Finding the Right School in Miami & South Florida: An Interview with Education Consultant Laura Weinkle

With more than 500 schools, three of the largest counties in the US, and one of the most internationally diverse populations in the country, South Florida’s education landscape has something for everyone. Bennett’s Miami-based consultant explains how to find the right fit.

If you’re a family moving to South Florida (or a local family considering a change), you might be surprised by just how many options are available to you. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are among the largest in the United States, and the range of schools across public, private, magnet, charter, and international programs is enormous. The challenge isn’t a lack of options. It’s knowing where to start.

We sat down with Laura Weinkle, one of Bennett International’s most experienced South Florida education consultants, to talk through what families relocating to the Miami area really need to know. Laura is a native Miamian, and brings a perspective shaped by decades of living, teaching, and raising her own children in the communities she now helps families navigate. Before joining Bennett, Laura worked in corporate training and human resources at Federated Department Stores, then moved into the classroom as a volunteer and eventually a certified elementary school teacher. She’s also a dedicated advocate for children with special education needs, having founded an ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) school for her own son and other students with autism. Laura holds a B.A. in Communications from Tulane University and is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

In this conversation, Laura shares what makes South Florida’s education landscape unique, how the international mix shapes school options, what families should understand about the public school system, and why the schools most people have heard of aren’t always the ones where their children will thrive.

Tell us about yourself, your background, and how you came to do this work.

I’m located in South Florida, and I’m a native to Miami, which is a little bit of a rarity. I grew up going to public schools and my children attended public schools. When they were young, I volunteered in their classrooms (which I loved) and which eventually led me to get my certification to teach. I truly enjoyed my years teaching Kindergarten and other elementary grade levels.

Then one of my dear friends was working for what is now Bennett International, and Miami was getting super busy. A large financial services company was relocating their offices to downtown Miami, and we were flooded with dozens of new clients. So, I jumped in, and I was instantly hooked, helping families. I just loved working with families, each with a unique story, and helping them navigate a clear path and gain a better understanding of all their options. During the initial call, I had an opportunity to get to know the family; learn all about the family’s preferences and values, review the children’s current schooling and learn what they hoped to find in their new city. I quickly understood how crucial the education piece was to their whole relocation experience. No doubt, it’s such a stressful time for families, and I could feel that I was helping ease the anxiety. I feel exceptionally blessed to be working in this field, helping people through their relocation journey.

Paint us a picture of the South Florida education landscape. What makes Miami different from other cities?

South Florida has three of the largest counties in the state, and they’re among the largest in the US. Miami-Dade is the biggest. Then you have Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), and Palm Beach (West Palm Beach and surrounding areas). South Florida offers a really strong mix of competitive private schools, public schools, magnet schools, charter schools and dual language enrollment options. Compared to other cities, Miami offers more school choice within the public system and early access to academic specialties. One of the biggest differences is the bilingual and international environment in Miami. Students and families come from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, and classrooms are multicultural.

There’s tremendous diversity here, not just in the culture and the people, but in programming. We have more than 500 schools in Miami-Dade alone, with close to 350,000 students. A lot of times we hear that Miami has “bad” and “good” schools, and that’s really a very unfair characterization. Miami has excellent schools with extensive curriculum options throughout the school districts, and I genuinely feel that there is something for everyone.
We have public schools that are zoned by the neighborhood. We have magnet schools, which are very popular for their specialized programs; for these schools, you can live outside the school zone and apply for a spot. At magnet schools, you can find STEM, International Baccalaureate, Global Studies, Language immersion, the arts, and many other specialized programs.

When you look at school testing and ratings across large US cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, South Florida’s schools typically perform very well when compared. Miami has top graduation rates, with more than 95% of students graduating from high school, with great pipelines into universities and colleges.

For public schools, the biggest advice I’d give is that neighborhood matters. School quality varies dramatically by neighborhood, and there are pockets of nationally competitive schools. These are the areas that families typically gravitate towards.

Miami attracts families from all over Latin America and the Caribbean. How does that international mix shape the school options, and what should families coming from those regions know?

Miami is a hub for families moving from Latin America, and because of that, we have one of the most internationally oriented K through 12 systems in the US. Bilingual is the norm here, not the exception. Most of South Florida is Spanish speaking, but we also have so many multilingual families, and programming is designed for that.

For example, there’s a large menu of language options even beyond Spanish. We have magnet schools that offer immersion programs where many hours of the day (50%) are spent in another language: Spanish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, Creole, and Mandarin are very popular. All of our public schools have built-in support for non-native English students and provide programs to support their transition and integration.

This is very attractive to families moving from Latin America and other countries, because they’re encouraged to feel very comfortable and at home in Miami.

