Lilia Garcia
Ms. Garcia received her undergraduate degree from the University of Miami, her Masters from Florida International University, and Administration/Leadership certification from Nova University. As a first year art teacher, Ms. Garcia initiated and developed the first TALENT program in Miami-Dade County Public Schools housed at Charles R. Drew Elementary School (3rd grade through 12th grade) considered today the "grand-daddy" of seventy (70) magnet programs district wide and one of the twenty (20) magnets exclusively dedicated to the arts. She is recognized as a national leader and strong proponent of the importance of the arts in the basic education of our youth. In that capacity she has participated in a multitude of panel discussions, conferences, symposiums and events. She has also been extensively recognized for her efforts with many prestigious awards. Ms Garcia is a visual artist and has served as curator and judge for many art exhibitions, shows, and festivals; she actively serves in many local and national boards of directors and is past president of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the largest arts festival in the nation.
Dr. Jayne Greenberg
Dr. Greenberg has also served as an international consultant, coordinating Olympic Education Programs in Canada, developing the Sport Science Curriculum in Malaysia, developed math and science sailing curriculum for the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in London, developed a Conservation Safari in South Africa, and recently implemented the MAR²INE Academy in Sydney Australia. In addition Dr. Greenberg has published numerous articles, co-authored a professional text, has been a speaker at several state and national conventions, and has secured over five million dollars in funded grants and corporate sponsorship for educational programs, including the Carol M. White, Physical education for Progress (PEP) grant. Most recently, Dr. Greenberg has been named as the 2005 National Physical Education Administrator of the Year by the American Alliance for Health, Physical education, Recreation, and Dance/National Association for Sport and Physical education.
Victor Lopez Victor Lopez has been an educator with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System for the past 32 years. He is a highly acclaimed composer, arranger, and adjudicator, and has achieved success in music performance, education, and administration. He holds music degrees from the University of Florida and Florida International University. For sixteen years he served as director of bands at Mays Junior High School and Miami Senior High School, and for the past sixteen years, he has worked as an administrator in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He was the principal at G. W. Carver Middle School, which under his leadership received the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award and principal at Miami Senior High School, his alma mater. Currently, he was appointed Executive Director of the Division of Life Skills and Special Projects. Among many of his accomplishments, Mr. Lopez was named the “1978 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Teacher of the Year” and the “1979 State of Florida Teacher of the Year.” In addition to being the former lead trumpet player and arranger for the Miami Sound Machine, he has recorded and performed with various artists and has appeared in numerous music videos. He has also participated in the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTACS) committee, which drafted model arts education licensing standards and supporting materials for national certification. Additionally, he was a founding board member of the Florida Schools Music Association, a non-profit organization that oversees all of the music activities in the State of Florida. Mr. Lopez is in constant demand across the United States and Canada as a clinician/conductor, adjudicator, and commission writer. His compositions/arrangements have been published by Hal Leonard Publishing Company, Arrangers’ Publishing Company, Educational Programs Publications, Warner Bros. Publications and he currently serves as an exclusive composer, arranger and clinician for Alfred Publishing Company with over 450 publications to his credit. Presently, Mr. Lopez is writing a dissertation as required for the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Administration and Supervision at Florida International University.
Robert Thomas Davis
He is the author of AN APPROACH TO TEACHING MUSIC COMPOSITION TO INNER CITY STUDENTS IN A TALENT MAGNET PROGRAM, published by the National Arts Education Research Center and New York University. Mr. Davis most recently published JOYFUL NOISE: A COLLECTION OF ELEMENTARY SONGS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Mr. Davis has conducted musical theatre from the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale to the State Theatre of Maine. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Music Educators National Conference, and the Florida Music Supervision Association.
James A. Smith
Mr. Smith is an accomplished performing musician, having performed with the Kansas City Philharmonic, the Miami Philharmonic, the Greater Miami Opera, and the Florida Philharmonic. He has also performed with such personalities as Luciano Pavarotti, Itzhak Perlman, Monserrat Caballe, and others. In addition, Mr. Smith performed with the Broadway touring ompanies of Phantom of the Opera, Into the Woods, Lady Be Good, and other musicals.
