Three people have applied for the job of Floridas education commissioner, with more applicants expected before the midnight deadline.
The three applicants are Thomas Goodman, a former charter school superintendent from California and now superintendent with Education Management Systems; Carlos Lopez, the superintendent of the River Rouge School District in Michigan; and Bessie Karvelas, the district chief instructional officer for Chicago Public Schools.
The search firm has indicated they expect additional applications to arrive closer to the deadline, said Tom Butler, the director of communications for the Department of Communications.
The State Board of Education is searching for a new education commissioner to replace Eric Smith, who will leave his post in June after four years as Floridas top education policymaker.
But the search for his replacement has been slow, netting only the three applicants so far in over a month. The search firm hired to recruit candidates said Floridas open records laws are scaring away some candidates. But one former State Board of Education member said applicants are scarce because of Smiths sudden departure.
Smith helped usher in reforms such as teacher merit pay and helped Florida win $700 million in Race to the Top grants for public schools. But he is leaving amid allegations that he was pushed out by Gov. Rick Scott.
The former chairman of the State Board of Education resigned in protest after Smith announced he was leaving in March. Former chairman T. Willard Fair, appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush, said in a blistering letter that Scott had not met with Smith since he became governor.
If you ignore me, that is a very clear message, Fair said in an interview Wednesday. It is obvious I have no value and you have decided Im not important.
The search for a commissioner has also been hindered by the circumstances under which Smith is leaving, Fair alleged.
Youd have to be out of your mind to apply for the job, he said.
The State Board of Education hired search firm Ray and Associates in April to conduct a national search for a commissioner. Last week, Gary Ray, the head of the search firm, said Floridas open records laws were holding some of the more serious candidates back from applying for the job.
Any applicant for the job would be almost immediately exposed, causing their current employer to know they are looking for a new job. Ray said last week at a briefing before the State Board of Education that some of the most sought-after applicants would need to be assured they would be taken seriously.
Ray said the search firm expects about a half-dozen good applicants to present to the board.
The application for education commissioner, posted online, says the job entails recommending a budget, protecting education dollars in the budget, and providing oversight and policy briefing to the board of education, and that the person would have to maintain a system of intensive school improvement and stringent education accountability.
It also promises a salary of the upper $100,000s to $200,000.
The State Board of Education is scheduled to interview applicants on June 1. Smiths last day on the job is June 10.
