Eddy Barea is a candidate for the District 7 on the Dade County School Board.
The election is on Aug. 24.
Barea has worked closely with the Miami-Dade Public Schools system for 20 years as a partner, a parent and a volunteer. He has experienced the difficulties that the system faced in adapting to a steadily increasing number of children entering the schools who come from different countries and speak different languages. He also has witnessed various stages of growth in the county along with the downturn of the nation’s economy.
Barea and his wife, Lely, have donated more than $3 million for school uniforms for needy children during the past 20 years. In 1997, Barea was named Business Man of the Year in Florida. Now, he hopes to use his success in business to help the Dade School System face the challenges that lie ahead.
Eddy Barea has three main objectives:
• Promote parental involvement. Parents must come closer to their children’s education and meet the teachers. Barea believes that successful parent-teacher relationships produce positive results.
• Develop respect for the teaching profession. Teaching requires many talents, including dedication, patience and devotion. The success of our children depends on the respect and credibility they have for their teachers.
• Prepare children to compete in the global economy. Schools must work to create transformational leaders. The time of giving a lot of information is behind. They have the Internet at hand. If educators keep doing the same thing, they will be getting the same results. And that is where Barea is the most experienced. In business, either you keep pace with global competition or you disappear.
