Miami-Dade School Board honors Dr. John D. Pace III

Miam-Dade County School Board chair Mari Tere Rojas, at the school board meeting of Aug. 13, proffered agenda item B-3, approving a resolution recognizing the dedicated and committed educational services of Dr. John D. Pace III to Miami- Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) as he embarks on a new professional journey.

Dr. Pace, M-DCPS deputy superintendent, has been selected and hired as the superintendent of schools for the Henry County Schools in Georgia. Dr. Pace’s extensive public education leadership and instructional skills, experience in policy development, finance, human capital, and school operations will lead students, teachers and staff, parents, and the general community serving Henry County Schools.

Henry County Schools is the eighth-largest school district in Georgia, located about 20 minutes south of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. During the past 20 years, the community has grown in population from 113,000 to more than 244,000 residents. Since 1999, the student population has grown from 21,000 to 43,000, and the number of employees has grown from 3,000 to 6,000.

Dr. Pace has had a stellar career at M-DCPS serving as an instructional leader in various positions from 2000 to the present. During this time, the school district has been fortunate to have witnessed his leadership skills and commitment to excellence. He has been an advocate in the educational community fighting for student achievement greatness with energy, strength, dedication, devotion, commitment, and excellent interpersonal skills.

In 2000, he started his educational journey as a music instructor, then as a jazz director, and co-concert and marching band director at Miami Norland Senior High School; in 2007 he was promoted to assistant principal at Norland Elementary School, and in 2011 he became the principal at Myrtle Grove K-8 Center.

In 2015, he transitioned to the position of administrative director in the Education Transformation Office, and in 2017 he became region superintendent in the Central Region.

Dr. Pace continued achieving greatness when he was promoted to chief operating officer of School Operations in 2021, and deputy superintendent of School Leadership and Performance in 2022.

As deputy superintendent in M-DCPS since 2022, Dr. Pace has directly worked and assisted superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres by overseeing the Office of School Leadership and Performance and the daily operation of 350 traditional K-12 schools and technical colleges serving more than 240,000 students.

During his tenure as deputy superintendent, he has shown strength in planning, organizational skills, and data-driven decision-making, always keeping in mind the students he serves. He is an instructional leader who is well-versed in the latest educational practices, trends, and problems facing school districts throughout the nation. His career certainly expands many years of dedicated and faithful service to teaching and administration in public education.

Dr. Pace holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music/Business Finance from the University of Miami and a Master of Science Degree in Music Education from Florida International University. He also holds a Doctor of Education Degree from The College of William & Mary in Educational Leadership, with a concentration in educational policy, planning, and leadership.

M-DCPS has been honored to have had Dr. Pace as a member of the M-DCPS family. This new chapter in his life is certainly due to the remarkable career and experiences he has had in this school district. “My colleagues on the board and I wish Dr. Pace much success and happiness as he challenges the students at Henry County Schools to achieve greatness,” Rojas said.

https://communitynewspapers.com/biscayne-bay/miami-dade-school-board-honors-dr-john-d-pace-iii/