Longtime Miami-Dade County Educator Chosen As New Superintendent, Will Replace Carvalho

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL — A longtime leader at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Dr. Jose L. Dotres, has been selected as the district’s next superintendent, the district said in a news release.

The Miami-Dade School board chose him to replace outgoing superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who held the role for the last 14 years.

The board voted 6-3 in favor of Dotres following an eight-hour special meeting Monday, the Miami Herald reported. During this meeting, the board interviewed the three top candidates for the position.

Dotres has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher and as a leader at the school, regional and district office levels for Miami-Dade, the district said.

He left Miami-Dade County nine months ago to serve as deputy superintendent of Collier County Public Schools.

“It truly is an honor,” Dotres told board members after the vote. “I get to come back to work with incredible professionals. My greatest desire is that we work closely together for the benefit of this entire school district.”

He began his educational career as a teacher and reading coach in 1988 at Frederick Douglass and South Pointe elementary schools. From there, Dotres spent five years as the assistant principal at one of the district’s first K-8 Centers, M.A. Milam K-8 Center.

In 2000, he became principal of Hialeah Gardens Elementary, where he established a large and successful inclusion program for students with autism. For the next eight years, he served as administrator, region director and region superintendent.

Dotres spent a year in Broward County Public Schools as chief academic officer. There, he was primarily responsible for overseeing major funding areas such as Title I and Head Start, Miami-Dade Schools said.

In 2014, he returned to Miami-Dade as the superintendent’s chief of staff. A year later, he transitioned to chief human capital officer, where he provided oversight, guidance, and support for strategic initiatives in areas including professional development, performance management, recruitment and labor relations, the district said.