Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough-McCormick was elected to Council in November of 2011 to serve for a 4-year term in Council Seat # 6. She is the wife of former Homestead City Councilmember Melvin McCormick, and daughter of Barbara Fairclough and the late Dennis Fairclough.

Councilwoman Fairclough-McCormick was born and raised in the SW Homestead Gardens Housing Development where, along with her twin brother, she was the youngest of 6 siblings. At an early age, she realized education was her calling and decided she will work tirelessly until becoming a teacher. She attended West Homestead Elementary and Homestead Middle School, where she practiced tap, jazz, hip hop and inspirational dance. As a young girl, she also volunteered to serve as a role model to peers her age in a Miami Dade Department of Juvenile Justice Program.

She attended South Dade Senior High for her freshman and sophomore years, where she ran track, played basketball and sang in the school’s gospel choir. During her final two years at Homestead Senior High School-where she later graduated, Councilwoman Fairclough-McCormick led a group of at-risk girl’s step team to a national title. While in High School, she landed a part time job, catching the late bus home to complete homework and college applications. She won college scholarships from Alpha Delta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sororities, Inc. which assisted her with financial aid to help her through college.

In 2001, Councilwoman Fairclough-McCormick graduated with Honors from Florida A & M University in Tallahassee with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. She started her career in education as a teacher at Air Base Elementary’s Magnet School of International Education. In 2007 she received her Master’s in Science in Reading Education K-12 from Nova Southeastern University and in 2009 she graduated from her Ed.S in Educational Leadership K12.

In February 2009 she was awarded Miami-Dade County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, and was a semifinalist for the State of Florida Department of Education and Macy’s Teacher of the Year. While serving as Teacher of the Year she was promoted to Reading Coach at Air Base Elementary. In 2010 she began serving as Reading Coach and Community Involvement Specialist at Gloria Floyd Elementary In this new environment, she worked not only with teachers and students; she also worked very closely with parents and community stakeholders. Most recently, Councilwoman Fairclough-McCormick was promoted to Assistant Principal at Jesse J McCrary Jr. Elementary and is currently serving as a dynamic instructional leader.
Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough-McCormick is a member of the following Professional and Community Associations:

• State of Florida Commissioner of Education’s Teacher Advisory Task Force       
• City of Homestead’s Southwest Advisory Committee                                            
• City of Homestead’s Helping Hands Education Foundation  Board Member      
• “Fabulous Women Doing Fabulous Things Board Member                                  
• National Board Certified Teachers of Miami, Inc                                                    
• United Teachers of Dade (UTD)
• Dade Association for School Administrators (DASA)
• Honorary Life Member of the Florida Parent Teachers Association        
• National Educational Association                                                   
• Florida Education Association             
• International Reading Association