Officials hold pep rally for new school year

MIAMI (WSVN) -- School starts in 10 days, and the Miami-Dade School Board is prepping faculty and administrators for a productive school year.

Friday morning, school board members, teachers and administrators gathered at the Knight Concert Hall in Downtown Miami. The pep rally consisted of entertainment by students and a speech made by Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

In the speech, Carvalho outlined the goals he would like to accomplish during the 2012-13 school year. "My colleagues, my family, this is going to be the year where through academic transformation, strategic work, we will eliminate 'F' rated schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools," he said. "If it weren't for the dramatically increased standards and new test scores this year, based on last year's applications of standards, Miami-Dade would've reduced its three 'F' rated schools down to zero."

Debbie Saumell, the principal at Rockway Elementary said, "We're focusing more this year in STEM: science and tech and math, going to do a lot of things with hands-on science."

Ten different schools in the county are adding an extra hour to the day to increase academic performance, according to state law.

Though boosting the grade is first on the agenda, on day one Miami-Dade Schools enter the digital era. "Aug. 20, every single high school will be connected with hot spots," Carvalho said.

Students start school on Aug. 20.

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