Miami Lakes Educational Center


Miami Lakes Educational Center, sometimes referred to as Miami Lakes Tech or simply Tech, is a vocational-technical training center in Miami Lakes, Florida. It is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system and one of only three area vocational-technical training centers. It is also the only dual-delivery school in Miami-Dade County, providing adult vocational training in conjunction with a full-service high school. This allows students to attend regular academic classes and technical or vocational training programs during the same day on the same campus.

History

Miami Lakes Educational Center was established in 1998.

Magnet academies

MLEC has 26 different strands spread among five magnet academies. Although the school is not recognized as a magnet program by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, as it does not receive specialized magnet funding, the school retains the ability to require students to complete an application form, and may admit students from areas outside of traditional school boundaries. Each magnet academy at MLEC has a distinct uniform. The Cambridge Academy is run by Cambridge International Examinations, and includes mandatory AICE and AP classes. A sixth academy, Trade and Industry, was active before having its strands transferred to the Entrepreneurship Academy, until it became its own individual academy once again.
MLEC is a magnet high school, which requires students to be accepted in order to attend. Upon graduation, a student can receive both a high school diploma and a certificate of completion from the vocational training program.
Miami Lakes Educational Center has consistently maintained an "A" grade on the FCAT.
The classes and academies from the list below are taken from the subject selection form for the magnet school.
AcademyStrands /
career pathways		Academy leaderUniform colors
Cambridge
  • Engineering
  • Journalism
  • Forensic Science
Erica Evans-DesimoneLight Blue & White
Health
Glenda AlgazeRed & White
Entrepreneurship
  • Financial Services
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Culinary Arts
Lourdes MixcoForest Green
Communication & Entertainment Technology
  • Commercial Arts
  • Technical Theater
  • Television Production
Odalis SotoBlack & Gray
Information Technology
  • Cisco Networking Academy
  • Electronic Technology
  • Web Development
Marlon VernonBlack & White
Trade & Industry
  • AC, Refrigeration, and Heatin Technology
  • Automotive Collision Repair
  • Automotive Service Technology
Jose VilladiegoNavy & Teal

Demographics

Miami Lakes Educational Center is 81% Hispanic, 13% Black, 5% White non-Hispanic, and 1% Asian.

School shooting threats

In December 2012, MLEC student Austin Lee Bowlin was arrested for threatening to shoot students at the school. Bowlin used his Twitter accounts to announce the threats. No weapons were found at his home. The situation resulted in Bowlin being suspended by the school. He stated that he was misunderstood, and intended for the tweets to be taken seriously, as he was upset that the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting was not being taken seriously in his school.