Mr. Smith is a member
of the Music Educators National Conference, the Florida Music
Supervision Association, and the American Federation of Musicians.
Virginia B. Shuker
Ms. Shuker developed the Talent Magnet Dance Program at Norland Middle School, taught at C. R. Drew Elementary School’s Expressive Arts Talent Program, and served as adjunct instructor at colleges and universities from Miami to Tampa. The author of several articles and chapters in books, a presenter at state and national conferences, a member of the writing team for Florida’s Sunshine State Standards in Dance as well as Miami-Dade County’s Dance Competency-Based Curriculum, Virginia has most recently been instrumental in the formation of the Florida Dance Education Organization. Ms. Shuker holds a B. S. Ed. In English from Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania, an M. S. Ed. In Professional Studies/Dance from the University of Miami, Educational Leadership Certification through Barry University, and has completed doctoral course work at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research has focused on interdisciplinary artistic collaborations and their implications for arts educators in the public schools.
Mr. Mike Bromir
Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for the American Heart Association, Jump for Heart Program and has served on their local and state task force committees. He also coordinates the District's annual jump Rope for Heart, Basketball Quick Shot, and Football Mania competitions. Mr. Bromir promotes fitness through annual events such as: Kid Fit Challenge, Fitness/Wellness Day in the Mall, The Fit for Life Fair and the Family Fitness fun Night and Dance Through The Ages. In addition, he oversees the Fit to Achieve/Innovative Physical Activities Program, which impacts thousands of students each year in leading a healthy active lifestyle. Mr. Bromir has served as a presenter at several local and state conferences and he believes that physical education is essential for the total well-being of each student.
Jacquelyn White
Jacquelyn received her Bachelor’s degree in Science Education from the University of Houston. Upon completion, she began teaching Life Science at Campbell Drive Middle School. Her travels then took her to Savannah Georgia where she taught high school Biology, Chemistry, Algebra and Physical Science. Jacquelyn returned to Miami to complete her Master’s Degree from Florida International University in 1991. With a double concentration in Health Policy and Administration as well as Health Education and Promotion, Jacquelyn was accepted into the Manpower Access To Community Health (MATCH) fellowship program where she received additional health administration training at John’s Hopkins University. She also received a year of administrative experience in community health from Robeson Healthcare Community Center in North Carolina. From there, Jacquelyn moved back to Miami to work at the Economic Opportunity Family Health Center as a program manager. Jacquelyn returned to M-DCPS in 1998 to work as a TRUST Specialist at Brownsville Middle School. The following year, she came to the district to work as an educational specialist with the Division of Student Services where she worked until coming to the Division of Life Skills in October, 2002. Jacquelyn has served on several writing teams for the district including the one responsible for the development of the PACES instrument for counselors as well as the one responsible for the standards based student career development document. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at Florida International University in the School of Public Health. Jackie is dedicated to serving the stake holders of Miami-Dade County Public Schools as well as the community at large.
Andy Ramos Andy Ramos has been with Miami-Dade Public Schools for eight years as a teacher and administrator and in education since 1989. Mr. Ramos became the District Chess Coordinator in August 2005. The position has been championed by school board member Dr. Marta Perez since 2002. Chess is a powerful tool that develops cognitive and affective processes which are well documented in many studies. He is a proponent of offering chess as an elective for credit as many European and Latin American countries do. He received a BS in Elementary Education degree from the College of Santa Fe and an MA in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is a member of the United States Chess Federation and the Florida Scholastic Chess League. He has developed partnerships with the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Miami-Dade College chess program. Mr. Ramos developed chess curriculums that lead West Homestead Elementary to several local, state, and national championships the past five years. He has studied with GM Julio Becerra, IM Blas Lugo, and IM Renier Gonzalez. |