Pam Stewart will take over as interim commissioner of education following Thursday's resignation ofTony Bennett. It's official. The State Board of Education met in emergency session Friday morning to announce Stewart as the temporary replacement for Bennett until someone is called to the position permanently.
She served as interim commissioner before Bennett took his position last year.
I think we have a mess on our hands and we have an opportunity on our hands, said State Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan. She advised that the board meet before its next meeting, which is scheduled for September.
Board member Barbara Feingold had high words of praise for Bennett. She said she was disappointed and disheartened by Bennetts resignation. The sentiment was shared by other members of the board.
Members agreed they had a strategy for the future of Floridas education and would persevere with it. They vowed not to allow Bennetts resignation to throw the Sunshine State off course.
This is the second time Stewart has been interim Florida commissioner of education. She served in that role from Sept. 1, 2012 to Jan. 14, 2013, following Gerard Robinson, who resigned in August 2012 after just one year. Robinson cited family reasons for his resignation, though his tenure was wrought with controversy over the state's test-based school accountability system and failing scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
In May, school officials had to pass an emergency rule that lowered the passing score for the state's writing exam after the majority of fourth- and eighth-graders failed the FCAT.
Stewart was replaced in January by Tony Bennett.
She began her career as a teacher in 1975, working as an elementary school teacher in Ward-Highlands. From there she went on to become a guidance counselor, district teaching specialist, assistant principal, and principal.
From 2004-2009 Stewart served as deputy chancellor for educator quality at the Florida Department of Education. She then became deputy superintendent for academic services for the St. Johns County School District.
It wasn't until 2011 that she returned to the state Department of Education to become chancellor of public schools.
Stewart takes over the temporary position in a time of serious transition for Floridas schools, which are preparing to fully implement the national Common Core Standards for the Sunshine States students. Common Core is expected to be a higher level of learning for Floridas students and will cause them to think more critically about classroom material. Common Core is expected to be fully implemented by the 2014-2015 school year.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen at allison@sunshinestatenews.com.
