The State Board of Education is meeting in Tampa today [Wednesday] and is expected to choose a new education commissioner.
The board interviewed the three finalists for an hour each yesterday, but the board says Florida's next education commissioner will face skeptical teachers and parents.
Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett, Murray State University president Randy Dunn and consultant Charles Hokanson all say they admire Florida's system for evaluating and rating schools.
The board seemed most concerned about public perception teachers are slaves to state standardized test results.
Indiana's Bennett says he disagrees "teaching to the test" is a negative.
"We need to help communities understand that assessment doesn't set aside from instruction, it is part of instruction", explained Bennett. "And in the 21st century, assessment provides us incredible data to drive instruction," he says.
The board is meeting in Tampa today and expected to choose the next education commissioner.