Less than eight months after taking the position, Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett has resigned, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
His resignation comes after several days of controversy surrounding Indiana school grades during his time as that state's education chief. Bennett has been under fire after emails published by the Associated Press show he made changes to Indiana's grading system after learning that a high-profile charter school would receive a low grade.
Critics have alleged that he made this decision because the school in question was run by a prominent Republican donor to Bennett's campaign. At a news conference this morning, Bennett refuted these claims.
"It is absurd that anyone would believe that I would change the grade of school based on a political donor, or based on trying to hide a school from accountability," Bennett said.
The Associated Press reports that while Bennett believes he did nothing wrong, he chose to resign to avoid causing distractions for Governor Rick Scott.
Florida Department Of Education public schools chancellor Pam Stewart has been chosen as interim Education Commissioner following Bennett's departure.
State Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand released this statement about Bennett's resignation:
“Tony demonstrated great leadership transitioning Florida to new state standards – and he worked tirelessly during his tenure to provide students and teachers with the tools they needed to succeed. I thank him for his hard work and the support that he and Governor Scott have provided to educators and students across the state. In order to continue the success that Tony facilitated, it is my intention to convene a State Board of Education call tomorrow to recommend that the board appoint our K-12 Chancellor Pam Stewart as Interim Commissioner.”
