Florida Commissioner of Education Eric Smith, who has held that position since 2007, announced Monday that he will step down from his post in June.
This past weekend, I informed the members of the State Board of Education of my intention to resign as Floridas commissioner of education effective June 10, the last day of this school year, noted Smith in a release. It has been my privilege to serve as commissioner during a period in which Florida demonstrated bold national leadership in the field of education. The time has come, however, to allow our newly elected governor to have input through the State Board of Education on the type of leader to pursue his goals for education.
Smith pointed to what he considered highlights of his tenure, including the states better standings in reports and ranking from Education Week and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Smith also pointed to higher high school graduation rates, more children enrolled in Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK), winning Race to the Top federal funds, better AP scores and more students in dual enrollment programs.
The foundations are in place and the expectations are clear that Florida will be No. 1 in education! The future is promising and very exciting for our students, insisted Smith. It has been an honor to serve both the State Board of Education as well as the members of the Florida Legislature. These individuals have made incredible efforts to build upon the bold education reforms established by Governor Jeb Bush, allowing us to progress both quickly and successfully. It also has been a pleasure to work with the talented individuals in the Department of Education who continue to demonstrate commitment to serving students, parents and teachers of our wonderful state.
I thank the state of Florida for the privilege and honor to have served as its education commissioner, concluded Smith. There always will be a special place in my familys heart for this blessed state and its students.
After the announcement, leaders across Florida weighed in on the news.
Scott released a brief statement Monday on Smiths departure.
On Friday, Commissioner Eric Smith informed my administration of his plan to leave the Department of Education, said Scott in the statement. This morning he shared this news with his staff at the department. On behalf of the state of Florida, I thank him for his years of dedicated service.
Leaders in the Legislature praised Smith and his record in Tallahassee.
Under Commissioner Smiths leadership we have seen Florida students make exceptional gains, said House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. Our high school graduation rate has reached a new high; we are closer than ever before to closing the achievement gap, and Florida has become a national model for measuring student performance.
These developments coupled with Commissioner Smiths support of breakthrough legislation to reward and retain our states best teachers, will help Florida excel in preparing our students to compete and lead in the global economy, Cannon continued. I commend Commissioner Smith for his leadership and commitment to Floridas students and wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors.
As a result of Commissioner Smiths dedication to our states children and their academic success, the Department of Education has made substantial progress in student achievement, said Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, chairman of the House Education Committee and chancellor of Flagler College. During the commissioners time in office he has challenged Florida students by raising educational standards and instituting more academically rigorous coursework that will ultimately lead to a more successful future for Floridas children.
He also challenged the status quo by supporting the Student Success Act, a measure that will ground teacher evaluations in student learning growth and ensure that children have a teacher in the classroomthat has demonstrated their ability to provide a quality education, added Proctor, who backed that measure to reform teacher performance pay last week when it passed the House. I thank him for his service to our states children and I applaud him for his many successes as commissioner.
Patricia Levesque, the executive director of the Foundation for Floridas Future, a group with ties to former Gov. Jeb Bush, also praised Smith on Monday.
Commissioner Smith believes that all children regardless of their background or parents salary levels can learn, said Levesque. He has based his policies on this belief. He has been steadfast in holding schools accountable for student learning, bold in his support for legislation to identify and reward excellent teachers and has championed rigorous courses to prepare students for success in college.
Under Commissioner Smiths leadership, student achievement in Florida has increased, graduation rates have skyrocketed and the achievement gap has narrowed significantly, Levesque added.As a result, Florida has become a national model for quality in education. His leadership led Florida to winning a Race to the Top grant, holding a major role in the development of the Common Core standards and being a prominent leader in Partnership for Readiness in College and Careers.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or (850) 727-0859.
