Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson Maintains He Was Not Forced Out
Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 12:47 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 12:47 a.m.
LAKELAND | Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson told The Ledger on Wednesday he really is resigning for family reasons.
It has nothing to do with the miscalculation on this year's school grades or the feud brewing between Polk and the state Department of Education, he said.
"I am not being forced out by Gov. Rick Scott," he said. "There's no ideal time for me to leave."
The State Board of Education will hold an emergency conference call today to discuss Robinson's resignation and the next steps. It will be webcast live at 7 a.m. from the DOE's website athttp://www.fldoe.org.
Robinson, 45, was education secretary in Virginia before taking the state's top education post last year. While he settled into his new job, his wife, Kimberly, and two daughters remained in