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The History of Cobis

In early 1981, a group of bilingual (English/Spanish) educational institutions of Dade County, Florida, created the Council of Bilingual Schools (COBIS) in order to help maintain standards that would serve to guide, supervise, and improve the education of children, particularly those of Hispanic origin. The following prominent educators united to form this organization:

Prominent Educators:

  • ILEANA C. ROS - Eastern Academy
  • ALICIA A. CASANOVA - Highpoint Academy
  • MARIO B. BEOVIDES - Jose Marti School
  • ALBERTO VALDES - Seven Dwarfs School
  • REV. MARTIN ANORGA - La Progresiva Presbyterian
  • CARIDAD PEREZ - Edison Private School
  • ZOILA SANCHEZ-CIFUENTES - Sunny Day School
  • SINDULFO RODRIGUEZ - Da Vinci Institute
  • DEMETRIO PEREZ, JR. - Lincoln-Marti School
  • DR. GIL BELTRAN - La Luz School
The Council of Bilingual Schools was incorporated in 1981. It applied for and was accepted as a recognized Accrediting Member of the Florida Association of Academic Non-Public Schools (FAANS) in October, 1984. Ten (10) schools located in Dade County formed the original members of the Council. NOTE: COBIS Accredited schools are prohibited from advertising themselves as members of FAANS, as individual schools do not have membership recognition.
Conscious of the characteristics pertaining to the origin, language and culture of the majority of their students, they united to create an organization which would uphold the highest educational values of the Hispanic-Americans who reside in this Country. It is noted that a substantial number of the Hispanic-American youths being educated in this Country find solid barriers of communication, speak another language, have different customs and, in spite of the worldly universalities, this minority of United States residents constitute a culture within a culture.

We are aware of the great difficulties that the assimilation into the American culture creates for education and of the effort that schools, entrusted by the parents, must make. The parents of these students have many customs and cultural values which they consider important and which they do not wish for their children to lose while learning and living in this Country. It would be an unpardonable error if these students would lose their Spanish language. Bilinguism is necessary not just as a communication vehicle, but also for better understanding between the countries of the Western Hemisphere.

Just as By-Laws and Standards are used to evaluate a school for initial or continuing membership, so both subjective and objective measurements of a school's performance are used during the Evaluation process. A school is judged by numerous objective Standards. The success a school is having in carrying out its published philosophy is of utmost importance. This is always uppermost in the minds of the Evaluators and the Board of Directors as they make their decision about accrediting or re-accrediting a school.

Traditionally, independent schools establish their own philosophies, standards and programs. They develop their own levels for academic achievement, guidelines for discipline, and in some cases, a religious commitment. All Council of Bilingual Schools members have published nondiscriminatory admission and hiring policies with regard to race, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin.