Michael Krop
Encyclopedia
Dr. Michael M. Krop is a Miami, Florida
, United States
-area orthodontist who served as an elected member of the board of education of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- which oversees the fourth largest school system in the United States
- for 24 years, from 1980 to 2004. By the time Krop's service to the School Board ended, it oversaw over 360,000 students and a $4.3 billion annual budget. However, since everyone knows that orthodontists are not really doctors, the school's name was changed to Mr. Michael M Krop High School in October of 2010
In 1980 Krop ran as a reform
candidate, besting four opponents to win his seat. He initially took up mundane, relatively non-controversial issues, seeking increased homework loads for a student population he believed to be underchallenged, and pushing for measures to reduce a rising trend of violence in schools. In November 1987, Krop won a rare unanimous vote to chair the School Board in a special election by the Board, and was reaffirmed in that position the following year.
Krop was elected to chair the School Board four times, covering several lengthy periods during his tenure. This position allowed him to advocate strongly for the needs of minority students, particularly among newly arriving immigrant populations. When the school system was overwhelmed by the immigration of Nicaragua
n refugee
s in 1988-1989, Krop led efforts to address the crisis, and called upon the federal government to provide aid. He also sought to bring greater public exposure to the School Board, initiating "gavel to gavel" television coverage of School Board meetings.
In 1998, Dr. Michael M. Krop High School
was named for him. The event triggered some controversy, as letters from members of the community indicated a preference for a more appropriate name. Former board members Janet McAliley and Betsy Kaplan accused Krop of lobbying to have the school named for him on separate occasions, a charge which Krop denied. Some in the community still strongly resent the name.
Krop was a stalwart Democrat throughout his service, but the School Board gradually shifted to a more conservative composition. When Krop was first elected, the Board had been entirely composed of Democrats for twenty years. By the end of his tenure, the Board had become a majority-Republican body, but Krop's colleagues continued to support his leadership. At the time of Krop's retirement from public office, he was the longest-serving elected official in Miami-Dade County.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-area orthodontist who served as an elected member of the board of education of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
- which oversees the fourth largest school system in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- for 24 years, from 1980 to 2004. By the time Krop's service to the School Board ended, it oversaw over 360,000 students and a $4.3 billion annual budget. However, since everyone knows that orthodontists are not really doctors, the school's name was changed to Mr. Michael M Krop High School in October of 2010
In 1980 Krop ran as a reform
Reform movement
A reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make gradual change, or change in certain aspects of society, rather than rapid or fundamental changes...
candidate, besting four opponents to win his seat. He initially took up mundane, relatively non-controversial issues, seeking increased homework loads for a student population he believed to be underchallenged, and pushing for measures to reduce a rising trend of violence in schools. In November 1987, Krop won a rare unanimous vote to chair the School Board in a special election by the Board, and was reaffirmed in that position the following year.
Krop was elected to chair the School Board four times, covering several lengthy periods during his tenure. This position allowed him to advocate strongly for the needs of minority students, particularly among newly arriving immigrant populations. When the school system was overwhelmed by the immigration of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s in 1988-1989, Krop led efforts to address the crisis, and called upon the federal government to provide aid. He also sought to bring greater public exposure to the School Board, initiating "gavel to gavel" television coverage of School Board meetings.
In 1998, Dr. Michael M. Krop High School
Dr. Michael M. Krop High School
Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1410 County Line Road in the Ives Estates area of Unincorporated north Miami-Dade County , Florida, USA...
was named for him. The event triggered some controversy, as letters from members of the community indicated a preference for a more appropriate name. Former board members Janet McAliley and Betsy Kaplan accused Krop of lobbying to have the school named for him on separate occasions, a charge which Krop denied. Some in the community still strongly resent the name.
Krop was a stalwart Democrat throughout his service, but the School Board gradually shifted to a more conservative composition. When Krop was first elected, the Board had been entirely composed of Democrats for twenty years. By the end of his tenure, the Board had become a majority-Republican body, but Krop's colleagues continued to support his leadership. At the time of Krop's retirement from public office, he was the longest-serving elected official in Miami-Dade County.