FORT PIERCE FOLKS
43
years earlier, the boy was about to be expelled by the school
board when Gaines asked him a series of questions, which
he answered correctly, changing the minds of the other board
members. The young man went on to college and has a
great job in Fort Valley, Ga., said Gaines, who was St. Lucie
County’s first black school board member.
Despite being away from education for nine years, Gaines
is still in the loop with strong feelings on what needs to be
done to better our schools. “The world is changing so fast,”
he said. “I knew books would not be able to keep up, but I
never dreamed it would be cell phones to replace them. We
are losing a generation of children because they don’t know
how to communicate. I’m upset the district doesn’t even push
writing. It’s not being taught. My wife was a math teacher for
41 years. She had an upperclassman who couldn’t read the
note on her paper because it was written in cursive.”
Asked about the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test,
Gaines said, “FCAT should be done away with and substitute
a simple test. Schools get a grade because we are teaching
them how to take the test, but not how to learn the material.”
Judy Miller served with Gaines for 22 years on the school
board. “He was an influential mentor in my life,” Miller said.
“We did not always agree, but he (Gaines) had the ability to
solve problems. He was an incredible part of the desegregation
decisions. He made such an impact on me as the man he
was and as a leader. He had a great sense of humor that got
us through difficult issues. People respected him because he
held people to accountability. He is up front and direct and
never afraid to speak his mind. He is passionate about children
and he was a phenomenal school board member. People
love him,” Miller said.
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