Florida Commissioner of Education
| Florida Commissioner of Education | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Non-partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serves at the pleasure of the Florida Board of Education |
| Authority: | Florida Statutes, 1001.10 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by the Florida Board of Education |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Tony Bennett |
| Assumed office: | January 14, 2013 |
| Compensation: | $275,00 |
| Other Florida Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Chief Financial Officer•Commissioner of Education•Agriculture Commissioner•Insurance Commissioner•Environmental Protection Secretary•Economic Opportunity Director•Public Service Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current commissioner of education is Tony Bennett. Bennett unanimously won appointment as the next Education Commissioner of Florida on December 12, 2012, and took office on January 14, 2013. Bennett lost his 2012 re-election bid for Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction.[1][2]
Authority
The office of commissioner of education is mentioned in the state constitution, but is formally established by state law.[3]
Florida Statutes, 1001.10
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The Commissioner of Education is the chief educational officer of the state and the sole custodian of the K-20 data warehouse... |
Qualifications
There are no particular qualifications associated with the office of education commissioner.
Appointments
Per the Florida Constitution, the commissioner is appointed by the Florida Board of Education, the state agency charged with establishing policy for the Florida's public education programs. Neither the constitution nor state law specify a term for the commissioner, suggesting he serves at the board's pleasure.
Florida Constitution, Article IX, Section 2
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The state board of education shall appoint the commissioner of education. |
In September 2011, a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment to make the education commissioner an elected office was proposed for inclusion on the state's November 2012 ballot. The proposed amendment must first be approved by 60% of the Senate and House.
Term limits
There are no term limits associated with the office of commissioner of education.
Vacancies
There is no particular procedure for dealing with vacancies in the office of commissioner.
Duties
State law establishes the commissioner as Florida's "chief educational officer" and gives him administrative authority of the Florida Department of Education, the agency responsible for managing the state's K-20 educational programs. The commissioner's bailiwick includes elementary and secondary schools, as well as combination and adult schools.
The commissioner is required to organize the Department of Education and oversee its staff, act as custodian of the state's K-20 educational data warehouse, and assist the State Board of Education "in enforcing compliance with the mission and goals of the K-20 system."[3]
Divisions
- Florida Colleges
- Public Schools
- Career & Adult Education
- Accountability, Research & Management
- Finance and Operations
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Blind Services[4]
Compensation
In 2010, the commissioner of education received a salary of $275,000, the third highest education commissioner/state superintendent salary in the United States.
Contact info
Address:
Turlington Building, Suite 1514
325 W. Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 245-0505
Fax: (850) 245-9667
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Former Indiana superintendent is Florida's new education commissioner," December 12, 2012
- ↑ Tallahassee.com, "New Fla. education commissioner followed Bush lead," January 14, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida Statutes, "1001.10," accessed September 1, 2011.
- ↑ Florida Department of Education, "Organizational Chart," accessed September 1, 2011.
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