Linda Cothière Becomes First Haitian American to Win Miami-Dade School Board Seat

MIAMI — Linda Cothière, an educator with more than 35 years of experience in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, won a closely contested runoff for the District 1 seat on the county School Board on Tuesday, The Haitian Times reported. The Cap-Haïtien native becomes the first Haitian American to represent the heavily Haitian area in one of the nation's largest public school districts. Cothière received 51.6% of the vote to fellow educator Katrina Wilson's 48.4%, according to the county's Supervisor of Elections. The win followed an August election in which Wilson led an eight-candidate field with about 32%, while Cothière received just under 21%, with neither securing the majority needed to win outright. "This victory means so much to me personally," Cothière, 58, said in a statement, noting she came to the United States at age 15 and was raised by a single mother. She will represent a diverse area of northern Miami-Dade including Miami Gardens, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka and Biscayne Gardens. Cothière, who worked as a paraprofessional, community specialist and teacher, campaigned on strengthening teacher support, improving communication with families and increasing accountability. She is married to Democratic state Rep. Wallace Aristide.