By Thomas Gerald
Everyone wants to be the best. The same is true for area high schools.
Among Miami Dade County’s 108 public high schools, there are many really great institutions. So for the sake of this list, we will rely on U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 rankings of Miami-Dade County public high schools. The three main categories used to determine these rankings are “college readiness”, average proficiency in math and the average proficiency in reading.
Below is the top ten public high schools in Miami-Dade according to the U.S. News & World Report in descending order.
10. Mater Academy Charter High (7901 Northwest 103rd Street, Hialeah Gardens, FL 33016)
Ranked 23rd within Florida, Mater Academy Charter High is the 10th best school in Miami Dade County on this list. Mater Academy boosts a 65% proficiency in reading with a 77% in math and 58.8% college readiness (U.S. News calculated values based on student performance on state exams).Open since August 2002, Mater Academy offers the students the opportunity to take Advance Placement classes, allowing students to earn college credit while still in high school, with a participation rate of 87%.
- Doral Academy Charter High School (11100 NW 27th St, Doral, FL 33172)
Ranked just one above the previous entry within the state, Doral Academy has proficiency rating slightly above Mater (Reading, 74%, Math, 81%, College readiness 58.9%) and a 74% participation rate in the Advance Placement program.
- New World School of the Arts (25 NE 2nd St, Miami, FL 33132)
Ranked nationally as the 306th best, #20 in the state and 56th among magnet schools, New World is the 8th best school on this list. Starting as an experiment between Miami Northwestern Senior High and Miami Dade College, New World has become one of the top schools in the state for preforming and visual arts with some of the highest proficiency ratings in the state at 88% in reading, 89% in math and a 60.6 college readiness average.
- Coral Reef Senior High (10101 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33157)
Ranked #37 among Magnet schools in the nation, Coral Reef is the 7th best in Miami Dade County. Along with the Advance Placement program, Coral Reef is a magnet school that has programs in Leisure Medicine and Health Sciences, Agriscience and Engineering Technology, Business and Finance, Legal and Public Affairs and Visual and Performing Arts and also offers an International Baccalaureate program.
- Doral Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy (11100 NW 27th St, Doral, FL 33172)
A public charter school, Doral Performing Art & Entertainment Academy has a small student body of 232 with a 77% proficiency in math and reading. The school has a 90% participation rate in its advance Placement program with a ranking of 13 in all of the state of Florida.
- Young Women’s Preparatory Academy (1150 SW 1st St, Miami, FL 33130)
An all-female school on this list, Young Women’s Preparatory Academy is a magnet school located in Little Havana. This school has an enrollment of 404 with student reading proficiency at 89% with a college readiness percentage of 87.5%.
- MAST Academy (3979 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149)
A magnet school with focus on marine studies, MAST Academy student proficiency in reading is 94%; math is 94% with a college readiness index of 87.5%. Along with standard high school curriculum MAST academy affords student the opportunity to learn in different marine studies including Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (OAS), Maritime Studies and Culture (MSC), and Marine Related Industries (MRI).
- Archimedean Upper Conservatory Charter School (AUC) (12425 SW Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33183)
Another charter school, AUC is a member of the Archimedean Schools, a charter school system founded in 2002 by Archimedean Academy Inc. Students at AUC are chosen by lottery and pay no tuition. A grade A school, AUC’s curriculum and extracurricular activities are designed to offer students a disciplined and balanced education at the highest quality. AUC is ranked 5th in the state and 16th among other charter schools in America.
- Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH) ( 4001 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137)
Ranked 2nd in the state and 6th among magnet school, DASH has programs in Architecture/Interior Design, Entertainment Technology, Fashion Design, Industrial Design, and Visual Communications/Web Design. DASH includes dual-enrollment college level design courses taught by professors from college with an eight course curriculum instead of the traditional six. DASH also says that it helps its students gain internships with Miami design firms.
- International Studies Charter High School (ISCHS) (2480 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135)
Formed by the Spanish, Italian and French Embassies, ISCHS is the top ranked school in Florida and the 4th ranked among charter schools. With a 100% college readiness index, ISCHS offers students studies in various languages including Italian, French and Spanish. Of all the schools in Miami-Dade county ISCHS has one of the most diverse student bodies in Miami. Proficiency ratings are above average in both reading and math for the school making it the top school in Miami Dade.
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Cover Photo Credit: International Studies Charter High School
This story was originally published on RiseMiamiNews.com on June 10, 2015.
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Kokoa Swim: A Young Miami Swim Line Grows Up Online
This piece was originally published on risemiaminews.com on July 23, 2015.
By Marcus Frias
It’s summertime and we all know what that means. It’s that time when the hottest bods strut down South Beach wearing the sexiest and spiciest swimwear pieces of the year.
For a while, all the rave has been about Wildfox, Mikoh, and San Lorenzo Bikinis, but now there’s a new girl on the block with a swimwear line that’s bold, innovative, and exciting.
Isabella Soto and her killer line—Kokoa Swim.
Soto says that she’s always had an interest in fashion although it wasn’t always something that she expressed through her clothing.
