Recent headlines in Florida claim our state is searching for a rock star to fill the role of commissioner of education. That headline does little to stimulate interest and in fact is likely to do more harm than good.
Florida doesnt need a rock star. We instead need someone who is like the conductor of a great orchestra or the director of a blockbuster film; someone who can draw upon the tremendous talents already in Florida to expand an atmosphere of success and who exudes the energy to succeed. We need a leader with the will to allow our strong assets to blend together so that Florida will outperform all other states at every level.
The next commissioner will have big shoes to fill. However, there is the chance to show the students of Florida that no matter how humble your beginnings, no matter what your starting place, there are no excuses, nor are there barriers to your success. There are only obstacles to overcome and opportunities to pursue.
The main limits that hinder us in life are constraints we place upon ourselves. Sure, sometimes life is tremendously difficult, but the ambition to succeed can be nurtured in every student. We are fortunate to have educational opportunities abounding in Florida, from our PreK-12 systems, both public and private, to our expanding online resources, to our quality 28 community-state colleges, to our 11 state universities and our 29 independent colleges and universities offering programs throughout Florida. The opportunities to succeed are there and Florida is blessed with tremendous talent resources.
Florida needs an education leader who can demonstrate the best qualities of success; one who can draw upon the immense talents of so many dedicated people in our educational systems to work together to push Florida to the forefront of achievement and continuous improvement.
We have an engaged and knowledgeable Legislature focused on improving educational quality. These hard economic times have created a limiting of resources, but the attention and desire is there to keep Florida on the road to continuous evaluation and improvement.
We have a newly elected governor who made education a centerpiece of his campaign and upon election made it a focus of his transition efforts. Again, hard economic times have temporarily limited the possible, but again the focus in Florida remains on the pursuit of quality and Gov. Rick Scott has expressed an understanding of the critical role of education as a foundation for economic development. Florida can only improve as a state by improving all of its educational systems.
So, why do we not see others clamoring to come to Florida or step up from other positions in Florida to be our commissioner of education? The opportunity is there to move Florida further into the forefront of improvement and reform. We are a national leader. The Legislature has passed a series of new bills that offer the promise of continued change and improvement. We have tremendous superintendents across Florida. We have dedicated school board members with their feet on the ground in our local communities. We have a strong State Board of Education and we have a legion of dedicated and committed teachers and school administrators. All of the resources are there for the right conductor, able to work closely with all of this talent for the betterment of the children of Florida.
Florida never stands still in the pursuit of improvement and it will continue to model, measure and modify. Florida does not need a rock star. It needs leadership from a great conductor who brings the willingness to effectively use the talent chain we already have in our great state.
Dr. Ed H. Moore is president and CEO, Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.