For families considering public schools in Miami-Dade or Broward County, what should they understand about how the school system works?

We have a straightforward zoning system. Public schools are state-funded, so there’s no tuition. Homeowners pay taxes to fund the schools. The schools follow state curriculum standards (Department of Education in Florida); teachers must meet certification requirements and state mandated testing to ensure consistency.

You have to live within the boundaries of your public school. The only other option is if you apply to a magnet school, where you can live anywhere in the county. When you’re registering for school, it’s important that you have two proofs of residency. Our schools also welcome parent involvement, which is something families often appreciate once they get settled.

You’re one of Bennett’s specialists in Special Education Needs. For families relocating to South Florida with a child who has learning differences or a diagnosis, what’s the first thing they need to know?

The first thing to know is that we have lots of options in South Florida. There are private programs, but in most cases, students receive the best programming through public schools because public schools are legally required to provide support to students who need it. For young children, there are early intervention programs provided at specialized schools. Public schools are required to provide support services, testing, education goals and plans (IEP’s/504’s), and can help with additional resources throughout the school years and post 12th grade. Private schools may have limited support or be designed to serve students with autism, down syndrome, or other developmental disabilities.

The starting point for us is always to fully understand a family’s situation. What type of school does their child currently attend? Sometimes a family comes from another country where the services and support are much more limited and they discover that there is much more support here. That can be a real relief for them. Other times, they’re leaving a program that’s working well, and the challenge is finding something comparable.

It’s important for me to put their mind at ease, and with thoughtful research and a thorough look at all the possibilities, we can find a school program for their child. An important piece is for families to share testing, reports, and an education plan if they have one, so we can have a clear understanding of their specific needs and set realistic goals. When we have that foundation, we can do our best work.

A lot of families move to Miami and immediately gravitate toward the handful of well-known prep schools. What do you find yourself telling them about the broader range of options?
Families interested in private schools all tend to have the same list in mind! There are certain competitive schools that people gravitate toward, based on reputation, what they’ve read, and word of mouth. For the past few years, Miami schooling has been in the news, and there’s been talk of limited availability at private schools.

When families approach the schooling question with anxiety over accessing a good private school, my job is to help them reframe the goal. It’s not about the “best” school. It’s about the school that’s the best fit for their children and their family, the environment where their children will thrive. And beyond reframing the goal, my challenge is to break the “herd” mentality. A lot of the families I work with have heard from colleagues that their children need to attend a particular school, and that’s their starting point.

The best outcomes are often when we explore options they hadn’t considered, or schools that fly a little under the radar, and possibly a bit outside their target area.

One of the first steps is to have the family visit schools during their area visit and imagine their child there. They need to think about what they’re really looking for and ask themselves whether they’re looking for a small school or a large one? Traditional or progressive? One that’s academically rigorous, or one that also focuses on extra-curriculars and the “whole” child? Are they looking for an international culture or a local community feel?

The families that are willing to do something different, to look beyond the obvious, are the ones who have the happiest outcome.

What do families find most surprising when they first arrive in South Florida and start looking at schools?

There are three assumptions I find families make before they’ve even come down to visit and explore schools. The first is that the school quality in South Florida isn’t as strong as it is where they’re coming from. That’s simply not the case. As I mentioned, Miami’s schools regularly outperform schools in other large US cities in testing and graduation rates.

The second is that there’s overcrowding or that classroom sizes are too large. Everyone wants small classes, and those numbers are mandated by the state, and for every grade level, the teacher-to-student ratio is appropriately managed.

The third has to do with private schools — that it’s very difficult to get into a private school because spaces are extremely limited. What I usually say to families is that we have so many excellent programs and that there is something for everyone. Let’s explore that together.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a family that’s just learned they’re moving to South Florida and hasn’t started the school search yet?

The one piece of advice I’d give families relocating to Miami is: don’t pick the home first. Pick the school zone first. Even if you’re considering a private school.

In Miami and Fort Lauderdale, neighborhoods vary from area to area, block to block. So, it’s very important to look at all your options. When you’re exploring a specific school or school zone, make sure you look beyond the ratings. There are several third-party websites that can be skewed, so take the data with a grain of salt.

Explore different kinds of programs. We have a multitude of options, something for everyone. Explore what fits your criteria as a family and for your child. And make sure you visit. It’s very important that you see a school for yourself so you can make the best decision.

Bennett International Education Consultancy works directly with hundreds of families each year across the globe. We support families by helping them make informed decisions about the best-fit schools for their children; with our guidance, they secure placement in preschools, private day schools, public/state schools, boarding schools, colleges and universities, including schools with particular programs, such as special needs support.