Meet The Florida Board of Education

Background

The Florida Board of Education oversees the Florida Department of Education.

The Board is a committee of 7 members and the Commissioner of Education, which are all appointed by the Florida Governor to direct public K-12 & Community College education.

Before 2003, the Commissioner of Education was originally a Cabinet-level position filled by an election. But by a voter-approved revision to the Florida Constitution, the Commissioner of Education became an appointed position.

The revised constitution also created the new Florida Board of Education.

Education Commissioner: Tony Bennett

Board of Education Members:

Mr. Gary Chartrand
Chair, State Board of Education
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Term: May 16, 2011 – December 31, 2014

Mr. John R. Padget
Vice Chair, State Board of Education
Key West, Florida
Term: May 13, 2009 – December 31, 2016

Dr. Ada G. Armas
State Board of Education, Member
Coral Gables, Florida
Term: February 7, 2013- December 31, 2016

Mr. John A. Colon
State Board of Education, Member
University Park, Florida
Term: February 7, 2013 – December 31, 2014

Mrs. Barbara S. Feingold
State Board of Education, Member
Delray Beach, Florida
Term: July 18, 2011 – December 31, 2013

Ms. Kathleen Shanahan
State Board of Education, Member
Tampa, Florida
Term: January 6, 2006 – December 31, 2013

Pam Stewart
Florida Department of Education, Commissioner
325 W. Gaines Street
Suite 1514
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: 850-245-0505
Fax: 850-245-9667

Latest Posts

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November 6, 2012

Florida Board Won’t Appeal Court Ruling Granting In-State Tuition To Children Of Undocumented Immigrants

The State Board of Education will not appeal a court ruling regarding in-state tuition for students whose parents are undocumented. Students previously had to prove their parents were in the country legally in order to qualify for Florida residency status. Five students sued the state, and a judge struck down the rule in October. Without […]

November 2, 2012

Duval County School District Settles Court Case Over K12-Run Online Charter School

Duval County schools have settled a lawsuit over an online charter school to be run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, according to the News Service of Florida. The two sides agreed to dismiss the case after the school district recommended approving a second application, according to an attorney for the non-profit group […]

October 15, 2012

Explaining Florida’s New Race-Based Achievement Goals

The State Board of Education is taking criticism for a new five-year plan which local school officials say sets lower goals for blacks, Hispanics and other groups than for white or Asian students. But the plan also asks for more improvement from those same black and Hispanic students than their higher-performing classmates, something supporters say […]

October 8, 2012

How Will The Florida Board of Education Respond To Immigrant Tuition Ruling?

The Florida Board of Education will meet in a closed session this evening in Orlando. They’ll talk about what to do now that a judge has ruled against Florida’s practice of charging out-of-state tuition to students who were born in America but whose parents are undocumented. Unlike other states, Florida colleges and universities consider the […]

September 6, 2012

What The Florida Board Of Education Should Look For In Next Commissioner

The Florida Board of Education meets Friday to discuss the search for a new Education Commissioner. Education advocates and community groups sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott today asking him to consider search criteria offered by people other than state board members. The coalition, led by Fund Education Now, says the Board of Education […]

August 2, 2012

Three Questions About The Florida Education Commissioner’s Resignation

University of South Florida education professor Sherman Dorn literally wrote (well, edited) the book on Florida’s education reform policies. So we grabbed him for a few minutes to ask what Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson’s resignation might mean long-term. Dorn says Robinson was put in a particularly difficult position and that Florida’s education chief is a […]

July 27, 2012

Panel Recommends Lowering Passing Score For FCAT Writing, But Will Education Commissioner Agree?

A team of educators and community leaders gathered this week to set standards for FCAT 2.0 writing. The panel went through a lot of data before settling on a school grade writing performance level of 3.5. That means students would need to score 3.5 out of a possible 6 to pass. The recommendation would lower […]

July 11, 2012

Five Questions About Florida’s 2012 School Grades

Florida released school grades for elementary and middle schools today, and as expected, grades were down across the board. (High school grades include more factors and will be released later.) Here’s five questions explaining the school grades, why the report card system changed and which districts have some good news to report. 1. So how […]

May 15, 2012

Board Of Education Takes Emergency Action On Low FCAT Writing Scores

Preliminary writing scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) have plunged, and state education leaders are taking emergency action. Standards were raised a year ago, making the test more rigorous. The passing grade is 4. The highest possible score is 6. So how bad are the results? 81 percent of 4th graders scored at […]

Explaining How the FCAT Writing Test Changed In 2012

The Florida Board of Education is holding an emergency meeting this morning to debate whether to lower the passing score on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. (Watch here, starting at 10:30) Results show the state passing rate plunged this year, following changes to FCAT writing last year. So what changed?