Emergency Meeting Called to Extend Search for Education Commissioner

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Former Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson walked away from the job in August 2012.

The State Board of Education will hold an emergency conference call next week to consider extending the deadline to accept applications for a Commissioner of Education.

The current application deadline is Thursday, September 27, but the Iowa search firm Ray and Associates recommended an extension because of a lack of highly qualified applicants.

The firm, which helped recruit former Commissioner Gerard Robinson, is conducting the national search for free because Robinson didn’t stay two years.

Robinson walked away from his $275,000 salary after one tumultuous year on the job. His tenure was marred by a drop in the number of students passing the FCAT after the state raised standards and confusion over incorrect school grades. Robinson left at the end of August.

K-12 Chancellor Pam Stewart is serving as interim commissioner until a replacement can be found.

The Board’s announcement of the meeting states, “The need to timely complete the search for the Commissioner of Education creates an immediate danger to public welfare. As such, an emergency meeting is necessary to address the extension.”

The commissioner is responsible for overseeing a PreK-12 system that caters to more than 2.6 million students and 168-thousand teachers.

The meeting via conference call is Tuesday at 8:00 a.m.

Anyone can listen in by calling (866) 372-5781, conference ID # 32451122, or going to the Department of Education website.