From the Orlando Sentinel School Zone blog this morning:
Tony Bennett, Indiana’s outgoing state schools superintendent, has applied to be Florida’s next education commissioner, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Education said this morning.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to submit an application for Florida’s Commissioner of Education position,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Sunshine State’s consistent commitment to providing all students a top-notch education is impressive and inspiring. I look forward to participating in the next stages of this process.”
Bennett championed what many call Florida-style education reforms in Indiana but lost his bid for Indiana’s elected school post in November. He lost to a teacher and teacher union leader who opposed many of those policies, including revamping teacher evaluations and allowing private firms to operate struggling schools.
Bennett is part of Chiefs for Change, a group of state education leaders whose work is promoted by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s education foundations. Bennett spoke at Bush’s annual education summit last week in Washington, D.C.
The State Board of Education hires Florida’s education commissioner. The board is to interview finalists on Dec. 11 and could pick its commissioner at its meeting the next day.
More from Indianapolis Star, Education Week, Gradebook, StateImpact Florida.
Gradebook has a list of all applicants here.
Shock and buzz. Tony Bennett’s loss was last night’s big jawdropper in the ed realm. But shock is already giving way to welling speculation that Indiana’s loss will be Florida’s gain.
Education Week wrote that Bennett, the Hoosier State’s superintendent of public instruction, “could be a natural fit” for the opening in Florida. Education researcher Rick Hess said Bennett will land on his feet “given that folks are likely to be clamoring for his services (including the state of Florida, which is desperately seeking a new chief).” The Gradebook, the ed blog for the Tampa Bay Times, put this headline on its first post of the day, “Might Indiana superintendent stunner yield Florida commissioner candidate?”
Speculation that Bennett may be headed to the Sunshine State began well before last night’s loss. And it’s easy to see why. Bennett championed Florida-style reforms in Indiana, including implementation of a statewide voucher program. He’s part of the Chiefs for Change group formed by Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. And he makes a lot of sense when he talks persuasively about new definitions of public education that aren’t either/or. “We have allowed our opponents to draw a caricature of us that says we’re against public schools,” Bennett said last spring at the American Federation for Children conference. “I’m not an adversary of public schools. I’m an advocate for public school children.”
Applications for the Florida commissioner post are due by Nov. 30. We called and emailed the Indiana Department of Education to see if we could find out about Bennett’s plans. If we hear back, we’ll let you know.
In the meantime, there’s also plenty of commentary today about why Bennett lost to Glenda Ritz, an elementary school media specialist. (more…)