“It was something I was around constantly,” Soto said. “My mother graduated AI with a degree in fashion design and I’d constantly watch her create amazing projects.”
Read More: Swim Week Takes Miami Beach By Storm, Millennial Designers Show Out
But that all changed during her sophomore year at Miami Sunset Senior High School when she decided to stop watching and start doing.
Isabella Soto, the owner of Kokoa Swim. Photo Credit: Kokoa Swim.
“As a sophomore in high school I would sew hair bows by hand and sell them to friends for $3,” Soto said. “My senior year I launched a fashion blog and another small business. I’d purchase thrifted jeans and distress them, dye them all sorts of colors, and stud them. I would also sell these to classmates.”
With Kokoa Swim still far in the future, Soto became the fashion editor of the school’s yearbook. Fashion became more than an interest—Soto’s hard work to make a name for herself while she was still so young was both admirable and astonishing.
One of Soto’s high school teachers, Natalie Gutierrez says that Soto’s success doesn’t surprise her at all.
“Ever since I’ve known her she’s had high expectations of what she wanted to be and what she wanted to do with her life,” Gutierrez told Rise Miami News. “She’s a go-getter with a lot of passion and dedication. It is that attitude that has helped her achieve this dream of hers at such a young age.”
Still, her hardworking and ambitious attitude remains.
“This has all been such a huge learning process,” Soto said. “I started this business entirely from scratch and have made so many mistakes along the way.”
Those mistakes, though, simply motivate the youthful 20 year old to work harder.
Soto dedicates an average of 30 hours a week to the growing line—but says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I wake up and do this until I have to head out to work. Sometimes I’ll come home from work and continue,” Soto said. “It’s not a burden. I love doing this.”
Photo Credit: Kokoa Swim
In those 30 hours Soto designs new collections, shops for fabric, handles social media accounts for Kokoa Swim, and networks for opportunities to showcase her work.
Despite participating in big events like Swim Miami Fashion Week Kokoa Swim’s success is mostly due to its internet presence.
“I am eternally thankful for social media. It’s been a huge contributor to Kokoa’s growth. Instagram, especially, has helped me network and build a following of amazing people,” Soto said. “Through social media, I was given the opportunity of participating in my first Swim Week event at the Broken Shaker. I met other local brands that are doing the same. It was amazing to see brands I’ve been following online, in action. “
Read More: An Inside Look Into One Of South Florida’s Most Important Fashion Houses
Kokoa Swim has over 8,000 Instagram followers and that number grows everyday. Models like Harley Gusman and Mahila Snyder have all hopped on the Kokoa wagon and have stepped in front of the camera to model for the swimwear line.
Soto loves the partnership with these up and coming models.
“Like myself, these girls are working hard to build a name in the industry and it’s fascinating that our work benefits each other,” Soto said.
Photo Credit: Kokoa Swim
Indeed, a name is being built.
Kokoa Swim, a line that was built on impulse—surely has consumers buying on impulse, too.
A sketchbook dream that has turned into an incredible reality, but Isabella Soto won’t stop here. She hopes to have her line available for purchase at local stores within the next year.
With all of this success tucked under her belt at the young age of 20, it is safe to say that Isabella Soto was not fashionably late, but instead fashionably focused and early to the scene.
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NY Times Op-Ed Suggets Sunny Isles Beach Russians Could Be Key To Mueller Investigation
What’s News With This Story:
– In a much talked about op-ed in the New York Times, the founders of Fusion GPS defended their investigation into Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential campaign.
-The founders of the research firm and authors of the piece, Glenn R. Simpson and Peter Fritsch pushed back against what they saw as Congressional Republican efforts to “chase rabbits” instead of going after the “bear”- President Donald Trump.
–They said that in Congressional testimony, they informed members of Congress that they were concerned by the level of Russian involvement in the election.
-Here’s the point that should draw attention to those in South Florida: “We told Congress that from Manhattan to Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., and from Toronto to Panama, we found widespread evidence that Mr. Trump and his organization had worked with a wide array of dubious Russians in arrangements that often raised questions about money laundering. Likewise, those deals don’t seem to interest Congress.”
–Sunny Isles Beach has become an area in recent years where scores of Russian families live.
–There is also the Trump International Beach Resort located in Sunny Isles Beach.
Read Another Story:
This Millennial Haitian-American Activist Is Not Backing Down From A Fight With Trump
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Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it on in to [email protected].
Cover Photo Credit: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo
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Pat Riley Spotted At Miami Publix, Buying Supplies For Irma Victims
Miami Heat team president Pat Riley was spotted at the Miami Shores Publix Thursday, buying supplies for Hurricane Irma victims.
Riley came with a group of people, including a police escort, but he quietly walked the store without drawing much attention.
RISE NEWS tried to interview Riley but was politely turned down by Steve Stowe, the Executive Director of the Miami Heat Charitable Fund.
Stowe said that they weren’t trying to draw any press attention with the outing.
Reach this reporter at [email protected] or 305-968-5514.
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