Before we invite outsiders like Success Academy into Miami, we must protect what already works, our public schools.
From Liberty City to Overtown to Richmond Heights, our schools have always been more than classrooms. They are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, the places where children find mentors, families find support, and communities find hope.
A legacy rooted in us
For generations, public education has been our path to freedom. When other doors were closed, our schools opened theirs. Black teachers, pastors and parents built institutions that gave our children the courage to dream beyond circumstance and reach for something greater. That legacy still lives in Miami-Dade’s classrooms today, and it must never be handed over to those who see our children as numbers instead of promise.
Outsiders don’t know our children
Now, new state laws are opening the door for out-of-state charter corporations like Success Academy, groups backed by wealthy donors who have never walked our streets or listened to our families. We must ask: Who truly benefits when public schools are turned into private business?
Success Academy built its name on test scores, but behind the headlines lies a harder truth. The network has faced lawsuits for pushing out students with disabilities, enforcing harsh discipline, and creating school cultures where teachers fear speaking up. That’s not excellence. That’s exploitation…