At their Sept. 17, 2008 Board Meeting, Keith Ward was unanimously approved to the Board of the Council for Educational Change. 

A Miami native, Mr. Ward is a local business leader, the Founder and President of Quality Management North America His real estate investment and management firm specializes in rehabilitating multifamily properties. Over the last twenty years, he has increased the market value and the quality of life in underserved areas of Miami-Dade County, investing in communities and citizens.

Before with Join the leaders, staffs and partners of two MDCPS schools, Holmes and Hialeah Elementaries, as they kick-off their ongoing PASS (Partnership to Advance School Success) models for the new school year. Both models are generously sponsored by Jeffrey Miller, the President of Weeks Gas, and a noted educational philanthropist.

When: Aug.15, 2008    9:15a.m. - 3:30p.m.
Where: Don Shula's   6842 Main St., Miami Lakes, FL

Keith Ward

 

The event is sponsored by Mr. Miller, who will attend in the morning. In the afternoon math expert Dr. Stephanie Pasley will work on skill development with the schools. Both breakfast and lunch are provided.

Mr. Miller has given some $450,000 for educational improvement through the Council for Educational Change’s statewide PASS model. PASS partners CEO’s with Principals of underperforming schools, with the assistance of an education coach. The CEO gives $100,000 over the three year life of the program and commits hands-on involvement.

Achievement at Hialeah Elementary has steadily climbed over the life of the PASS program as Mr. Miller, Principal Carolina Naveiras and Coach Boots Richards work as a team. It started as a C, and this year, achieved an A. Last year, Mr. Miller sponsored a PASS model at Holmes, partnering with Principal Dahlia Gonzalez and Coach Dr. Patricia Dixon.

Mr. Miller, also the Co-Chair of the Council, has far exceeded both the standard monetary and personal involvement called for by the model. He has given extra funding for a Parent Academy and Computer Lab at Hialeah Elementary. He has taken Holmes staff and students to Heat games. In 2008, he was awarded the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award for his contribution and was formerly named the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Exemplary Business Partner.

His work at the schools fuses best business practices with education success strategies, as the PASS team works on targeted school improvement and building a strong school instructional team. Some of the strategies include:

• Incentives and rewards, students and staff, for high performance
• Monitoring of student performance data and application to improved instruction
• Involving parents, partners, business and government through community-wide activities and celebrations
• Mentoring and tutoring of students by Weeks Gas volunteers
• Improving the abilities and capacity of family members to support their students achievement and their own skills