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Alvin Davis
Miramar High School band teacher Alvin Davis was honored Tuesday morning at the White House as one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Rebecca Mieliwocki, an English teacher from California, won the top honor.
President Barack Obama made the announcement during a White House ceremony.
Two Miramar High School class of 2009 graduates, quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver Stedman Bailey, set West Virginia Mountaineer football records this past season.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith completed 346 of 526 passes for 4,583 yards and 31 touchdowns. He led the Big East in all passing categories and also in total offense.
Bailey, a 5-10, 193-pound junior, caught 72 passes for a record 1,279 yards and 12 TDs.
See the [West Virginia} Register Herald for the complete article.
Fun Fact: in 2009, Newsweek Magazine rated Miramar High School as the 605th top school in America. Actually, this ranking wasn’t too bad, as it places MHS in about the top 6% of all High Schools, nationwide.1
FOOTNOTES:
Miramar High School was given a grade of “A” by the Florida Department of Education in 2010-2011. In 2009-2010, this school received a “B”. In 2008-2009, this school received a “C”.
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2010-2011
About the School Grades
- Florida uses School Grades to measure the overall performance of a school each year on the FCAT.
- Each school is assigned a letter grade (A-F) based on three criteria: the overall performance on the FCAT, the percentage of eligible students who took the test, and whether or not students made progress in reading and math.
- The School Grades are calculated by adding points earned from each of the performance criteria listed above.
Alvin Davis
"Is it possible for a man who teaches about B flat – and never lets the band be flat – to make such a difference that it helps turn a whole school around?"
[Listen to the whole Charles Osgood podcast about Alvin Davis, finalist for National Teacher of the Year]
Sorry, CBS News makes you watch this video directly on YouTube. Follow the link.
(CBS News) If you worry about the future of our kids, listen to the story of Miramar High School. Miramar was one of the worst schools in Florida, but in 10 years, with a new administration and dedicated teachers, it’s now among the best. Leading the way is Alvin Davis, the band director, who is now a finalist for National Teacher of the Year.
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"I see every report card. I see every interim, and if the grades aren’t up to par, they’re gonna take a break from being in my program," Davis said… Ninety-percent of Miramar students graduate, but nobody beats the band. For four years in a row, 100 percent of the band has graduated and gone on to college. Davis said his kids would probably describe him as "rough."
"His number one priority and goal is to get all of us to college," said Sandra Romero, a member of the band.
As Justin Francis has spoken to NFL scouts and coaches, at the league’s scouting Combine in Indianapolis and through the weeks of waiting before the draft… Francis, projected as a late-round draft pick, received an invite to the Combine… Now, he’s back home with his family near Miami, training with his former coach at Miramar High School and working on perfecting both defensive line and linebacker drills.