THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT of the Floyd County Schools is no stranger: Dr. Jeff McDaniel, the system’s current chief of academics, with it for almost 10 years and earlier with the Polk County system in a variety of capacities.

Academics is, of course, where the rubber meets the road in public education or perhaps better described as where the student meets the content. That’s been the heightened emphasis of the county system for some years now and it is good to see that this likely will be continued.

As the current superintendent for the past five years, Dr. Lynn Plunkett, prepares to retire at the end of this month it will be sad to see her go but cheering to know her replacement is someone very familiar with all the nooks and crannies of the county system.

Now then, how soon can parents expect to hear the words “magnet school” come from the new superintendent regarding the arts, math/ sciences, international studies and similar? After all, with the county’s charter Career Academy having become such a success it should be obvious that after reading, writing and ‘rithmetic have created the foundation there is good reason to cultivate and maximize individual unique abilities and preferences.