Miami-Dade School Board narrows superintendent search to 6 semifinalists
Key Points(5)
- With Miami-Dade Superintendent Jose Dotres' contract ending in February 2027, school board members are now looking to have his replacement by August.
- Dotres has served as the superintendent for the third-largest school district since 2022.
- The school board started the search for his replacement in April.
- More than 20 people applied for the position, but now only six have secured spots as semifinalists.
- Here's a closer look at who Miami-Dade's superintendent might be: Jose Bueno With roughly 33 years of experience within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Bueno currently serves as Dotres' Chief of Staff.
The Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Board has narrowed its search for the district’s next superintendent to six semifinalists as it prepares to replace Superintendent Jose Dotres.
The six candidates were selected from a pool of 21 applicants. Each semifinalist received support from at least one school board member, with board members allowed to advance up to three candidates during the selection process.
Dotres, who has led the third-largest school district in the United States since January 2022, has a contract scheduled to end on Feb. 14, 2027. The school board began its search for his successor in April and hopes to appoint a new superintendent by August.
The semifinalists are:
Jose Bueno
Bueno, Dotres’ chief of staff, has spent approximately 33 years working within Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
He began his career as a teacher in 1993 and has held several roles within the district.
Ernie Lozano
Lozano currently serves as chief human resources officer for Broward County Public Schools. His education career includes experience as a teacher, assistant principal and administrator.
Sylvia Mitchell
Mitchell is an education executive, leadership coach and former superintendent with experience in both Florida and Texas.
She previously served as a principal with Charter Schools USA in Fort Lauderdale and has held superintendent positions in Texas. She currently serves as executive vice president of Curriculum, Design and Development for Per Scholars.
Carlos Perez
Perez is a charter school principal in West Palm Beach and previously served as executive director of the Education Reform Project, a nonprofit organization based in Miami Beach.
His previous roles include assistant superintendent and executive board member of the New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators.
Christopher Ruszkowski
Ruszkowski previously served as New Mexico’s secretary of education in 2019 and later worked with the Texas Education Agency as a conservator overseeing state interventions involving large school districts and charter school networks.
He is currently CEO of South Carolina’s Children’s Fund.
Rafael Villalobos
Villalobos currently serves as M-DCPS’ South Region superintendent, a position he has held since 2022.
The school board will continue evaluating the semifinalists as it moves toward selecting the person who will succeed Dotres and lead Miami-Dade’s more than 300,000 students and thousands of employees.
