Miami High is more than just a school. To some people, it’s like a family. Sometimes, graduates come back because they want to give back and continue the traditions that made the school special to them.  

Inspired to inspire 

        Many Miami High teachers got inspired to become a teacher because of their own teachers they had before. History teacher Ms. Almeida, for example, says, “I had amazing teachers like Ms. G, Ms. Puentes, and Dr. Denight.”  English teacher Ms. Guerra adds, “I had lots of great teachers like Dr. Yoham, Ms. Ransom, Ms. G, and Mr. Rivera.” 

Coming back home to Miami High 

         The decision of which school to work at was easy for most. Most teachers said they chose Miami High because of connections, opportunities they were given, and because they figured if they wanted to become a teacher, they wanted to teach here. However, some teachers like Ms. Guerra, Mr. Tornillo, and Mr. Sanchez were actually working somewhere else before given the opportunity to come and work at Miami High. 

The journey before Miami High 

          Teachers shared their previous teaching experiences at other schools, pointing out how they were different from Miami High. Environmental science teacher Mr. Sanchez worked at Booker T and Shenandoah before working at Miami High. He believes the staff at Booker T and Shenandoah “were stuck to themselves” and wouldn’t communicate with each other. While at Miami High, everyone here talks to each other, and teachers try to cooperate with students and everyone else. 

A decision they don’t regret 

           When asked if they regret their decisions of coming to Miami High, our teachers clearly express they do not. Intensive reading teacher Ms. Armas says, “No, I regret not coming sooner.” History teacher Mr. Tornillo said, “No, Miami High has always been like a family, and there’s a different vibe working here.” Over all, the teachers feel proud of their decision, and this shows that Miami High continues to feel like home for its teachers.  

Dreams before teaching 

             Not every teacher at Miami originally planned on becoming a teacher. Mr. Tornillo for example, was going into political science. He grew up around politics, and his father actually attended a lot of political campaigns and informed him of them.  

     Ms. Almeida, U.S History teacher, wanted to work in law enforcement to become a special unit victims’ detective. In the end, they became teachers because it gives them purpose and a chance to make a difference. 

10 teachers who graduated from and  

now work at Miami High 

• Principal: Mr. Valdes 

• Environmental science teacher: Mr. Sanchez 

• English teacher: Ms. Guerra 

• Intensive reading teacher: Ms. Armas  

• Geometry teacher: Mr. Lacayo 

• U.S. history teacher: Mr. Tornillo 

• World history teacher: Ms. Almeida 

• Activities director: Ms. Rivero  

• English teacher: Ms. Suarez  

• Algebra 2 teacher: Ms. Munguia