In January 2008, the City of Miami Beach, Florida entered into an Education Compact with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) to enhance learning opportunities for youth. The Compact reflects the desire of the Miami Beach community to support excellence in the City’s public schools.
The Education Compact currently addresses and supports the following priority areas: Teacher Recruitment/Retention; Communication; Parental Involvement/Family Support; Youth and Community Engagement; Health and Well-Being; Student Achievement; Safety; and Technology.
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (“STEM”) to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (“STEAM”) movement has been taking root over the past several years and is surging forward as a positive model of action to truly meet the needs of a 21st century economy. STEM alone, without the Arts component, misses several key components that many employers, educators, and parents have voiced as critical for our children to thrive in the present and rapidly approaching future. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results of the STEAM education approach are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experimental learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process.
In support of the City's STEAM Plus initiative, and to ensure equal access to all youth in Miami Beach Public Schools, the Administration recommends that the Mayor and the City Commission approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Miami Dade County Public Schools and Little Kids Rock, to bring culturally relevant music education to Miami Beach South Pointe Elementary, Biscayne Beach Elementary, and Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School at a onetime cost not to exceed $18,000 with a contribution of $18,000 by Little Kids Rock through the Wildflower Foundation to support all six Miami Beach public schools with enhanced professional development and music instruments for the 2019-20 school year.
Little Kids Rock transforms lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in schools. Thousands of K-12 teachers across 45 states lead a national movement that brings innovative and inclusive music education to students. Currently, North Beach Elementary, Miami Beach Fienberg Fisher K-8, and Miami Beach Senior High School partner with Little Kids Rock to provide opportunities for youth in Miami Beach.
Little Kids Rock has invented an entirely new kind of school music program called Modern Band. It teaches kids to perform, improvise and compose using the popular styles that they know and love including rock, pop, reggae, hip hop, R & B and other modern styles. Modern Band classes feature guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, vocals, technology, and computers. Youth see themselves reflected in their classes, which strengthens their connection to their school, their peers, and their community. Little Kids Rock also donates necessary instruments, and curriculum, meeting a key need of many school music programs.
A number of partner districts, including the nation’s two largest public school systems, the New York City Department of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as the Dallas Independent School District, the Chicago Public Schools and the Hartford Public Schools have officially adopted Modern Band programming by making it an official part of their music programs and by working closely with Little Kids Rock to help make Modern Band available to children throughout their school systems. In 2019, Miami Dade County Public Schools also partnered with Little Kids Rock to provide training and equipment to 132 teachers, approximately 27,720 youth, and 700 instruments donated.
To support teacher professional development, the Administration recommends that the Mayor and the City Commission approve and authorize the City Manager to fund one music teacher at each Miami Beach public school to participate at the annual Little Kids Rock 2019-20 summer workshop at a one time cost not to exceed $6,000.