Is Tony Bennett Headed to Florida?

Education reformers are still disappointed with Tony Bennett's loss earlier this month in his re-election bid for superintendent of public instruction in Indiana; now speculation has begun on his next gig.

The rumor?

Tony Bennett is headed to Florida to be the next education commissioner.

According to Education Week, Bennett has said that this reelection campaign would be his last run for elected office, but…

Bennett reportedly wants to work on education issues and hasn’t ruled out government jobs—including as state superintendent of another state.  And he’s had some discussions about such opportunities.

"I've said many times, I have an addiction," Bennett said. "It's called driving ed reform policy. It's my drug of choice."

An Educational Choice Champion for Indiana’s Families: Tony Bennett

The education reform movement was saddened to learn Tuesday that Indiana State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Bennett lost his seat to challenger Glenda Ritz.

Bennett has gained widespread praise for his education reforms since being elected, which include revamping teacher evaluations, leading state take-overs of struggling public schools, and expanding educational options.  In that last category, Bennett has been hailed for expanding charter schools and leading efforts to create a statewide voucher program. That voucher program, the Choice Scholarship Program, enrolled nearly 4,000 students in the program’s first year and more than 9,000 students in the program’s second year.

Dr. Bennett has dedicated his life to improving the lives of children. Before becoming superintendent, he spent his career working as a teacher, coach, and assistant superintendent. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from Indiana University Southeast and received his Ed.D. and Superintendent's License from Spalding University.

Earlier this year, the Alliance for School Choice awarded Bennett its John T. Walton Champions for School Choice Award, which is given to a prominent leader in the school choice movement for groundbreaking and dedicated work for America’s children. 

The election loss is a sad moment for Indiana’s children, but thanks to a strong coalition of advocates and elected officials, we’re certain that educational options will continue to thrive in the Hoosier State. And no matter what Bennett does next, we know he'll be working to improve the lives of children.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

On Eve of Education Speech, Indiana Leaders Pledge Support to Kids, Not Systems

As Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett prepares for his second State of Education address tomorrow night, we wanted to give you a preview of what he'll be discussing based upon some recent local news reports across the Hoosier State.

Today we've linked to one that is of particular note, in part because it gives us insight into not only Bennett's vision for the state's educational future, but also shines a light on the man behind it all—Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

In addition to the short interview clip with Daniels, the report wraps up with words that make clear that the governor is in this fight for the right reasons (emphasis ours):

Next year the cap on vouchers goes up to 15000. Daniels says he doesn't know if applications will reach that number either. In fact, he says he doesn't care. He says his goal was always simply to give parents a choice, and what he'd really love would be for the public schools to improve so much that parents wouldn't want to use the vouchers anymore.

That's right—despite what opponents may say, he's not in this to hurt public schools, but he's also realistic about the fact that many kids today aren't getting what they need from them. That's the kind of attitude we'd love to see among more of our leaders across the country.

Click here to watch the full story.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG

State Superintendent Touts New Enrollment Numbers for Indiana Voucher Program

At Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' education roundtable yesterday, State Superintendent for Public Education Tony Bennett said that parents have applied for more than half of Indiana's 7,500 vouchers this year, a remarkable number considering the application period lasted for just a few weeks.

And in the early-goings, it seems like the program is accomplishing the goals put forth at the outset: a total of 85 percent of the voucher students comes from low-income backgrounds, and 15 percent of voucher recipients live in small towns or rural areas. Here's what Bennett had to say at the governor's roundtable:

There is a broad geographical spread that says poverty has no boundaries in Indiana. But we are also saying that demography does not determine a student's destiny.