Parents + Teachers = Student Success Cassandra "Cassie" Gonyer is a Volusia County parent and Brevard County teacher, giving her a unique perspective into today's education system. When my family moved to Daytona Beach in 2018, we were looking to center the Midtown neighborhood and Bethune-Cookman University as part of my husband's college campus ministry. We moved in, two streets away from campus, and immediately came face-to-face with the inequitable busing of students in the 32114 zip code. Our daughter would be sent away to Pine Trail Elementary in northern Ormond Beach. We filed a variance request to have her stay in the neighborhood, at Turie T. Small Elementary, where she has been successful ever since. In 2nd grade, she qualified for Gifted services, but these were not offered at any schools in Daytona Beach. We would have to choose between Port Orange or Ormond Beach. These experiences impacting my family have led me to join district-wide committees such as DAC and the VCCPTA in an effort to better advocate for not just my children, but all children in Midtown. I have joined my voice with the hundreds of community leaders before me, asking for equity. I am excited for the fall of 2024, to see a brand new Turie T. Small Elementary school building and want to hold the district accountable to integrating resources rather than just the bodies of students.
Check out my Instagram to find me around town: @cassgoarounddaytona
Facebook: Twitter/X: @cassgonyer
Political Advertisement paid for and approved by Cassandra Gonyer for Volusia County School Board, District 2