Miami Carol City High School
Encyclopedia
Miami Carol City Senior High School (MCCSH) is a secondary school
located at 3422 N.W. 187th Street
in Miami Gardens
, Florida
, United States
; its principal is Nelson Izquierdo. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
system. The school serves students from area of Miami Gardens.
of Miami-Dade County in 1963. At the time farms were in the surrounding area. Several years later integration busing placed African American
s from areas such as Bunche Park to Carol City. A graduate of Miami Carol of the Class of 1970, who identified himself as "Robert," told the Miami New Times
that in his time at Carol City, White and Black students generally did not socialize with one another; he said most of the White students "hadn't had much experience with black people, and a lot of them didn't show much interest in giving us a chance."
In 1986, ten faculty members, including three teachers, were found to have engaged in crimes; each person was found to have committed recreational drug use or property theft.
The school was also attended by famous Miami rapper Rick Ross
The school was formerly located within the census-designated place
of Carol City
.
Garcia said that, in 2006, "a familial closeness still defined the school. And Carol City High students — until they graduated or dropped out, at least — seemed safe from the violence that had gripped the surrounding area. In spring 2006, three students from the class of 2006 were murdered; none of them were members of gangs, nor were they involved in the recreational drug trade. After Miami Carol City held its graduation ceremony, three graduates were killed. People in the Miami area referred to the class as the "cursed class of 2006." Garcia said "If there is a curse, it seems it has a much wider breadth than one class" and "Carol City bloodshed has only gained speed" after the class of 2006 graduated, since students from subsequent classes died in violent crimes. During a Tuesday in November 2007, a robber shot a teacher, who had been smoking a cigarette outside of the campus building, in the side. The 18-year old robber stole the teacher's wallet and was later arrested. The teacher survived the shooting.
In the New Miami Times article, Latoya Bentley, a member of the Class of the 2006, said that most of the Carol City teachers were "really excellent and very caring." In the same article, 20-year-old Robert Williams, who had attended Carol City for a period, described it as "a ghetto place. The building, the teachers, the kids — it's got this real ghetto atmosphere."
White flight
occurred soon and Black middle class families began to move into Miami Gardens. By the mid-1980s more than 75% of the student population was African-American.
said that in the 1970s, the school was considered in the area to be a good school academically and athletically; according to Garcia, "in years before academic performance was distilled as statistic, glowing student testimonials and national contest winners told the story." Between 1974 and 1980, Miami Carol City students received four National Merit Scholarships; of them, three were National Achievement Scholarships for African-American students. Garcia said that the State of Florida "liked to herald the diverse school." Bob Graham
taught one government class at Miami Carol during his first day as Governor of Florida.
The school's academic reputation declined by 1981, when fewer than 70% of the students passed a basic achievement test, resulting in a "deficient" ranking for the school. The school received straight "D" rankings from 1998 to 2006.
According to the Florida Department of Education Miami Carol City High has received the grade of D on the School Accountability Reports for the school years 2001-02, 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004-05. http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp?action=verifySelectionSchool&report=SG&districts=13&schoolYear=2006-2007%2C2005-2006%2C2004-2005%2C2003-2004%2C2002-2003%2C2001-2002%2C2000-2001%2C1999-2000%2C1998-1999&school_grade=F&level=School&schoolNumbers=137791&schoolNumbers=137111&schoolNumbers=137131&schoolNumbers=137151&schoolNumbers=137231&schoolNumbers=137251&schoolNumbers=137254&schoolNumbers=137631&schoolNumbers=137301&schoolNumbers=137381&schoolNumbers=137411&schoolNumbers=137591&schoolNumbers=137701]
MCCHAwas labeled a "dropout factory" in a Johns Hopkins University
study of US Department of Education data. The study looked at the retention rates of students from their freshman to senior year. MCCHS had a retention rate of just 53%, meaning that only 53 out of every 100 students who entered the school as a freshman made it through their senior year and obtained a high school diploma.
