Dive Summary:
- Florida's Board of Education has selected recently ousted Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett as the state's new education commissioner, though the board still needs to negotiate his contract.
- While superintendent of public schools in Indiana, Bennett supported vouchers, charter schools and state intervention in struggling schools, while also putting an A-F grading system in place and playing a leadership role in the group of states responsible for the Common Core State Standards.
- The decision was panned by critics of Florida's current education policy, with Florida teachers union President Andy Ford calling Bennett "a champion of the testing mania" and adding, "We certainly hope he has learned his lessons by being rejected in Indiana. But we’re skeptical.”
From the article:
The state Board of Education chose outgoing Indiana schools chief Tony Bennett as Florida’s next education commissioner. Hailed as a “superstar” in national circles but panned by critics of the state’s current path on education policy, Bennett is an ally of former Gov. Jeb Bush, having led Chiefs for Change, an organization of state education leaders who push Florida-style education policies. ...
