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A Fresh Start For State Education Chief

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2007

By most accounts, Florida's new education commissioner, Eric J. Smith, is an exceptionally smart reformer. His experience in closing the achievement gap in North Carolina and Maryland will serve Florida well, and his focus on aligning the high school curriculum to college-ready standards is what the state needs to reduce the remedial crutch used by far too many students.

Still, Smith comes with a bad rap: He does not play well with others.

Florida needs a no-nonsense leader to run the state's Department of Education, but it does not need another boss with a 'my way or the highway' attitude.

Smith left his post as superintendent of the Anne Arundel School District in Maryland under less-than-stellar circumstances. In 2005, The Washington Post reported that a district audit alleged Smith awarded substantial pay raises to senior staff, and that the hiring division handed out unauthorized bonuses to top executives without the knowledge of the school board. Smith did not build bridges with rank-and-file teachers, and although some applauded his high standards, he found little support as criticism mounted.

This episode should have taught him the value of building consensus. Without buy-in from all who make schools work, any smart reforms that Smith would push would be doomed.

Some of those who know Smith say he's brilliant. If so, he will have learned from his previous troubles and will bring to his new job a more inclusive and cooperative attitude.

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