Phillis Wheatley Elementary

Phillis Wheatley Elementary School is a prekindergarten through sixth grade school of approximately 340 students. The school is located at 1801 Northwest 1st Place in the City of Miami, Florida, an area referred to as Overtown.

Phillis Wheatley Elementary School’s enrollment has declined in the past eight years due to the redevelopment and revitalization of Overtown by the City of Miami.

The student population is 80 percent African American, 17 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent Other (Multi-cultural, White, and Asian). The English for Speakers of Other Languages Program (ESOL) services 20 students who are Limited English Proficient (LEP). The Exceptional Student Education Program (ESE) services 8.5 percent of the population. In addition, we house one Emotionally Handicapped (EH) unit, serving grades 2 nd - 6 th. Ninety-nine percent of the students are in the Free/ Reduced Price Lunch Program. In the past five years the student mobility rate has consistently increased, from 47 percent last year to 54 percent this year. The average daily attendance rate has remained at 94 percent.

Phillis Wheatley Elementary School employees a total of 47 full-time staff members. The staff is comprised of 2 administrators, 2 reading coaches, 1 mathematics coach, 1 technology facilitator, 29 classroom teachers, 2 exceptional education teachers, 1 media specialist, 1 guidance counselor, 5 paraprofessionals, 3 clerical employees, 5 security monitors, 6 cafeteria workers, and 4 custodial workers. The faculty is 13 percent White, 34 percent Hispanic, and 53 percent Black. Twenty-four percent of the faculty is new to the school and 19 percent are beginning teachers. Twenty-six percent of the faculty is male, while 74 percent is female. The educational level of our faculty is high: 30 percent have a Master’s degree. Seven is the average number of years that our faculty has taught in the State of Florida. Looping in grades one and two allows teachers to follow their students for a two year period. During this time, teachers gain a better understanding of students’ strengths and weaknesses and are able to adjust the curriculum to meet the students’ needs and abilities.