Whether it’s a bird's-eye view or down on the ground, Miami Beach looks good from any angle. 😍 | Want to see your own picture in this space? Tag either #thenewtropic or @thenewtropic to be featured in our Instagram of the Day. (📸: @alexisblues_)
🏫 Education-minded Miamians have some misgivings about the School Board’s rush to select a new superintendent. The Miami-Dade County School Board decided last week to keep the search to replace outgoing superintendent Alberto Carvalho short and limit the application window to just seven days. Local education advocates — including public school teacher Russ Rywell and Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc. president T. Willard Fair — have spoken out about the move, claiming the school board is being too hasty in its process and stifling public input along the way. “That’s a week for every qualified and interested person meeting the minimum requirements to do their soul searching, talk to their families, possibly decide to move, make their biggest career decision, prepare, proof and get in all their paperwork,” noted Rywell in an editorial for the Miami Herald. “Does that sound like a recipe for attracting the best and brightest?” You can read his full comments and more at the following links. 👉 (Miami Herald / Local 10 / P.S. 305 via Instagram)
🏈 Miami Dolphins fans spent much of yesterday searching for answers following the firing of head coach Brian Flores. As noted by ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, the announcement caught many off guard and arrived just one day after the team beat the New England Patriots 33-24. “The firing was a surprise, in part, because Miami's 8-1 finish tied the Kansas City Chiefs for the best in the NFL during that span,” Louis-Jacques wrote. “The Dolphins are also the first NFL team to start 1-7 and finish with a winning record. Flores' three-year tenure ended with a 24-25 record and no playoff appearances, but also delivered Miami's first consecutive winning seasons since 2003.” Speculation over Flores’ removal has largely revolved around tensions between him and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. (ESPN / The Ringer)
😷 Another day, another broken record for COVID-19 cases in Florida. According to the Miami Herald, the state reported 125,996 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this past weekend. Per the paper, this number signifies “the largest multi-day increase of newly reported cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.” Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced yesterday that private health insurers will soon be required to cover at-home COVID-19 testing kits. More details on the policy change and Florida’s latest numbers can be found right here. ➡️ (Miami Herald / NBC 6 South Florida)
❓An answer could be coming soon to one of the five big questions The New Tropic posed last week: Will the Champlain Towers South collapse reshape Florida real estate? As the state legislature convenes for its 2022 session today, WLRN’s Danny Rivero took a look at possible bills, reforms, and recommendations lawmakers are considering in response to the tragedy. (WLRN)
