Miami-Dade school superintendent search should prioritize educational experience | Opinion

In public education, leadership matters. But not all leadership is created equal.

At a time when Miami-Dade County Public Schools and school districts across the country are facing unprecedented challenges — academic recovery, teacher retention, school safety and student engagement — the role of the superintendent has never been more critical. This is not simply a managerial position. It is a role that demands deep understanding of teaching, learning, and the complex ecosystems that define our schools.

That is why experience matters.

I have lived that continuum of experience from classroom teacher to principal to superintendent and now as a member of the Miami-Dade School Board overseeing one of the largest and most complex school systems in the nation. Each step has reinforced a fundamental truth: the most effective educational leadership is grounded in practice, not theory.

The most effective superintendents are those who have stood in front of a classroom and led a school. These are not just résumé lines. They are foundational experiences that shape how leaders think, decide and act.

As a classroom teacher, I learned firsthand the realities of instruction. I understood early on that behind every policy decision is a teacher working to make it meaningful for 25 or 30 students with diverse needs. Without that perspective, even well-intentioned reforms can fall flat.

But classroom experience alone is not enough.

As a principal for 10 years — serving as the youngest principal at Holmes Elementary and Miami Northwestern Senior High School — I was responsible for everything from student achievement and teacher development to school safety, culture and community trust. It is one of the most demanding roles in public service. That experience provided operational insight that cannot be replicated. It taught me how schools actually function, how change is implemented and where breakdowns occur.

This foundation elevated me to the district and carried me through later, as superintendent in New Jersey. Leading an entire district required not just vision but also the ability to translate vision into action. It required balancing policy with practice, urgency with strategy and accountability with support.

More importantly, it required understanding people.

Education is a human-centered enterprise. Trust matters. Relationships matter. And educators are far more likely to embrace change when it is led by someone who has lived their experience. A superintendent who has taught and led a school carries credibility that cannot be manufactured — it is earned.

This is not about creating artificial barriers or excluding talented leaders from other backgrounds. There are many pathways to leadership, and diverse experiences can strengthen an organization. But when it comes to leading a school district, there is simply no substitute for having done the work.

For a system like Miami-Dade’s, the stakes are even higher. The scale, diversity, and complexity of this district demand leadership that understands every level of the organization. Decisions at the top reverberate across hundreds of schools and thousands of classrooms.

School boards across the nation must take this seriously, especially during superintendent searches. The pressure to move quickly, to prioritize political considerations or to favor familiarity over qualifications can be strong. But the stakes are too high to compromise on leadership grounded in real educational experience.

Our students deserve leaders who understand their journey from the inside out. They deserve a superintendent who knows what it means to teach a struggling reader, to support a first-year teacher, to turn around a failing school and to build a culture where excellence is expected and supported.

In districts like Miami-Dade’s, where progress has been hard-earned and expectations remain high, leadership must be both visionary and grounded. At the recent special School Board meeting, I am proud that the majority of my colleagues on the School Board agreed.

In the end, effective leadership in education is not abstract. It is lived.

And it begins in the classroom.

Steve Gallon III is the Miami-Dade County Public School Board member for District 1 and was elected in 2016. An educator for over 36 years, he also served as teacher, principal, district administrator and as superintendent in New Jersey.