Miami, FL – July 27, 2020 – Miami EdTech, Inc., a leading provider of professional development for teachers and innovative K-12 curriculum in the areas of computer science and entrepreneurship, and the Academy for Computer Science Education at FIU, announced their partnership to focus on strengthening the local education ecosystem to better prepare teachers and students for the future of work.
The powerful collaboration between Miami EdTech, Inc. and the Academy for Computer Science Education unites efforts to better train teachers and increase certifications in computer science while expanding the diversity, equity, and inclusion of computer science education in Miami-Dade County.
“Technology jobs aren’t simply growing—they’re skyrocketing. We need to make sure our students are taught the skills necessary to qualify for these jobs,” said Carlos Vazquez, Miami EdTech CEO. With a projected growth rate of 13 percent between 2016 and 2026 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), computer science has the fastest growth rate than the average for all occupations, which is seven percent. The average salary for a computing occupation in Florida is $82,793, which is significantly higher than the average in the state ($46,010).
And yet, in Florida, only 30% of all public high schools teach a foundational computer science course and out of the 416,240 Teacher Certifications held in the state, only 625 (0.15%) are in Computer Science (2018-2019). According to code.org, teacher preparation programs in Florida did not graduate a single new teacher prepared to teach computer science in 2018.
Underrepresented groups in computer science degrees and jobs — including girls, Blacks and Hispanics each face unique structural and social barriers in both exposure and access to computer science. In Miami-Dade County, the 4th largest school district in the country, Black Non-Hispanic students make up 20% of the student population while 71.5% identified as Hispanic (2018-2019). Our teacher demographic reflects the population of students as well, with 25.3% identifying as Black Non-Hispanic and 52.9% identifying as Hispanic (2017). This provides a unique opportunity for Miami-Dade to create systemic impact for the community.
Since the start of the pandemic, Miami EdTech, Inc. and the Academy for Computer Science Education have trained close to 300 teachers, providing industry certification support and access to innovative and workforce inspired curriculum. For more information about Miami EdTech please visit www.miamiedtech.com and academy.cis.fiu.edu for more information about the Academy for Computer Science Education at FIU.
