Many of you cite Gainesville City Schools as an example of the benefits of smaller school districts. But what distinguishes Gainesville has been its visionary leadership over the years, including current Superintendent Merrianne Dyer.
By Superintendent Merrianne Dyer:
The efforts to improve education by expanding pre-K programs attempts to address the root cause of student underperformance in later years. However, the focus is placed on the wrong group. It is the parents of children from birth to age 4 that could impact the cycle of underperformance.
Brain research and basic common sense tells us that prenatal development and experience from birth to age 3 shapes the potential of their intellectual as well as physical development. Children entering pre-K at age four already have a blueprint that will design their school achievement.
Why do we not use our existing systems to ask more of parents? A parent must provide an immunization record, with proof of dental, vision, hearing, and body mass index, in order to enroll
