griffin-Benitez said.
Griffin-Benitez added that he taught his kids a number of the techniques he acquired while working with Marines.
“As I mentioned, put them first, put their needs first, and lead with compassion. Recognize that they come from different backgrounds and that they all react differently to certain things,” he stated. “There are many things out there, and there’s a cause for the lack. To be honest, teaching is stigmatized negatively. I’m not going to trust it. In addition to being brilliant and genuinely ready and hungry to learn, the children are fantastic and wonderful. They are therefore waiting for you if you have a connection or a calling.
The United Way A paid summer internship at Miami-Dade County Public Schools will follow 150 individuals—college seniors and career changers—who complete a one-semester education and certification support course as part of Miami’s $500K investment in the Teacher Accelerator Program.
Currently, they are recruiting, and in January 2025, individuals will begin training.
