The Miami-Dade County School Board continues to take bold steps on behalf of our children. At a recent meeting, I called for the expansion of Early Childhood Education (ECE) through strategic partnerships. This is not just another bureaucratic motion. It’s a moral and educational imperative.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has long recognized the value of high-quality early learning, embedding its commitment in School Board Policy 5410 and numerous policies that place children first. The newly approved directive builds on this foundation by requiring a review and update of existing ECE expansion proposals, a careful assessment of program viability, and the pursuit of new partnerships with local organizations.
This moment reflects years of effort and understanding that early childhood education is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Decades of research point to the same conclusion: access to high-quality early childhood education leads to better academic performance, increased graduation rates, higher earnings, and reduced incarceration. Children are more likely to arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. They demonstrate stronger language skills, greater self-regulation, and improved cognitive development.
Despite these known benefits, too many children lack access. Barriers include affordability, location, limited capacity, and bureaucratic red tape. Families most in need are often the ones least able to secure a quality preschool experience.
The action taken by the school board seeks to confront these barriers head-on. It directs the superintendent to identify district-owned facilities that may be used to house ECE programs, review evaluation tools such as the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and collaborate with state leaders to remove obstacles that hinder access and expansion.
Crucially, the plan emphasizes partnership. By engaging established local organizations, public agencies, and high-quality private providers, the district can leverage the strengths of multiple sectors.
My commitment and leadership has been consistent for decades dating back to my time as principal at Holmes Elementary School, where we implemented the Florida First Start Program for infants and children, to Northwestern Senior High School where we implemented an early childhood program, to my days as superintendent, consultant, and now school board member. ECE remains a critical catalyst for lifelong success.
We know what works. We know that children who have access thrive—not just in school, but in life. We know the cost of doing nothing is too high, and that the return on investment in ECE is among the greatest in public education.
With this unanimous vote, Miami-Dade County Public Schools has taken a critical step forward. But momentum must be met with follow-through. As a community, we must support this effort with continued advocacy.
Because every child deserves a strong start. Because every family deserves the peace of mind that their child is safe, nurtured, and learning. And because the path to a stronger, more equitable society begins—not in high school, or even in elementary school—but in the earliest years of life, when learning begins, and futures are born.
A lifelong educator for over three decades, Dr. Steve Gallon III is the elected School Board Member for District 1, Miami-Dade County Public Schools—the nation’s third-largest school district. He has also served as School Board Vice-Chair, Superintendent of Schools, principal, and teacher.
