Working Draft

 

Florida Commissioner of Education
Florida State Board of Education
 

Position Profile

The Florida State Board of Education seeks an experienced, results-oriented executive as its new Commissioner of Education, who serves as the chief educational officer of the state and is responsible for providing full assistance to the State Board in enforcing compliance with the mission and goals of Florida’s seamless preK-20 education system. The Commissioner, on behalf of the State Board, reports to the Governor for the Department of Education, which has oversight for preK-12 public schools; community colleges; workforce education; vocational rehabilitation; blind services; independent education and parental choice; nonpublic, postsecondary educational institutions and other key programs and services. The Commissioner provides the leadership and general administration for strategic planning, budget development, assessment and accountability, policy direction, advocacy and coordination on behalf of the State Board, the Governor, the citizens and the Department of Education in accordance of the Education Code of the Florida Statutes. The Department employs over 2,500 full-time equivalent employees and operates with an annual budget in excess of $23 billion in dedicated state and federal funding.

The successful candidate must be able to provide leadership for the innovative development and implementation of sound policies, programs and services; for creating a decision-making climate, incorporating best practices and research and for advancing the State Board’s priorities of high standards, assessments and accountability systems and of adequate and equitable funding for all schools/educational institutions. The State Board will offer a competitive compensation package with a salary range of $195,189 - $275,058; negotiable and commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

Successful candidates must have:

  • A strong commitment to a student-first philosophy.
  • Successfully met the challenges of leading a large, diverse organization dedicated to ambitious goals, high standards, best practices, continuous improvement strategies with high expectations for performance and accountability for results at all levels.
  • Demonstrated ability of implementing a clear vision of quality education with documented evidence of consistent, positive results; using data to drive policy, budget and funding decisions and to measure performance outcomes.
  • An understanding and appreciation for Florida’s institutions, culture and political and educational leadership.
  • A proven record of implementing programs that address the achievement gap while focusing on the needs of all students.
  • An ability to inspire, motivate and build consensus among high impact decision makers such as legislative, business, community and school leaders.
  • Knowledge of standards-based education and successful education reform efforts in Florida and throughout the nation.
  • Ability to work with diverse economic and multi-cultural constituencies; being responsive to issues and concerns and developing initiatives that meet the needs of all students.
  • A proven collaborative management style for building effective teams and consensus around issues, initiatives and a common agenda; demonstrating openness and self-confidence, inspiring trust and modeling high standards of integrity.  
  • Exceptional analytical, planning and organizational skills to maintain a strategic direction; employing contemporary management principles to develop a long term financial plan for the agency and for the state education system.
  • Excellent communication skills to effectively establish dialogue and open channels of communication with all stakeholder groups.
  • Experience in promoting the role of partnerships and collaborations in all sectors of government, education and private enterprise to support continuous improvement in Florida education.
  • High energy leadership, displaying vision, being a calculated risk-taker; being articulate, persuasive and highly visible throughout the state in order to serve as the State Board’s chief spokesperson and the relentless champion and advocate for all Florida students.

Application Criteria: 

  • At least five years of experience at an executive level within a large, diverse organization, or other exceptional leadership performance, along with an understanding of the complexities of running a public agency.
  • A master’s degree from an accredited institution or exceptional relevant experience is required; an advanced degree is preferred. 

 Application should include:

  • A letter describing professional and personal qualifications, experience and reasons for interest in the position.

  • A current resume.

  • A formal notarized application available on the web sites listed below.
  • A two to three page description of the applicant’s major accomplishments in the key areas listed above.

Applications Requested by:
Friday, July 23, 2007

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 Send both a hard copy and electronic copy of all application materials to:

Dr. Nancy R. Noeske or Dr. Robert Schiller
 PROACT Search, Inc.
126 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 360, Milwaukee, WI  53202
Phone: 414-347-0200, Fax: 414-347-0202
E-Mail: info@proactsearchinc.com
Web sites: www.proactsearchinc.com and www.fldoe.org/commissionersearch

 

All documents submitted pursuant to this executive search are subject to Florida’s Public Records Law.  The Florida Public Records Law is broadly construed and applied.  Any record is accessible to the public upon request unless a specific statutory exemption applies.