The Florida Board of Education also known as the State Board of Education (SBE) is a committee composed of members appointed by the Florida Governor to guide and direct public K-12 & Community College education in Florida.

History

Since Reconstruction, the Commissioner of Education had been a Cabinet level position, elected by the people and directly responsible for public education in Florida. The 1998 Constitutional Revision Commission proposed a rewrite of Article IV, Section IV of the Florida Constitution that reduced the Florida Cabinet from six elected officials to three. The voters approved the changes and it became effective January 7, 2003. The Florida Commissioner of Education became an appointed position and the FLDOE became the overall responsibility of the Governor. The revised constitution also created a new Florida Board of Education with seven members (one of whom is the Commissioner of Education), appointed by the Governor. The Florida Commissioner of Education manages the day-to-day operations of the FLDOE. The current commissioner is Dr. Eric J. Smith

Eric J. Smith

Dr. Eric J. Smith began his education career in Florida as a classroom teacher more than 30 years ago. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Science and Education from Colorado State University, Commissioner Smith was eager to share his love of science with students of all ages...

, appointed in 2007.

Mission

According to the Board’s website, their mission is to:

Members

Name	Position	Term Expires
Mr. T. Willard Fair	Chairman	2010
Dr. Akshay Desai		2010
Mr. Roberto Martinez		2008
Mrs. Phoebe Raulerson		2008
Ms. Kathleen Shanahan		2009
Mrs. Linda Taylor		2009
Dr. Eric J. Smith	Commissioner	-n/a-

Meetings

The Florida Board of Education meets at least bi-monthly in Tallahassee; more often if issues require it. Public hearings are also held periodically at locations throughout the state.

External links

• Florida Department of Education website