, the "top" sports at Miami Carol were basketball and wrestling. The marching band has been referred to as the "soul" of Miami Carol High School. Garcia said that it no longer "gyrates to Jefferson Airplane
." After the demographic shift at the school, according to Garcia, the school still had "its fame for diligent coaching and talented kids." American football, as of 2009, is the strongest sport at the school. The school won three American football state championships in a period between 1996 and 2003.
To enter the program students must have a 2.5 GPA and must maintain a 3.0 once they are in the program. In their 11th and 12th grade year students can earn up to 24 college credits while in college through dual enrollment with Miami-Dade College North Campus. An Internship Program is also offered where students leave campus and get hands-on work experience.
The Magnet program at the school offers aprogram to college-bound students wishing to pursue interests in law or government. Students in the program work closely with professionals, participating in shadowing and mentoring programs. Field trips to law firms, courthouses and other governmental agencies are made.
During the summers, students expand their knowledge by attending special interest institutes at local colleges and universities. Faculty members work with these students on projects. Other students participate in internships working for local government, law enforcement agencies, or law offices. The Center for Legal and Public Affairs offers opportunities for qualified upper division students to attend Miami-Dade Community College in the afternoon, during 7th and 8th periods.
Admission to the Center for Legal and Public Affairs is based on students’ interest. Students should have stanines of 5 or greater, teacher recommendation, and have a minimum academic grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located at 3422 N.W. 187th Street
in Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; its principal is Nelson Izquierdo. The school is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
system. The school serves students from area of Miami Gardens.
History
The school opened in an unincorporated areaUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Miami-Dade County in 1963. At the time farms were in the surrounding area. Several years later integration busing placed African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s from areas such as Bunche Park to Carol City. A graduate of Miami Carol of the Class of 1970, who identified himself as "Robert," told the Miami New Times
Miami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
that in his time at Carol City, White and Black students generally did not socialize with one another; he said most of the White students "hadn't had much experience with black people, and a lot of them didn't show much interest in giving us a chance."
In 1986, ten faculty members, including three teachers, were found to have engaged in crimes; each person was found to have committed recreational drug use or property theft.
The school was also attended by famous Miami rapper Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
The school was formerly located within the census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Carol City
Carol City, Florida
Carol City is a former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 59,443 at the 2000 census.Originally called "Coral City" by developers, pressure from the city of Coral Gables forced a name change to Carol City...
.
Garcia said that, in 2006, "a familial closeness still defined the school. And Carol City High students — until they graduated or dropped out, at least — seemed safe from the violence that had gripped the surrounding area. In spring 2006, three students from the class of 2006 were murdered; none of them were members of gangs, nor were they involved in the recreational drug trade. After Miami Carol City held its graduation ceremony, three graduates were killed. People in the Miami area referred to the class as the "cursed class of 2006." Garcia said "If there is a curse, it seems it has a much wider breadth than one class" and "Carol City bloodshed has only gained speed" after the class of 2006 graduated, since students from subsequent classes died in violent crimes. During a Tuesday in November 2007, a robber shot a teacher, who had been smoking a cigarette outside of the campus building, in the side. The 18-year old robber stole the teacher's wallet and was later arrested. The teacher survived the shooting.
In the New Miami Times article, Latoya Bentley, a member of the Class of the 2006, said that most of the Carol City teachers were "really excellent and very caring." In the same article, 20-year-old Robert Williams, who had attended Carol City for a period, described it as "a ghetto place. The building, the teachers, the kids — it's got this real ghetto atmosphere."
Demographics
Miami Carol City is 86% Black, 13% Hispanic and 1% White non-Hispanic.White flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
occurred soon and Black middle class families began to move into Miami Gardens. By the mid-1980s more than 75% of the student population was African-American.
Academics
Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Miami New TimesMiami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
said that in the 1970s, the school was considered in the area to be a good school academically and athletically; according to Garcia, "in years before academic performance was distilled as statistic, glowing student testimonials and national contest winners told the story." Between 1974 and 1980, Miami Carol City students received four National Merit Scholarships; of them, three were National Achievement Scholarships for African-American students. Garcia said that the State of Florida "liked to herald the diverse school." Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
taught one government class at Miami Carol during his first day as Governor of Florida.
