Fortunately, Florida’s Board of Education decided not to conduct a full search for a new state commissioner of education. Instead, they decided that their second-time-around interim commissioner Pam Stewart would have the job. Whew! When Tony Bennett resigned in the summer, I wondered if the board of education would try to snag a supposed star for the third time in a row and thought about putting in a not-very-serious-but-pointed application of my own. This would not have been serious: I have a great job working with and for two dozen wonderful colleagues and more than a hundred students in my department, and I really don’t have the administrative experience necessary to be a state education commissioner. On the other hand, that lack of experience hasn’t stopped the bulk of regularly-appointed commissioners in the past decade or more from being political hacks or empty vessels. If I were ((Note the subjunctive.)) to have applied for the job, here’s the pitch I would have made.
Dear Members of the Florida Board of Education,
Please accept this letter as an application for the position of Education Commissioner for the great State of Florida. Y’all need someone to rescue you from your recent past, and while I’m certainly not the best candidate in the world, I may be the best option you have. So let’s talk turkey.
First, you need to appoint someone who is competent at getting things done. I am not flashy — ask my children and they will tell you exactly how uncool I am. But I know how to push paper, how to get along with all sorts of people, and how to prioritize. I know how to delegate and also hold direct reports responsible. I also try to call things as they are and avoid spin. If appointed, I’ll probably make some mistakes in that last category out of inexperience, but if called on mistakes, my usual response is to apologize and fix things. In other words, I try to be an adult.
I am also a Democrat. I know that in this state, that might be considered an immediate disqualification for responsibility, but in your case, you need to appoint a Democrat. After the total disasters of the past three years — the governor pushing out Eric Smith and then your flamingo-ups with Gerard Robinson and Tony Bennett — our state doesn’t exactly have a record of long-serving education chiefs. But if you appoint me and I do a reasonably good job, I’m not an obvious political target no matter who is elected in 2014.
Finally, I am highly skeptical of Florida’s current education policies. Again, I bet Jeb’s right hand Patricia Levesque will tell you that disqualifies me, but I’m an old-fashioned public servant: I believe in following rules regardless of whether I like them. I recognize that Florida’s teachers and students need assistance to meet the expectations of the legislature and state board. The state’s teachers need help with the Common Core, districts need help providing assistance to schools in deep need, and the state’s parents deserve some stable leadership focusing on the details. The job of the education commissioner includes policy recommendations, but 98% of the position should focus on making it easier for those in schools to do their job, and that’s what I like to do.
I know that there will be pressure for you to find another ready-made apparent star from another state, or someone else who might possibly distract the 10 remaining trusting Florida parents away from noticing how much you’ve botched the last few selections. But if you really care about Florida’s children, you’ll immediately reject anyone with an ego or reputation larger than Polk County.
Yours in speaking the truth,
Sherman Dorn
Fortunately, they found someone under their nose whose ego is the right size for the job, at least in my view. Pam Stewart is not flashy, not an uber-star, and she’s what the state needed after the last few commissioners flamed out. And she is a USF graduate. A belated best of luck to her in our crazy state.