Miami-Dade County Public School Superintendent Rafael A. Villalobos (Photo courtesy of Facebook).

By David L. Snelling
South Florida Times

MIAMI – After earning an associate’s degree in criminology and pre-law, and a bachelor’s degree in education, Rafael A. Villalobos was planning to pursue a career in law enforcement when he heed the advice of his uncle that changed his course.
“He said instead of putting people in jail try teaching them first,” Villalobos said.

Villalobos launched his teaching career at South Dade Senior High School in 1994 educating students with special needs and behavior issues.

There, Villalobos said he found his true calling in life.
“I fell in love with it,” he said. “I saw how I could make a difference in people’s lives by being a strong mentor. And it stuck with me all these years.”

That same passion propelled him to top administrator and leader of the nation’s third largest school district.

Villalobos became the new Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent when the Miami-Dade County School Board unanimously selected him to lead the school district, succeeding Dr. Jose A. Dortes in September 2026.

Villalobos, who also earned a master’s degree in education leadership and a doctoral candidate in education leadership and policy at Florida International University, was among a field of candidates seeking the position.

The School Board selected him for his leadership roles in a career spanning 32 years.

A student of the Miami-Dade school system, he rose through the ranks as a teachers, lead teacher, assistant principal, principal, administrative director, Region Superintendent, and now Superintendent of Schools.

Villalobos seems to be settling in well judging by social media and news stories since he was appointed.

He said the experience has been incredible.
“I have been welcomed throughout the community,” he told the South Florida Times during an exclusive interview. “I have been a witness to amazing individuals who love and want Miami-Dade County Public Schools to succeed because of their investment made in education. It’s high rewards for human capital as we continue to build because people see that Miami-Dade continues to be the best place for people to live, work and play. I am humbled over the outpouring of support.”

Villalobos oversees the school district with over 326 schools, 338,000 students, roughly 17,700 teachers and a $7.4 billion budget.

Villalobos said the school district is still floating on cloud nine after earning its seventh consecutive “A” grade over the summer.

He credits the performances of students, teachers, faculty staff and the dual enrollment and magnet programs for the top academic achievement.

Villalobos said the school district achieved a 95 percent graduation rate in 2025, the highest in the nation, with students earning their high school diplomas and an Associates of Arts degree simultaneously as part of the dual enrollment program in partnership with Miami Dade College.

He said students who graduated in 2026 were offered a total of $649 million in scholarships.

Villalobos also said Advanced Placement (AP) classes increased to more than 33,700 students in 2025-2026.

But the school district is gripped by a sharp decline in student enrollment, losing roughly 15,000 students and millions of dollars in federal and state funding.

Multiple reports indicated the student exodus is driven by charter schools enrollment, private schools with state vouchers and at home schooling.

But Villalobos said the reports are contrary.

He said the school district is losing students over several factors including a decline in the childbirth rate, Florida is no longer affordable and immigration.
“People are leaving the county because they can no longer afford to live here,” Villalobos said. “A lot of immigrants were coming into the country but that’s no longer the case. We have a small fraction of immigrant students today.”

Villalobos outlined his plan in an effort to boost student enrollment including using social media to boast the school district’s achievements, academic programs and opportunities for students to get ahead in their career plans.

He said Miami-Dade County Public schools are equipped with the latest enhanced technology including AI and robotics programs, and healthcare and sports management magnet programs, among others.
“We have to do a better job marketing on social media,” he said. “I have been on social media and in the news, and the next step is to have a greater presence by posting information about the opportunities students have at our schools. We all should be proud of the work… having the best magnet program in the country and programs to expose students to robotics and workforce opportunities to prepare them for their careers. And there are more opportunities like Cambridge and business programs and the list goes on.”

Villalobos said his plan also targets parents who are starting families.
“We want to let families know we have been the best education institution in the nation for years and parents can trust us to lead their children,” he said.

Villalobos also has been making the rounds at the polls during early voting to encourage voters to approve Referendum 268, which would renew the one-mill tax levy to maintain teacher salaries for the November 3, 2026 ballot.

Voters approved it in 2018 and again in 2022.

He said teachers’ salaries barely cover their living expenses and have to take on a second and third job to make ends meet.

Florida currently ranks 50th out of 50 states and Washington D.C. for average teacher pay, tying for last place in the nation, according to the Florida Education Association.
“We have become more expensive than New York City,” Villalobos said. “Yet our teachers on the average do not make close to those teachers in New York. The only thing that helps supplement that is referendum 268.”

Villalobos said Referendum 268 secures the future of children.
“And who starts securing their future? It’s our teachers who are in the classrooms every single day making sure our students have the best education possible,” Villalobos said. “Think about this: Miami-Dade is the place where everyone wants to be. And there’s a reason for that. We have amazing programs with dual enrollment, industry certifications and the opportunity for AP classes. This is something that doesn’t come without the support of our teachers.”

Villalobos said the referendum also impacts school safety.
“It’s also important to understand that this just doesn’t go to teachers, it also goes to the security and safety of our schools,” he said. And that is critical.”

He said if the referendum fails, the school district might suffer the consequences.
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools won’t be able to recruit highly qualified teachers and they most likely will move out of the county because the cost of living is so high here,” he said. “They won’t have the supplement needed to actually continue to basically live here. And that’s the same with police officers. We won’t be able to recruit highly qualified police officers that are specific to the needs of schools.”

Villalobos said he was optimistic voters would support the tax levy because education is an important investment where Miami-Dade is experiencing business growth.
“People are bringing their businesses here, businesses are flourishing,” he said. “Education is epic in the world and we have the best academic programs to help students to be leaders in areas of magnet and technology programs. We are the lighthouse of the community when it comes to education. Businesses from all over the world want to come here and that starts with education.”

The latest school shooting in Bend, Oregon in late October when a teenager shot and killed five people including three children, and acutely injured two others before a bystander took his life, has left parents on edge once again.

But Villalobos has put their fears at ease.

He said Miami-Dade schools are well shielded with police officers assigned to each school and over 18,000 surveillance cameras utilized for enhanced security.
“We have the nation’s largest school based police department which recruits the best police officers for our schools,” he said. “Our success is not solely on just the programs but parents feel safe when their kids are going to school. We have strong security at each school.”

As founding principal of Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial High School, Villalobos helped establish a first-of-its-kind school offering specialized programs in law studies, homeland security, and forensic sciences.

He later made District history by simultaneously leading two senior high schools.

In 2020, while serving as principal of John A. Ferguson Senior High School, he was named Miami-Dade County Public Schools Principal of the Year.

His professional experience also extends beyond traditional public education.

Villalobos held executive leadership positions with national education companies, broadening his experience in organizational strategy, business development, innovation, technology, partnerships, and customer service.

That public- and private-sector perspective continues to influence his belief that an exceptional school system must combine educational excellence with strong organizational
performance, fiscal responsibility, innovation, accountability, and service.