Tony Bennett Lobbying For Indiana Ed Company In Florida
Former state superintendent Tony Bennett lost his re-election bid in 2012. (photo credit: Kyle Stokes / StateImpact Indiana)
Former state superintendent Tony Bennett, who faced ethics charges after accusations of changing A-F grades in 2013, is back in the political game after registering as a lobbyist to the Florida legislature for an Indiana based education company.
Bennett moved to Florida after he lost to current state superintendent Glenda Ritz in the 2012 election. The Florida Board of Education quickly hired him to lead Florida Schools. He resigned from his Florida post in August 2013 when the A-F scandal in Indiana broke.
During his tenure as Indiana’s state superintendent, Bennett spear headed many of the education reforms that are still playing out, including updating the A-F school grading system, aligning school A-F grades and teacher pay with standardized test scores, and establishing the IREAD-3 reading assessment for third graders and creating merit pay for teachers.
According to the 2016 registration form, Bennett will lobby for Standard for Success, a education technology and consulting firm based in Indiana. The company’s website advertises a variety of education services it provides, including: Common Core Planning and Implementation, teacher evaluations, education coaching and professional development. It’s unclear what Bennett will specifically focus on in the lobbyist position.
