EDUCATOR · COMMUNITY LEADER · WOMAN OF FAITH

Linda Cothiere

for Miami-Dade School BoardDistrict 1

Linda On Board!

Children First, Parental Collaboration Always!

More than a decade in the classroom. A lifetime in this community.

Lekòl nou. Timoun nou. — Our schools. Our kids.

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Linda Cothiere — educator and candidate for Miami-Dade School Board District 1 Team Linda

Our Story

Raised in Carol City. Rooted in District 1.

Linda Cothiere grew up in Carol City and graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High — a home-grown daughter of District 1. A proud product of Miami-Dade public schools, she earned her associate degree at Miami Dade College and her bachelor's in education at St. Thomas University, then gave her career back to the community that raised her — building adult-education programs that move our neighbors into real careers.

She is a certified mediator. She is a Deaconess at Good News Church of North Miami — school-supply drives, food distributions, Thanksgiving turkeys, holiday toys. And for the past five years she has talked with South Florida every week, co-hosting The Reyni Talk Show on 1360 AM.

At home, education is the family business: her husband, Wallace Aristide, served Miami-Dade schools for more than 30 years — over a decade of them as principal of Miami Northwestern Senior High.

30+ years of public-school experience in the family she's part of.
A classroom teacher who has been inside our schools — never watching from outside.
Access in English, Kreyòl and Español for every family.
Illustration of a Carol City neighborhood street in golden afternoon light
"Each one, reach one. Each one, teach one. Until all are taught!"
— Linda

Our Promise

Children First, Parental Collaboration Always!

The Platform

Four pillars. One classroom focus.

Empower teachers in the classroom

"Teachers know their students best."

Cut the bureaucratic overload and give educators the tools, autonomy, and professional trust they have earned — so their time goes to students, not paperwork.

Safe & modern campuses

"You can't learn where you don't feel safe."

Security infrastructure, modernized facilities, and updated classroom technology — every campus in District 1 safe, cool, and 21st-century ready.

Parents as partners

"Education is a team sport."

Parents are a child's first educators — informed, included, and at the table before decisions are made, with real access in every family's language.

English Kreyòl Español

Pay & keep great teachers

"When teachers win, students win."

Florida ranks last in the nation for teacher pay, and we lose ours to the next county. Direct local dollars to competitive pay and real retention — the smartest investment we can make.

In Detail

What that looks like on the board

A School Board member sets policy, adopts a $7.4 billion budget, hires and holds the Superintendent accountable, approves contracts, sets the salary schedule, draws attendance boundaries, and decides when schools open or close. Here is how Linda will use that authority — and where she will fight in Tallahassee for what the state controls.

1 · Empower teachers

  • Audit district-mandated paperwork and cut duplicative reporting so teachers teach, not document.
  • Protect classroom autonomy and professional judgment within state standards.
  • Seat working District 1 teachers on the advisory committees that shape curriculum and scheduling.

2 · Safe & modern campuses

  • Verify every District 1 school meets Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas safety law — a safe-school officer, single point of entry, and an Alyssa's Law panic alarm in every building.
  • Demand a District 1 accounting of the 2012 $1.2 billion school bond — continuing the audit the seat's own former member called for — so we know our buildings, A/C, and technology got their fair share.
  • Prioritize cooling, repairs, and updated classroom technology in the capital plan.

3 · Parents as partners

  • Require genuine parent notice and input before any District 1 school is closed, consolidated, or rezoned — not after the vote.
  • Strengthen communication in every family's language — English, Kreyòl, and Español — through the Parent Portal and Parent Academy.
  • Publish plain-language budget and school-performance updates families can actually read.

4 · Pay & keep great teachers

  • Protect and prioritize the voter-approved teacher-salary referendum — up for renewal on this term — toward competitive pay and retention.
  • Close the pay and working-condition gap with neighboring counties so we stop losing great teachers.
  • Fight in Tallahassee for a real state investment in teacher salaries — Florida currently ranks 50th in the nation.

June 17, 2026

Nine schools closed. One vote. No debate.

Two of them are District 1 schools. Fly the real map: watch the children cross it, see exactly what the vote did, and meet the neighbor running to answer it.

See the vote from the sky A two-minute flight over the real rooftops of District 1.
The story, from above Night flight view over District 1 with the school routes lit
The real streets between Rainbow Park, Ingram and Bunche Park.

Our District

One seat. Four communities.

District 1 stretches across Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami and North Miami Beach. One board seat speaks for all of them — and every family in them deserves a champion who shows up. Together, these neighborhoods are part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools — one of the nation's largest, A-rated districts.

Illustrated panorama of the District 1 communities
0K+
Students
in Miami-Dade schools
0+
Public schools
right here in District 1
0
Communities
one shared standard
0
Languages
EN · Kreyòl · ES
· Miami Gardens · Opa-locka · North Miami · North Miami Beach

Join Team Linda

Every school. Every child. Every neighborhood.

I'd like to help with…

P.S. — Yard sign? We'll bring one. 🪧

Welcome to Team Linda!

Thank you for stepping up. Someone from our neighborhood team will reach out soon — and yes, we'll bring that yard sign.

Voter Questions

The election, plainly answered.

When is the Miami-Dade School Board District 1 election?

Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, 2026. School board races are nonpartisan, so every registered voter in District 1 votes in this election. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two advance to a runoff on November 3, 2026.

Who is Linda Cothiere?

Linda Cothiere is a classroom teacher with more than a decade in Miami-Dade public school classrooms and a lifetime in District 1. She grew up in Carol City, graduated from Miami Carol City Senior High, and earned her degrees at Miami Dade College and St. Thomas University. She is not a stranger to these schools — she is a product of them.

Which neighborhoods are in School Board District 1?

District 1 covers Miami Gardens, Opa-locka, North Miami and North Miami Beach — 33 public schools within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the nation.

How do I vote by mail in this election?

Request a vote-by-mail ballot from the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections at votemiamidade.gov or by calling 305-499-8683. Requests must be renewed each election cycle — even if you voted by mail before, confirm your request is active for August 18, 2026.

How can I help Linda's campaign?

Volunteer to knock doors, host a yard sign, or phone bank — or chip in. Contributions are limited to $1,000 per election under Florida Statute §106.08.

Stay Close

Get the Saturday note from Linda.

One short, honest update a week — what we saw at the doors, what's next, and how you can help. No noise.

You're on the list.

Look for Linda's first Saturday note this weekend.