Miami-Dade schools superintendent to speak at LSUS
07/12/05

Dr. Rudolph F. “Rudy” Crew, one of the nation’s most innovative and successful urban school superintendents, will speak to middle and high school students taking part in the Louisiana Preparatory Program, known as LaPREP, and their guests at 1 p.m. Friday, July 22, in the LSUS University Center Theater. The LaPREP graduation ceremonies are open to the public.

Crew, renowned as a dynamic speaker, has been superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth largest school system, for a year. From 1995 through 1999, he headed the largest district as chancellor of New York City schools.

In both school systems, Crew took over the worst performing schools, demanding that they report directly to him and changing their instructional programs. The initiatives in both cities led to significant achievement gains. In Miami, Crew also has taken unprecedented steps to reduce overcrowding and raise the quality of teaching. He has won many national awards, including the NAACP Educational Leadership Award and the Arthur Ashe Leadership Award.

Recognized by the federal Education and Energy departments and the National Science Foundation, LaPREP is a seven-week summer enrichment program to help high-ability students in middle school and early high school prepare for college, particularly to major in math, science or engineering.

About 50 high-ability students take courses on the LSUS campus over two consecutive summers, also making weekly visits to area businesses and science museums and interacting with engineers, scientists, mathematicians and physicians.

None of the students who has graduated from LaPREP over the Past 14 years has dropped out of high school. All of those who have qualified for college have enrolled, and 90 percent of those entering college have chosen a math or science major.