Barry alumnus and Miami-Dade schools chief named superintendent of year

MIAMI, Fla. -- Barry University alumnus and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Carvalho was granted the honor during the AASA’s annual conference in Nashville on Feb. 13.

Carvalho was one of four finalists for the award and was selected on evaluation of his leadership, communication, professionalism, and community involvement.

A nationally recognized expert on school reform and finance, Carvalho successfully transformed Miami-Dade’s business operations and financial systems with the implementation of a streamlined strategic framework. Aligning resources to classroom priorities resulted in dramatic increases in reserves, bond ratings, and student achievement.

Under Carvalho’s leadership, Miami-Dade County Public Schools won the Broad Prize in Urban Education in 2012, in large part because of the academic gains of its minority students. The graduation rate for Miami-Dade, Florida’s largest school district, has risen by about 15 percentage points and now exceeds the state average.

Carvalho graduated from Barry in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. He began his career in education as a science teacher with Miami-Dade schools before becoming an assistant principal and chief communications officer. Carvalho was named superintendent in 2008.

As part of the award, a $10,000 college scholarship will be presented in Carvalho’s name to a student attending the high school from which he graduated or a student attending a high school in the Miami-Dade school district.

Visit the AASA homepage for more information on the organization. Read the official AASA press release for more details as well as a profile of Carvalho.

Contact:

Jeff LaLiberte
305-899-4877