Bennett’s Troubling Email to Bush, Daniels on Eve of Resignation
From an AP story found at Indystar.com TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — The day before he abruptly resigned from his job, Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett wrote an impassioned email to two former governors he called “part of my family.” Bennett reached out to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to give a spirited defense of his actions as Indiana education chief while
YESTERDAY
Jeb Bush Bangs His Own Drum at ALEC Conference
From Orlando Sentinel reporter Leslie Postal: The resignation of Tony Bennett in Florida — and the controversy over school grading in his home state of Indiana — has led to plenty of calls for an end to the Sunshine State’s model of school reform. But former Gov. Jeb Bush, who ushered in that plan, sees no reason to do anything but push ahead. In a speech today at the ALEC conference in Chicago, B
AUG 08
Here We Go….AFT, Indiana Teacher Union Makes Public Records Request For All Contacts Between Bennett, ALEC and Bush Foundations
From Orlando Sentinel reporter Leslie Postal: The American Federation of Teachers — and its Indiana affiliate — announced today it has made a possibly sweeping public records request of the Indiana Department of Education, seeking “all communications between former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett and Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, ALEC and others since
Indiana Finds “Manipulations” of School Grades Occurred Under Bennett’s Watch
The reporter who broke the Tony Bennett grade change story is continuing to follow up. As per numerous requests, current Indians superintendent Glenda Ritz announced yesterday that last year’s grade categories had been “manipulated” on Bennett’s watch. From AP reporter Tom LoBianco: Indiana’s top education official on Wednesday acknowledged “manipulation” in the way the state’s schools are graded,
AUG 07
Paula Dockery Blasts Florida’s Twisted Education Leadership Structure
Former republican state senator Paula Dockery is now an influential syndicated columnist. In this morning’s Lakeland Ledger, she weighs in on the Bennett Scandal and points out that Florida’s educational leadership structure is problematic: Bennett resigned four days after the AP story broke. During those four days: Patricia Levesque, the executive director of Jeb’s Foundation for Florida’s Futur
AUG 05
Will Charter Schools USA Lose High Performing Status With Failing Orange County School?
The high performing charter school rules were created to help guys like Jonathan Hage open more school. The Orlando Sentinel’s Lauren Roth reports: The F grade of a new Orange County charter school means its parent chain will likely lose its designation as “high-performing.” Renaissance Charter School at Chickasaw Trail is part of a group of Florida charter schools run by management organization C
What Do Jeb Bush’s Breathtaking Denials Mean?
In a stunning defense of disgraced education commissioner Tony Bennett, Jeb Bush picked up his pen today in an attempt to save Bennett’s legacy – and perhaps his own. He wrote from his perch with Foundation for Florida’s Future. Lets take a look at a few of Bush’s stunning positions as they are published in the Miami Herald: A man accused of trying to undermine public education, in fact, had dra
Top Bennett Aide Implicted in Grade Scandal Resigns Florida Post
From Jeffrey S. Solochek from the Tampa Bay Times Gradebook: Dale Chu, chief of staff to former Florida education commissioner Tony Bennett, resigned his post one day after his boss quit the department. Chu came to the Florida Department of Education with Bennett from Indiana, where he had been assistant state superintendent, overseeing Indiana’s education reform initiatives. He came as part of a
Maine’s Chief for Change Takes Heat for Defending Bennett
There is one less of Jeb Bush’s vaunted Chiefs for Change in office this morning, and one oh his colleagues Maine commissioner of education Stephen Bowen is taking heat for his odd defense of him. From the editors of the Portland Press Herald: What we didn’t expect was the response we heard. Instead of defending the integrity of Maine’s school grading program, Maine Education Commissioner Stephen
AUG 04
If Only Tony Had Just Deleted His Own Emails
Here’s a follow-up story in the Miami Herald from Tom LoBianco, the investigative reporter who broke the Tony Bennett grade change scandal: INDIANAPOLIS – In algebra, students are required to show the steps taken to come to their answer, in part because teachers need to see whether they grasp the concepts. Indiana’s former state superintendent Tony Bennett hid his calculations when coming up with
AUG 03
Will L’affaire Bennett Finally Shine the Light on Charter Schools USA?
When Tampa Tribune reporter William March was sourcing a piece on the controversy over email exchanges Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education had with state education departments, he contacted Charter Schools USA. March got stonewalled: “We’re not interested in being used in an article meant to misrepresent the great work the Foundation for Educational Excellence does to promote posi
AUG 02
Bush, the Florida BOE, and Leadership Post-Bennett
Today’s Florida Board of Education emergency meeting was suitably somber. While voting unanimously to appoint Pam Stewart as the interim commissioner a solid decision - this takeaway stood out. Consider this from Kathleen McGrory’s post in the Buzz: During the conference call Friday, board member Kathleen Shanahan called for the creation of a “select committee” of lawmakers, superintendents and ot
