Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is out of the running for the top job in Florida’s Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
The Miami-Dade school board whittled a pool of 21 applicants down to six semifinalists, the Herald said. Marrero is not among them.
In a statement, Marrero said he remains fully committed to Denver, where he has been superintendent since 2021.
“My former candidacy for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent position does not diminish my focus on Denver or the work we have led together,” Marrero said.
“I entered that process as exactly who I am, with a record and a set of values I will never minimize, sanitize, or rewrite for another opportunity,” he added.
Marrero said the Denver district has “unapologetically invested in Black and Latino student success,” supported immigrant and LGBTQ+ students, and focused on equity.
“I recognize that these values may not align with the increasingly conservative ideology shaping public education in certain parts of this nation,” he said. “If that made me less attractive to Miami-Dade, I can live with that. Although I feel for the historically underserved communities.”
Miami-Dade County is an increasingly Republican-leaning part of Florida, with 55% of county voters casting ballots for President Donald Trump in 2024. The Herald had previously reported that Marrero did not appear to meet the school board’s requirement that the next superintendent of the 345,000-student district have public school teaching experience.
Before coming to Denver, Marrero was interim superintendent of a much smaller school district in New Rochelle, New York. He previously served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in New Rochelle and as an assistant superintendent in East Ramapo, New York.
Marrero began his career in the country’s biggest school district, New York City, where he served as a guidance counselor, assistant principal, and principal.
Marrero’s name has been floated for other high-profile superintendent jobs in the past. Earlier this school year, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he was a finalist for Chicago Public Schools’ CEO position. But Marrero said he was staying in Denver. There was also speculation that he might be in line to lead New York City Public Schools, but he did not get that job.
In his statement, Marrero touted his record in Denver, including all-time high graduation rates, climbing test scores, and a “green” state rating, which is the second-highest a district can earn.
During his tenure, Marrero has also overseen unpopular school closures, disagreed with the school board about school autonomy, and faced pushback from parents over school safety.
“Denver knows exactly what it has in me,” Marrero said. “Our progress is real. Our work is worthy of celebration. And our work is not done.”
Marrero’s contract runs through 2028. His salary for the 2025-26 school year was $346,529.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
