David Dyer, a newcomer to the Indian River County School Board, unseated incumbent Kevin McDonald in District 5. Governor Ron DeSantis had appointed McDonald to fill a vacancy left by Brian Barefoot.
Dyer’s priorities for the School District include:
- Improving literacy: He believes that children must be able to read at a third-grade level by the end of third grade.
- Expanding career certifications: Dyer advocates for a wider range of career options beyond traditional technical school programs.
- Increasing teacher pay: He believes that experienced teachers deserve higher compensation to attract and retain top talent.
- Supporting Superintendent Dr. David Moore: Dyer praises Dr. Moore’s data-driven approach to accountability and his leadership in improving the District’s state ranking.
Dyer, 75, criticized the current Board’s focus on political matters, arguing that it was hindering the School District’s academic progress. Dyer believes that voters elected him to champion the interests of students.
“Both Peggy Jones and I were elected in a 14-point landslide, which resulted in a change in the majority of the Board. In November, we will cast aside all the political nonsense and get back to making a difference in the kids’ academic success and lives,” Dyer told Sebastian Daily.
Dyer decided to run for office when he realized the School Board was becoming overly politicized and neglecting the educational needs of students.
“With the Governor’s appointment of my opponent to the open seat, my worst fear was realized. I ran for the kids. I have no political agenda. I do not wish to receive any compensation or benefits. I see my board position as a way to give back to our great community. I want Indian River County Schools to be the best District in Florida,” he explained.
Regarding book challenges and removals from the school libraries, Dyer believes the Board should adhere to established book review procedures and state law. Each Board Member and the School District appoint a parent with children in the District to a book review committee that recommends actions on any challenged book in our school libraries.
“First, I have publicly stated that I do not believe that pornography should be in any public school, period. Too much Board time has been wasted on this issue,” he said.
Dyer advocates for making patriotic symbols and the Pledge of Allegiance a requirement.
“I believe that there is more that brings us together than tears us apart. I believe that a love and respect for our country is essential and that the Pledge should be required. Education is red, white, and blue … not red or blue,” Dyer said.
Dyer criticizes the School Board’s current political climate, which he believes has fostered division in the community and distracted from the primary focus of student education. His campaign was centered on education and initiatives that would directly benefit students’ academic achievement.
“I am tired of gotcha politics and spending time on issues that divide us. I plan to spend my time on the Board on educational issues that will improve our schools and make a difference in our children’s lives,” he said.
Dyer has made literacy his top priority for the School District, a focus he has maintained for the past decade as chairman of the Pre-K-12 Education Committee of the Florida Council and vice chairman of The Learning Alliance.
“Children must be able to read at 3rd grade level in 3rd grade. Even though Indian River County Schools are an ‘A’ District, still 40% of kids can’t read at 3rd-grade level by the end of 3rd grade,” Dyer said.
When it comes to reading, he highlights the alarming statistic that only one in four students who fall behind in reading ever catch up. He emphasizes the critical role of reading in academic success from grades 4 through 12. Dyer points to the positive results achieved at Vero Beach Elementary, where reading coaches and interventionists have significantly helped struggling readers.
Now he wants the School Board to increase the number of reading coaches and interventionists in all elementary schools across the county. Dyer also believes that the middle school model requires significant changes to better support student learning.
“At the end of elementary school, 63% of the children are at grade level achievement. By the end of 6th grade, only 43% are achieving at grade level. The middle school model needs improvement. More K-8 choices need to be offered in the School District. As much as possible, children should move from subject to subject with the same classmates in middle school rather than be lost in the masses,” he said.
Dyer proposes expanding career certification options in high schools beyond the traditional technical school programs.
“For those who choose college, offer more advanced placement opportunities at every high school,” Dyer said.
Teacher pay is a critical issue to Dyer that he wants addressed, and he argues that experienced teachers deserve higher compensation. Florida ranks 50th in the nation in average teacher pay, and while Indian River County currently ranks 7th in Florida, its average teacher pay is still well below the national average of $69,544. Dyer said the school board can address this issue, and that it is essential to support teachers.
“For us to attract and retain great teachers, we must do better. Experienced teachers need to be paid more. There has been a compression of salaries between starting teachers and experienced teachers due to the Florida starting teacher pay mandate,” he said.
Dyer expressed his support for Superintendent Dr. David Moore, commending his data-driven approach to accountability in the School District.
“He holds himself and his leadership team accountable for the success of every child in our school system. Indian River Schools have excelled under his leadership and are now a top 10 district in the state. We need to pay our superintendent fairly for his back-to-back ‘A’ District ratings. Florida just passed a 21% increase for elected superintendents. Our superintendent is paid in the lower quartile despite his spectacular performance over the last five years,” Dyer told Sebastian Daily.
As for performance, Dyer gave Dr. Moore a solid A- as superintendent. Despite facing significant challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and a sometimes dysfunctional board, Dr. Moore has successfully raised the School District’s state ranking from 38th in 2018-19 to a commendable 9th in 2023-24.
Moore’s leadership is evident in the rise of A and B-rated schools, which has surged from 47% in 2018-19 to an impressive 95% in 2023-24, according to Dyer.
“However, Florida grades are on the curve; while we have improved slightly, other Florida Districts have slid. We need to look at raw scores as well as state rankings, especially in literacy scores, high school graduation rates, and African American achievement,” he explained.
Dyer believes the budget, totaling $400 million and spanning 586 pages, needs to be more transparent and accountable.
“We need to do a better job of focusing the budget on things that will make a difference in academic outcome,” he said.
Dyer brings extensive experience running multibillion-dollar NYSE companies to the School Board. He is a retail executive with over 42 years of hands-on management and operational expertise for various brands, primarily in apparel. He was most recently President and CEO of Chicos FAS, a $2.5 billion company with 13,000 employees.
Additionally, he served as President/CEO at Lands’ End. Dyer was also president and chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Tommy Hilfiger, Inc.
Early in his career, Dyer taught high school mathematics at the American School in Asuncion, Paraguay. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University.
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