By Zoie Saunders, Chief Education Officer, City of Fort Lauderdale
Known for its beautiful beaches and waterways, Fort Lauderdale is working to become an education destination. The City of Fort Lauderdale Commission, comprised of four former educators, launched a reinvigorated focus on public education through the creation and recruitment of its first Chief Education Officer in 2019.
The Chief Education Officer position reimagines the role of a city in a county-run school district by advocating for school enhancements, activating the educational value of city assets, and developing cross-sector, strategic partnerships. The launch of the new Avionics Systems Technician program is the first project to “take flight” and demonstrates the unique role a city can play in shaping public education.
A focus on aviation training is a natural first step for the city to build a talent pipeline in a top industry with high-wage jobs. The city is a prime training location with Fort Lauderdale being home to the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the fifth busiest general aviation airport, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, one of the fastest growing international airports in the United States. Additionally, the city’s proximity to Kennedy Space Center creates an opportunity to develop a talent pipeline for Florida’s growing space industry.
In the summer of 2019, the City’s Chief Education Officer formed a working group of education and industry partners to develop a shared vision for expanded aviation and aerospace training. Anchor institutions in the planning process included Broward County Public Schools, Atlantic Technical College, Broward College and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance. Planning culminated with an Education Framework designed to offer multiple learning pathways in aviation and aerospace and an immediate opportunity to launch a new Avionics Systems Technician program in partnership with Atlantic Technical College and 10 aviation business partners.
Within six months, the Avionics Systems Technician was launched and exceeded enrollment expectation. Students benefit from a state-of-the-art lab at Atlantic Technical College and internship opportunities through business partners at the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Thanks to this innovative partnership, dual-enrollment high school students and adults can earn a variety of competitive industry certifications upon graduation and have an opportunity to continue their studies through an articulation agreement with Broward College.
Planning continues on the flight path to making Fort Lauderdale an Aviation and Aerospace Training hub. The City Commission has established the Airport Workforce Training Facility as a Commission Priority for 2021, which will culminate with a feasibility study and guidance on how to take this program to the next level.
The rapid launch of the new avionics program demonstrates what is possible when a community comes together to focus on education and highlights a city’s role as an accelerator and connector within a county-run public school system. Stay tuned for future programs to take off!
About the City’s Chief Education Officer
Zoie Saunders is a Fort Lauderdale native who has dedicated her career to expanding access to quality education. Zoie brings extensive strategic and operational knowledge of school systems and innovative program design experience across multiple content areas. Prior to joining the City of Fort Lauderdale, Zoie served as the Vice President of Strategy at Charter Schools USA where she oversaw enterprise-wide strategic planning, accreditation, and school improvements for 84 schools, serving 70,500 students. Zoie also has a research background in place-based education reform initiatives designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Zoie earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and Master of Education from Vanderbilt University.
