Tomorrow will mark one year on the job for Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith. And Board of Education Chairman T. Willard Fair took time out at today’s board meeting to applaud the board’s hire.
“However you would want to evaluate success, from my vantage point, he has indeed been successful,” Fair said. “Thanks for 12 months of blood, sweat and tears.”
Fair singled out Smith’s hires and his relationship building with stakeholders. “There was a time when I was afraid for my commissioner to go to a superintendent’s meeting,” Fair said, “because I wasn’t sure if he’d return.”
Fair said he’ll bring recommendations for a renewed contract for Smith to the board meeting in January. In a related development, the board voted unanimously to extend Fair’s tenure as chair.
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Commissioner Smith has indeed walked a tight line in changing what needs to be changed in a year full of cutbacks to programs, services and staff. His ETS experience has served him well in dealing with deadlines and clients in his beginnings in Tallahassee.
Rev Fair is another issue. The fact that noone else on the Board is stepping up to challenge his lack of direction is alarming. Unlike Obama, Mr. Fair does not represent the best interests of students from his community, much less all Florida students. He was used as a tool by Governor Bush to get elected, and his reward is to serve and intone the script Governor Bush gave him.
It is sad for the State that the education of our children can be left in the hands of this group. May be someone with a record serving children like Dave Lawrence can step forward, or someone with statewide authority and respect like Dominic Calabro who has a track record with FDOE can take over.
It's time. We don't have much lower to go. Commissioner Smith can do a lot, but he needs guidance and leadership from the Board.
Posted by: Quan | December 03, 2008 at 08:23 AM
"Uncle Tom" Willard Fair is a complete dope and no one cares what he thinks.
Ask Fair what he's done about all the F schools in his hood back in Miami?
Or what happened to all the millions of taxpayer dollars that were wasted by the Miami-Dade Empowerment Zone chaired by Fair?
I've never seen a more useless turd than Fair.
Can anyone point out anything positive this guy has done?
Posted by: terminator | December 02, 2008 at 03:08 PM