Whether the Superintendent of Schools has a PHD doesn’t matter. It is a false issue. The School Superintendent needs to be a leader. He can hire educators, financial experts, etc.
Don Gaetz was the Okaloosa County Superintendent from 2000-2006. Okaloosa Schools moved up from a C rating by the Department of Education to become the highest performing school system in Florida in 2003, 2004 and again in 2005. Thirty-one of Okaloosa’s thirty-five district-operated schools were ranked as A schools by the State of Florida.
Gaetz has a bachelor’s degree in religion and political science from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. He did later earn a master’s in public administration with a major in education from Troy State University in Alabama.
Let’s find out what the Superintendent candidates want to do when they are elected. The race should not be about looks or resumes. Who is the best leader? Who has the best plan for the Escambia County schools?