Welcome to Miami-Dade County Public Schools District 2!

I am filled with excitement as we embark on the new school year. The marked improvement in  several school grades and the record-high graduation rate achieved by the district during the 2010-2011 school year are encouraging.  Those accomplishments and many others in 2010-2011 give credence to our being on the path to improvement, but I am confident that the 2011-2012 school year will be even better.

We must expand on the work of the past year by applying a renewed energy to our task in order to ensure an increase in progress. I am optimistic about the focus of administrators, enthusiasm of teachers, support or parents, and the promise and hope of students. They comprise the core elements of the education process and the main beneficiaries of community support.

Our schools belong to our communities. I am committed to re-engaging community members in order to invite them to have a greater role in education. Increased inclusion will create a broader sense of pride and allow communities to share in the gratification of the inevitable advancement of our students.

Please join me in this mission. Let us all make a commitment to strive together in the interest of student achievement. Our collaboration will assure student success.

I look forward to working with you to make this year our best EVER and to improve education for all students.

Warmest regards.

Faithfully,

Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
School Board Member, District 2

DR. DOROTHY BENDROSS-MINDINGALL

As a classroom teacher, principal, adult education administrator, and public servant, Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall has made a lifetime of using education to unlock the doors of opportunity.  She was one of seven children born to the late Willie J. and Ora Rodgers Bendross, who hailed from rural Alabama and had great respect for education as the only means to ensure success. 

For several years while growing up during the Segregation Era, she lived in what is fondly called the “Pork and Beans” - the Liberty Square Housing Projects in Miami.  After graduating from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, she matriculated at Tuskegee Institute, Nova University, Barry University and Florida International University, completing Bachelors and Masters Degrees, and several Masters-level certifications.  She also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Florida Memorial University.

Dorothy has taught children from the rural mountains of North Carolina to the vibrant streets of Miami, FL; and, students from various economic and ethnic backgrounds.  She strongly believes that all children can learn.  She designed and implemented numerous projects to that end.  She holds education as a priority, but also shows deep concern for the needs of children, women and families. 

As the first chairperson of the Governor’s Commission on African American Affairs, she convened meetings throughout Florida to listen to the concerns of citizens and to direct pro-active events to influence decision-makers.  She encouraged the attendees of these meetings to take the information they learned to their local churches, community organizations and schools, so that they could become part of the team to enhance the educational, political and social experiences of African-Americans in Florida.

Dorothy's leadership, advocacy, and list of “First's” have been publicly acknowledged by newspaper and magazine articles. She has also received plaques, trophies and other unique awards from national and international organizations.  She founded the first state-chartered male role model program in Florida.  This was long before local, state, and national officials saw the value in her approach.  During her distinguished career in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, she received lauds for pioneering programs that promote mentorship, attendance improvement, and parent involvement. 

As the State Representative for District 109 (2000 – 2008), she collaborated with agencies, businesses, and community leaders, which helped her serve the families of Miami-Dade County.  She continued to educate families and informed the Legislature about the will of the people.  She also opened a learning center within a Miami-Dade housing project, designed to get even more parents off welfare. 

As Founder/Administrator of Labor in Love Literacy Program, Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall continues to serve as an example of a courageous and tenacious leader.  Her commitment makes her a formidable advocate for those who have no voice.  She has often applied her creative solutions to problems that perplex others. 

On November 2, 2010, Miami-Dade voters elected Dorothy to serve as the Miami-Dade County School Board Member for District 2.  She serves on the Facilities and Construction Reform and the Innovation, Efficiency and Governmental Relations Committees of the school board.  She is most excited about her new endeavor because it allows her to continue to follow her passion – improving the education of children and families.