The school's academic reputation declined by 1981, when fewer than 70% of the students passed a basic achievement test, resulting in a "deficient" ranking for the school. The school received straight "D" rankings from 1998 to 2006.
According to the Florida Department of Education Miami Carol City High has received the grade of D on the School Accountability Reports for the school years 2001-02, 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004-05. http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp?action=verifySelectionSchool&report=SG&districts=13&schoolYear=2006-2007%2C2005-2006%2C2004-2005%2C2003-2004%2C2002-2003%2C2001-2002%2C2000-2001%2C1999-2000%2C1998-1999&school_grade=F&level=School&schoolNumbers=137791&schoolNumbers=137111&schoolNumbers=137131&schoolNumbers=137151&schoolNumbers=137231&schoolNumbers=137251&schoolNumbers=137254&schoolNumbers=137631&schoolNumbers=137301&schoolNumbers=137381&schoolNumbers=137411&schoolNumbers=137591&schoolNumbers=137701]
MCCHAwas labeled a "dropout factory" in a Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
study of US Department of Education data. The study looked at the retention rates of students from their freshman to senior year. MCCHS had a retention rate of just 53%, meaning that only 53 out of every 100 students who entered the school as a freshman made it through their senior year and obtained a high school diploma.
Athletics
In the period after the school opened, according to Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Miami New TimesMiami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
, the "top" sports at Miami Carol were basketball and wrestling. The marching band has been referred to as the "soul" of Miami Carol High School. Garcia said that it no longer "gyrates to Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
." After the demographic shift at the school, according to Garcia, the school still had "its fame for diligent coaching and talented kids." American football, as of 2009, is the strongest sport at the school. The school won three American football state championships in a period between 1996 and 2003.
Center for Legal & Public Affairs Magnet Program
Miami Carol City Senior High School offers a Law Magnet Program, which enables students to learn more about the law, courts, and business.To enter the program students must have a 2.5 GPA and must maintain a 3.0 once they are in the program. In their 11th and 12th grade year students can earn up to 24 college credits while in college through dual enrollment with Miami-Dade College North Campus. An Internship Program is also offered where students leave campus and get hands-on work experience.
The Magnet program at the school offers aprogram to college-bound students wishing to pursue interests in law or government. Students in the program work closely with professionals, participating in shadowing and mentoring programs. Field trips to law firms, courthouses and other governmental agencies are made.
During the summers, students expand their knowledge by attending special interest institutes at local colleges and universities. Faculty members work with these students on projects. Other students participate in internships working for local government, law enforcement agencies, or law offices. The Center for Legal and Public Affairs offers opportunities for qualified upper division students to attend Miami-Dade Community College in the afternoon, during 7th and 8th periods.
Admission to the Center for Legal and Public Affairs is based on students’ interest. Students should have stanines of 5 or greater, teacher recommendation, and have a minimum academic grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Notable alumni
- Santana MossSantana MossSantana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
(Class of 1997) - Sinorice MossSinorice MossSinorice Travonce Moss is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Moss played college football at the University of Miami....
(Class of 2002) - Danny TartabullDanny TartabullDanilo Tartabull Mora , also known as Danny Tartabull, is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. Born to Cuban parents in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he is the son of José Tartabull, who played in the major leagues from 1962 to 1970.-Playing career:Danny played for the Seattle Mariners ,...
(Class of 1980) - Lester Williams (Class of 1978)
- Rick RossRick Ross (rapper)William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
(Class of 1994) - BriscoBrisco (rapper)British Alexander Mitchell , who performs under the stage name Brisco, is an American rapper.-Early life:Mitchell grew up in Opa-locka, Florida. His mother died when he was 9, and four years later; at age 13, his brother was killed in a car accident...
(Class of 2002) - Flo-Rida (Class of 1998)
- Kenny PhillipsKenny Phillips-New York Giants:Phillips was expected to compete for the vacant free safety position left by Gibril Wilson, who left for free agency to the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 offseason...
(Class of 2005) - Midas Mulah , Recording Artist