Education reporter @miamiherald.com. Email me at austin.horn@miamiherald.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mumrogqlss2dForgot to post this over the weekend, but here's a companion story to the Miami Killian one. It's got a map tracking enrollment change at traditional public schools & a chart reminder of how few schools meet the board's new 80% utilization goal. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316839348.html03 Sep 2026 15:36 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumrogqlss2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3muhkxtdbbs26Cracked open my Essential Wendell Berry last night and whaddaya know [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Sep 2026 13:52 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhkxtdbbs26https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mu7wtwkeus2iNew: Public schools in Miami-Dade (& districts across the country) are bleeding students. Killian is Miami’s starkest example - falling from 3,700 to 430. I went long on what happened & the district’s ‘Hail Mary’ plan to turn things around with sports. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316964252.html29 Aug 2026 13:03 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu7wtwkeus2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mtyugdp6xk25New: Traditional public schools in Miami-Dade are short 15k students to start the year. That's a bigger decline than expected & charter schools weren't spared, either. Meanwhile, private enrollment & voucher numbers keep trending up. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article317014561.html26 Aug 2026 17:31 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtyugdp6xk25https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mtwgisjk322vNew: Miami-Dade schools' Attendance Boundary Committee released a list of "reassessed" and "under review" schools, sparking speculation over which public schools might be next to close. Here's the list & what those terms mean. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article317002117.html25 Aug 2026 18:17 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtwgisjk322vhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mttr6jorls2yNew: Daniel Epstein, a Trump personal attorney who was recently named dean of FIU's law school, now has the backing of the DOJ in his effort to appeal federal court sanctions against him. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316986049.html24 Aug 2026 16:50 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttr6jorls2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mtobzfkofs2bNew: Florida's expanded "Schools of Hope" charter model has arrived in Miami. KIPP Liberty City is leasing a recently-closed public elementary school building from the district for $1. Here's an inside look at instruction, culture & its 8-month sprint to open. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316935064.html22 Aug 2026 12:35 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtobzfkofs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mthmngjt6k22New: We've got the contract for incoming MDCPS superintendent Rafael Villalobos, who will start in September. His starting salary is a relatively modest increase from what Jose Dotres made when he started in 2022. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316936021.html19 Aug 2026 20:57 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mthmngjt6k22https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mthmgflbo22iNew: We've got the contract for incoming MDCPS superintendent Rafael Villalobos, who will start in September. His starting salary is a relatively modest increase from what Jose Dotres made when he started in 2022. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316936021.html19 Aug 2026 20:53 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mthmgflbo22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mtfja2rc6k22Interesting result in Miami's District 1 school board race. Joy Jackson had endorsements from teachers union & the Herald ed board. But Linda Cothiere edged her out, running up the score in Haitian-American precincts, to make the runoff w/Katrina Wilson. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316861467.html19 Aug 2026 00:51 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfja2rc6k22https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3msyib4vyls2xNew: Miami-Dade public school students kick off the school year in new settings. Advice from one high schooler to a 6th grader entering the new consolidated 6-12 academy: "Lock in." https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316854440.html13 Aug 2026 20:29 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3msyib4vyls2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3msspx3fgt224New: 9 Miami-Dade schools open last year won't open their doors this week. I went long on what the costs are at one school (Rainbow Park), how it's mostly happened in Black neighborhoods & why there's "no winning in this conversation." https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316580855.html11 Aug 2026 13:30 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3msspx3fgt224https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3msjkerscvk2oAlso new: an arrest report IDs longtime Miami Dade College prof & former local candidate Richard Tapia as accused of "interference with custody of minor." Tapia allegedly transported a girl from Jacksonville to a Palm Coast hotel, where he was arrested. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316806367.html07 Aug 2026 21:56 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3msjkerscvk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3msjk3d5cy22oNew - after Haitian TPS ends, Miami-Dade superintendent sends clear message to parents : Bring your kids to school. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article316805100.html07 Aug 2026 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3msjk3d5cy22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3ms7fc2x4522hGOAT was cruising around by his lonesome [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 Aug 2026 20:59 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms7fc2x4522hhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mruk64f6fs24Miami-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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316704280.html30 Jul 2026 13:27 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mruk64f6fs24https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mrfvx5zius2jNew: 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." https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316637500.html24 Jul 2026 17:48 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfvx5zius2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mr6m267skk2dAnd 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316595138.html21 Jul 2026 20:02 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6m267skk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mquiscbens23New: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article316549494.html17 Jul 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mquiscbens23https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mqrh3z6z3k26Lots 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316506673.html16 Jul 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrh3z6z3k26https://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mqmgxcqw5k2oThree 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316489429.html14 Jul 2026 14:43 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmgxcqw5k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mq5czeyh622gNew: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316420096.html08 Jul 2026 14:23 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5czeyh622ghttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mq3pdcjzw22cNew: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316414172.html07 Jul 2026 22:57 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq3pdcjzw22chttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mpqs6k32kc2mMiami-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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316365487.html03 Jul 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpqs6k32kc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mplx3k3k6s2oNew: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316343423.html?tbref=hp01 Jul 2026 16:34 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mplx3k3k6s2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mpjwochvns2xNew: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316328994.html30 Jun 2026 21:21 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjwochvns2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/austin-horn.bsky.social/post/3mphapx4ft22kNew: 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. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article316311005.html29 Jun 2026 19:43 +0000at://did:plc:bsxuvhstk5cev2urovsld6jo/app.bsky.feed.post/3mphapx4ft22k