Stewart named interim Florida education commissioner

Published: Friday, August 2, 2013 at 11:53 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 2, 2013 at 5:59 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE - In the wake of a grade-changing scandal that caused former education chief Tony Bennett to abruptly resign, the state Board of Education has turned to a veteran official as a temporary replacement.

State Board of Education members voted quickly and unanimously during a Friday emergency meeting to select Chancellor of Public Schools Pam Stewart as interim commissioner.

Stewart, who started her career as a teacher in Hillsborough County in 1975 and has been a principal in Ocala and as well as deputy superintendent in St. Johns County, has recent ties to Manatee County. She became a top-five finalist last spring for superintendent here but was quickly eliminated by a citizens panel who felt she "knew theory but not practice."

On Friday, the state board did not discuss specifics on how Florida's move to new standards and its contentious grading system would be affected by Bennett's resignation.

Bennett left before deciding whether Florida should remain with a national consortium or develop its own set of tests for new common core standards that are scheduled to take effect. Florida's Republican legislative leaders want the state to develop its own assessments.

Bennett was hired after he failed to win re-election as the Indiana schools chief. While in Indiana he had pushed an A-to-F school grading system modeled after the one already in place in Florida.

Emails published by The Associated Press this week show that Bennett and his Indiana staff scrambled last fall to ensure Republican donor Christel DeHaan's charter school received an A, despite poor 10th-grade algebra scores that initially earned it a C.

Bennett called that interpretation "malicious and unfounded" and said he had done nothing wrong. But he resigned from his $275,000 job immediately on Thursday, saying he did not want to be a "distraction" for Gov. Rick Scott and the board.

Several board members sounded off about how shocked they were that Bennett chose to step down following the allegations, and others expressed fears that Bennett's departure will complicate the state's transition to new tough standards.

"I am disappointed and very disheartened by Tony Bennett's resignation," Board Member Barbara Feingold said. "I believe this is a man of deep integrity."

Board member Kathleen Shanahan called for the immediate formation of a committee to analyze the state's role as a "leading indicator" of measuring performance.

The state's A through F grading system has been replicated in many states, though this year it earned criticism from Florida school leaders who said it was too complicated and inconsistent to be credible.

"We are at a tipping point of watching that all dissipate," Shanahan said.

Board Chair Gary Chartrand said that Stewart would be made aware of board concerns and tasked with how to take action. The next Board of Education meeting isn't until September.

? The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT

EARLIER: Florida's State Board of Education has picked a top state education official to fill in as education commissioner.

The board selected Pam Stewart as interim commissioner during an emergency hearing on Friday, a day after the abrupt resignation of Education Commissioner Tony Bennett.

Stewart currently serves as the chancellor of public schools. But she was interim commissioner last year before the board appointed Bennett as education commissioner. Bennett had been the top schools official in Indiana but he was defeated when he ran for re-election.

Bennett resigned Thursday amid allegations that he changed the grade of a charter school run by a major Republican donor during his previous job.

Bennett maintained he had done nothing wrong.

Board members said they were dismayed by his resignation.

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130802/wire/130809946

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