Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Tony Bennett (Florida Commissioner of Education)
Tony Bennett is the former Florida Commissioner of Education. He served in this position from January 14, 2013 until his resignation August 1, 2013 after revelations he had abused his previous office as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction surfaced in the press.[1][2]
Prior to becoming Florida's nonpartisan education commissioner, Bennett served as the Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana from 2009-2013.[3]
Bennett was defeated in his bid for re-election in Indiana on November 6, 2012. He announced less than a month later that he had applied to become Florida Commissioner of Education, an appointed position.[4] He was unanimously confirmed for the appointment on December 12, 2012 and assumed office as commissioner in January.
A February 2013 article in Governing named Bennett as one of the top state Republican officials to watch in 2013.[5] Six months later, he resigned from public office following an Associated Press story showing that while he was still Indiana's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Bennett tampered with a charter school's grading system in order to protect his relationship with a powerful Republican campaign donor.[6] Denying all reports of ethical or political misconduct, Bennett explained in a statement after stepping down, "I don't believe it would be fair to be distracted" to continue serving as commissioner amid the controversy.[7][8]
Before entering politics, Bennett was a science teacher. He parlayed his teaching job into a career as a school administrator.[3]
During the period of transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, Bennett was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in the Trump administration.
Biography
Bennett was born in Clark County, Indiana. He lives with his wife Tina in Noblesville. They have four children and one grandchild.[3]
He graduated from Indiana University Southeast with both a B.S. and an M.S. in Secondary Education. He also holds his Superintendent's License from Spalding University.
Bennett worked as a science teacher for nine years before moving on to school administration.
Education
- EdD, Superintendent's License, Spalding University
- MS, Secondary Education, Indiana University Southeast
- B.S., Secondary Education, Indiana University Southeast
Political career
Florida Commissioner of Education (January 2013-August 2013)
Bennett unanimously won appointment as the next Education Commissioner of Florida on December 12, 2012.[9] He assumed office on January 14, 2013. He resigned August 1, 2013 amid a scandal relating to a reported ethics transgression from his time serving as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction (2009-2013)
Bennett was sworn in as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction on January 12, 2009. He lost his bid for re-election on November 6, 2012.[3]
Elections/Appointments
2012
Bennett ran for re-election as Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2012.[10] He was nominated as the Republican candidate at the party's convention on June 9.[11]
Democrats nominated Glenda Ritz as their nominee at the state party convention on June 16.[12][13] Ritz defeated Bennett in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Glenda Ritz |
52.8% | 1,332,755 | |
| Republican | Tony Bennett Incumbent | 47.2% | 1,190,716 | |
| Total Votes | 2,523,471 | |||
| Election results via Indiana Secretary of State | ||||
Shortly after his electoral defeat, Bennett was named the new Florida Commissioner of Education by the state Board of Education on December 12, 2012.
2008
On November 4, 2008, Bennett defeated Democrat Richard D. Wood to become Superintendent of Public Instruction.[14]
| Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tony Bennett |
51% | 1,294,833 | |
| Democratic | Richard D. Wood | 49% | 1,243,693 | |
| Democratic | Kevin Brown | 0% | 180 | |
| Total Votes | 2,538,706 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Tony + Bennett + Florida + Education"
See also
- Superintendent of Schools
- Florida Commissioner of Education
- Donald Trump potential high-level administration appointments
External links
- Official 2012 campaign website
- Florida Department of Education
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Tony Bennett on Facebook
- Tony Bennett on Twitter
- Tony Bennett YouTube channel
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008
Footnotes
- ↑ Tallahassee.com, "New Fla. education commissioner followed Bush lead," January 14, 2013
- ↑ Miami Herald Florida, Amid grading controversy, Florida education chief Tony Bennett resigns, August 1, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Indiana Department of Education, "Dr. Tony Bennett biography," accessed December 17, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Orlando Sentinel, "Tony Bennett applied for Fl’s school job, Indiana office says," December 3, 2012
- ↑ Governing, "State Republican Officials to Watch in 2013," February 6, 2013
- ↑ Tallahassee.com, "Update: Education Commissioner Bennett's resignation effective immediately," August 1, 2013
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Former Indiana superintendent is Florida's new education commissioner," December 12, 2012
- ↑ IBJ, "Indiana schools chief Bennett gears up for re-election bid," January 7, 2012
- ↑ NWI Times, "Indiana Republicans pass party torch to Pence," June 9, 2012
- ↑ WISHTV, "Ind. Democrats pick nominees for top jobs," June 17, 2012
- ↑ School Matters, "Indiana schools chief Bennett has big head start in election fund-raising," January 30, 2012
- ↑ Indiana Elections Division, "2008 general election results," accessed December 10, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Pam Stewart |
Florida Commissioner of Education January 14, 2013 - August 1, 2013 |
Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by ' |
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction January 12, 2009 - January 14, 2013 |
Succeeded by Glenda Ritz (D) |
| ||||||||||||||
