By Dr. Steve Gallon III
The Miami-Dade County School Board continues to take bold steps on behalf of our children, our families, and the future of education in our community. At the School Board Meeting of May 14, 2025, I called for the expansion of Early Childhood Education (ECE) through strategic partnerships with private providers and community stakeholders.
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 progressive policies that place children and families first. The newly approved directive builds on this foundation by requiring a thorough review and update of existing ECE expansion proposals, careful assessment of program quality and viability, and the active pursuit of new partnerships with local organizations such as the Children’s Trust and the Early Learning Coalition.
This moment reflects years of effort and understanding: that early childhood education is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
The Clarity of Research
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 who attend high-quality preschool programs are more likely to arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, both socially and academically. They demonstrate stronger language skills, greater self-regulation, and improved cognitive development.
ECE lays the groundwork for literacy by building foundational skills—letter recognition, phonics, vocabulary—and immersing children in rich language experiences. But its benefits go beyond academics. Preschool is a vital bridge between home life and the structured environment of school. It teaches routines, cooperation, independence, and problem-solving. In other words, it teaches how to learn.
The Urgency of Need
Despite these known benefits, too many children in Miami-Dade County still lack access to high-quality early learning environments. 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 for their children.
The action taken by the School Board seeks to confront these barriers head-on. It directs the Superintendent to identify and repurpose District-owned facilities that may be used to house ECE programs, review best practices and evaluation tools such as the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and collaborate with state leaders to remove structural and legislative obstacles that hinder access and expansion.
The Power of Partnerships
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 to create a more inclusive, flexible, and effective early childhood system.
My commitment and leadership in this space have 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 ages 0-4, to Northwestern Senior High School where we implemented an early childhood program and curriculum for students, to my days as Superintendent, Consultant, and now School Board Member. Early Childhood Education remains a critical catalyst for a child’s learning and lifelong success.
This is the kind of leadership that turns data into action—and we must continue to turn potential into promise.
The Time Is Now
We know what works. We know that children who have access to strong early learning programs 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, collaboration, and accountability.
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 3rd largest. He has also served as School Board Vice-Chair, Superintendent of Schools, principal, and teacher.
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