Florida has a new Education Commissioner – Pam Stewart – who received a unanimous vote on Tuesday, to head the troubled education department.
Stewart was named interim Education Commission by the state Board of Education, after Tony Bennett abruptly resigned last month.
Stewart, a veteran Florida educator with more than 30 years in public education, takes the helm at a time when there is much confusion over whether the state is moving ahead with new Common Core State Standards to replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests (FCAT).
Although Florida teachers have begun to teach Common Core standards, there is a growing chorus of opposition – several conservative lawmakers and grass-roots organizations – that would like to see the roll-out halted.
Despite some gains over the past decade, Stewart also assumes her new role as Commissioner when Florida’s graduation rate of 72.9 percent ranks below the U.S. average of 74.7 percent in 2010.
