GOAT was cruising around by his lonesome

Miami Herald@miamiherald.com · 2d ago

GOAT was cruising around by his lonesome.

Miami-Dade school board members often said picking the district's next superintendent would be the biggest decision they'd ever make. Here's more on who they landed on: longtime MDCPS administrator Rafael Villalobos. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Who is Rafael Villalobos? Meet Miami-Dade public schools’ next superintendent

Villalobos is a graduate, longtime administrator and region superintendent in Miami-Dade’s school system. Read more about his background.

miamiherald.com

New: Incoming FIU Law dean Daniel Epstein, one of President Trump’s personal attorneys, wasn’t among the search committee's top 20 applicants for the role. More on the search & why one committee member is calling him "a poster boy for ethical corruption." www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

‘Unusual’: How a Trump attorney became dean of FIU’s up-and-coming law school

One search committee member called the incoming dean, who’s worked as President Trump’s attorney, “a poster boy for ethical corruption.”

miamiherald.com

And then there were two: Miami-Dade school board whittles down applicants to two finalists. One is an internal candidate. The other is an administrator in neighborhing Broward County. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade school board names two finalists for next superintendent

All eight board members voted to make one internal candidate a finalist for superintendent. The second finalist got six votes.

miamiherald.com

New: Johnny Brown, the former Miami-Dade school district attorney and father of SCOTUS Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, has passed away at 80. Read more about his life & how his legal career inspired his daughter's in our obituary. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/o...

Johnny Brown, father of Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dies at 80

Growing up in Liberty City and serving as the school district’s top attorney, his legal career inspired his daughter, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

miamiherald.com

Lots of candidates (8!) made their case for filling the open Miami-Dade District 1 school board seat at a public forum Wednesday night -- it's anyone's race to win. But there was one clear political loser among them: Florida's charter "Schools of Hope" law. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

‘Parasites’: Miami-Dade school board hopefuls slam ‘Schools of Hope’ law

None of the eight candidates vying for District 1’s seat on the Miami-Dade school board said they supported the charter co-location law.

miamiherald.com

Three years ago a Miami-Dade PE teacher was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year-old student. Now two sisters, aged 12 & 13 when allegedly abused by the same man, are suing the school district for damages over their own case. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade school district sued over alleged sex abuse in Homestead school

Two unnamed defendants said they were sexually abused by a former P.E. teacher. They claim the school could have done more to prevent it.

miamiherald.com

New: we have the list of 6 semifinalists for the role of Miami-Dade County Public Schools' superintendent. Some familiar faces as well as high-profile folks from out of state. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Semifinalists to lead Miami-Dade County Public Schools revealed

The list of semifinalists selected by Miami-Dade’s school board includes internal candidates as well as administrators from out of state.

miamiherald.com

New: Miami-Dade's public school teachers union appears to have survived, despite missing the new FL certification vote participation requirement by a hair. Reason being the law took effect July 1, and the union began its election process in May. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade teachers union says it survives despite missing participation threshold

United Teachers of Dade was shy of a new turnout threshold by just 142 votes. Here’s why they say they’re still alive.

miamiherald.com

MAGNA CARD-A (I am yanked off stage by a comically large shepherd's crook)

Miami-Dade County Public Schools gets an "A" grade for the 7th straight year. More on why that rating might only tell us so much & every individual school's grade here. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade school district keeps ‘A’ grade. See where your school ranked

A higher percentage of Miami-Dade public schools were rated “A” compared to Broward and Palm Beach. Check our database for your school.

miamiherald.com

New: South Florida billionaire Ken Griffin is donating $2 million to a Miami-based academic mentorship nonprofit. Unlike his splashy $50M Success Academy gift, this one is not particularly oriented towards charter schools or other school choice matters. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Ken Griffin gifts $2 million to Breakthrough Miami, area mentorship nonprofit

The gift is one of several Griffin has given to Miami-based nonprofits since moving his hedge fund, Citadel, to Miami.

miamiherald.com

New: Many at FIU Law are uneasy about the hiring of a personal atty for President Trump as interim dean. They criticized his cover letter, which mentions hiring conservatives, tapping conservative donors, recruiting from conservative/affluent places & more. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

‘A political decision’: FIU law school community uneasy over new dean with Trump ties

“Law schools that can build and maintain ties with the conservative parts of the country... are poised to benefit,” the new dean wrote in a cover letter.

miamiherald.com

New: Daniel Epstein, who’s served as Trump’s WH counsel & personal attorney, has been named interim dean at Florida International University’s College of Law, the school’s provost told faculty this afternoon. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Top Trump attorney Daniel Epstein named interim dean at FIU law school

Epstein has represented Trump in the White House and in a personal capacity. He is also VP of Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s legal group.

miamiherald.com

New: 8 of the 21 applicants for Miami-Dade superintendent were found to have met the board's minimum requirements. But it's possible more could be considered. See the list of candidates & board discussion here. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Eight candidates for Miami schools superintendent met all criteria. Is that enough?

