State Board of Education Chooses Next Commissioner of Education

{sidebar id=1}The State Board of Education (SBE) today voted unanimously to select Dr. Eric J. Smith as the Florida Commissioner of Education. The SBE made its decision following a second round of in-depth interviews with the three finalists in Tampa, Fla.

“Dr. Smith was chosen from a very talented and qualified group of candidates,” said SBE Chairman T. Willard Fair. “He has the skills and experience that Florida’s education system needs, and I look forward to working with him in the future.”

Dr. Smith was chosen as a result of a national search conducted by PROACT Search, Inc., a national executive search firm hired by the SBE at the April 17, 2007, board meeting. The original applicant pool consisted of 32 candidates, but was narrowed by the SBE to seven candidates in August based on a comprehensive screening process. In September, the SBE conducted interviews with each of the seven candidates and voted to narrow the list to three. Dr. Smith will serve as Florida’s chief educational officer and is responsible for providing full assistance to the SBE in enforcing compliance with the mission and goals of Florida’s K-20 education system.

Prior to Dr. Smith being named as Commissioner, he was Senior Vice President for College Readiness for the College Board. In this position, he organized a new division to focus on a strategy to assist school districts in improving their high school graduates’ enrollment and completion rates in higher education. From 2002-2006, Dr. Smith was the Superintendent for Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Maryland.

Said Governor Crist, "I applaud the State Board of Education for selecting Dr. Eric J. Smith as Florida’s next Commissioner of Education. Dr. Smith began his career as an educator in Florida and since then has proven his leadership ability again and again by repeatedly increasing student learning and achievement.

“His emphasis on improving reading performance and enhancing course offerings shows that Dr. Smith can effectively address the needs of all students. I am confident that under his leadership, we will ensure that every Florida student has the opportunity to receive a year’s worth of learning in a year’s worth of time.”

Interested parties can log onto PROACT’s Web site to view search related information, such as position requirements, applicant information, interview questions, applicant search criteria and relevant deadlines. This information is available at http://www.proactsearchinc.com/florida/ or via the Department’s Web site at http://www.fldoe.org/commissionersearch/ .

This article originally published on October 8, 2007.

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