The superintendent of the state’s largest school district is slated to stay on the job for up to three more years — at a time when school chiefs across the state are quitting or being forced out.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres won unanimous support from the district’s conservative-leaning school board to stay on the job — a rare moment of unity for the board.
“The fact that I get to continue this work is just wonderful. And again, thank you for your unanimous confidence in me. It’s an honor to be your superintendent,” Dotres said following the vote on Wednesday evening.
School Board Chair Mari-Tere Rojas said extending the superintendent’s contract will provide the district with some much needed stability — at a time when local education politics are increasingly divisive and politically charged.
“It provides for stability and continuity, and stability of services and programs currently being implemented by Dr. Dotres and his staff,” said Rojas.
A vote for stability during a time of turbulence
Dotres is a career educator who worked his way up the ladder as a teacher and administrator in the district, which he says first welcomed him as a 5-year-old Cuban immigrant and English language learner.
The board first appointed Dotres to the post in February of 2022, when the board’s membership looked much different. Since then, four allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis have taken seats on the board, including two who the governor appointed to their seats.
State scrutiny of superintendents has increased significantly in recent months, as the DeSantis administration ushers in sweeping changes to education. Back in Sept. 2022, the chair of the State Board of Education floated the firing of the superintendent in neighboring Broward County. Within two months, DeSantis appointees on that school board did just that.
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“I can assure you, I'm not interested [in the position],” said School Board Member Steve Gallon, who previously worked as a superintendent in New Jersey. “But this is a very, very interesting time not only for the superintendency … this is a difficult period for classroom teachers around the country. This is a very difficult time for education.”
Changes in state law allowed for contract extension
When Dotres first started the job, he had already entered the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Program or DROP, and planned to retire on June 30, 2024. But a recent change in state law allows certain public employees enrolled in DROP to keep working for three more years, extending their participation in DROP from five years to eight years.
“The fact that the state made the revisions to the DROP, it actually has provided an opportunity of a lifetime to continue the work that I care about,” Dotres said, “because there's still a lot of work to be done.”
Under the proposal approved by the board, Rojas will negotiate a two-year contract extension that will run through Feb. 14, 2026, with the option of an additional one-year term that will be automatically added, unless either party issues a notice of non-renewal.
While the contract extension shows the board’s interest in stable leadership, it’s not a guarantee. Under the superintendent’s contract, he could resign with 90 days' notice. And the board could end his contract without cause at any time.
“If the right person becomes the wrong person, it is easy to fix,” Rojas said.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, in recent months, school districts in Manatee, Charlotte, Collier, Osceola, Martin and Brevard counties have hired new superintendents, while Escambia, Flagler, Duval and Hillsborough County are looking for a new top leader.
While every board member voted to extend the contract, some still voiced concerns, pointing out the board hasn’t finalized its process to evaluate the superintendent’s job performance.
“The three-year [contract] was … kind of … a difficult pill to swallow, per se,” said Board Member Roberto Alonso. “So I really appreciate the 24 months with the automatic extension. Which [there's] probably a very high probability that it will happen. But it gives us the opportunity to all kind of reflect on the two years.”
Chair Rojas plans to hold a special meeting next Wednesday June 28 for board members to discuss the process, timelines and standards for the superintendent’s evaluation.