The board was split on whether candidates short a requirement or two should be allowed to move on to the next round.

miamiherald.com

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is looking to revive a deal that would move their administrative HQ from its current building to 2 stories in a downtown high-rise. Here are the details: www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade school district HQ in a downtown high-rise? Board revives old deal

In the agreement, the district would allow a developer to build on its parking lot in exchange for construction of new administrative space.

miamiherald.com

New: Facing sliding enrollment, Miami-Dade County School Board has closed 9 public schools. Some had lost more than half of their population in the last decade. Almost all of them were eyed by charter schools under FL's "Schools of Hope" law. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade closes nine public schools, many eyed by ‘Schools of Hope’ charters

Almost all the schools received letters of intent from charter operators under Florida’s new “Schools of Hope” law.

miamiherald.com

Who will succeed Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres? More than 20, including some district employees, have applied.

More than 20 people applied for Miami-Dade school superintendent. See the list

Who will succeed Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres? More than 20, including some district employees, have applied.

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New: In Miami-Dade, private school voucher use is surging (projected to gain 10k, up to 82k). Traditional public schools are projected to lose another 8k students. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade public schools projected to lose another 8,000 students as vouchers surge

A projected 82,500 students will use vouchers to fund their private education in Miami-Dade next year, according to district estimates.

miamiherald.com

New: MDCPS is set to vote on closing & consolidating 4 schools. They could vote on more soon, as enrollment, $ declines. In one case, only 16% of students living within the attendance boundary chose to attend their assigned traditional public school. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

These four Miami-Dade public schools could close, consolidate after this year

In one case, only 16% of eligible students living within the attendance boundary chose to attend their assigned traditional public school.

miamiherald.com

New: Most FL teachers unions must now get half of all eligible employees (union & non-union) to turn out in a mail-in election if they want to survive. Gov. DeSantis says it will decertify them "once & for all." Miami-Dade union leadership begs to differ. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/e...

Miami-Dade teachers union is in a fight for its life – via the mailbox

Under a new state law, most teachers unions must get half of all eligible members to mail ballots to Tallahassee in order to survive.

miamiherald.com

“The call came from the White House: We have to get this done,” the person said.  About three months before the Pentagon announced plans to lend money to Vulcan Elements, Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took an undisclosed stake in the company. @robert-faturechi.bsky.social

The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr.

About three months before the Pentagon announced plans to lend money to Vulcan Elements, Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took an undisclosed stake in the company.

propublica.org

Very big Lexington news: Phoebe Bridgers is playing a pop-up show at The Burl tonight. www.kentucky.com/entertainmen...

Phoebe Bridgers brings pop-up concert series to The Burl in Lexington. What we know

Phoebe Bridgers has been playing a series of pop-up shows that aren’t announced until the day of the concert. Lexington is the latest location.

kentucky.com

Congressman Hal Rogers, who is now 88, has won the GOP nomination for Kentucky's 5th Congressional District for the umpteenth time. From when he sat down with @austin-horn.bsky.social in December:

Q&A: KY Rep. Hal Rogers on work in DC, why he’s seeking reelection at 87

Rogers: “I welcome people inspecting my record... my capability, my sanity. But in the end, I’m able to bring things home to East Kentucky.”

kentucky.com

First complete reporting county in KY04 GOP primary is Mason County. Massie by 2. This is a good result for Gallrein, imo. Not ideal for Massie. Mason is next door to Massie's home county of Lewis.

Rep. Andy Barr is KY's GOP US Senate nominee to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell. Here's our story on the race, how Barr got here & what it means. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Central Kentucky congressman wins Senate primary to replace Mitch McConnell

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr beat out former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in primary race to replace longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell.

kentucky.com

An early call for the #KYSen GOP race: Rep. Andy Barr wins. More on that race here! www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Central Kentucky congressman wins Senate primary to replace Mitch McConnell

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr beat out former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in primary race to replace longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell.

kentucky.com

Starting KY election thread here. Gallrein and Barr leading the absentee vote in Kenton County. Hard to read too much into it, but it's a good sign for Barr and probably a neutral (or slightly pro-Gallrein) one for Massie/Gallrein.

The national winner of the 2026 Public Media New Voices Award is.... KPR/LPM's own, @sylviaruthg.lpm.org !!!! www.pmja.org/pmja-present...

New #KYSen: It might seem grim to compare your electoral odds to that of a 90 y/o woman giving birth. But, quoting the Bible, Daniel Cameron did just that. How a faith-on-his-sleeve approach & an odd coalition keep the promise of a Cameron miracle alive. www.kentucky.com/news/politic...

Daniel Cameron looks to faith as GOP Senate race comes to a close on Election Day

It might seem grim to compare your odds to win to that of an elderly woman giving birth. Citing the Bible, Daniel Cameron did just that.

kentucky.com