Two candidates for Florida’s education commissioner are former public schoolteachers who worked their way through the ranks to become education leaders. The third is an attorney with experience in education policy and research, who worked for various government and nonprofit agencies devoted to education reform.

All three met with the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday to answer questions and explain why they are the best choice to oversee Florida’s educational system.

Board members expect to name a new commissioner Wednesday morning. Here are highlights from the interviews and applications:

Charles Hokanson Jr. is a Harvard-trained attorney who served as counsel to the chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He wrote legislation with a focus on special education, early childhood programs and civil rights law, among other areas.

He later served as chief of staff and counsel to the U.S. Department of Education and as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Hokanson, who heads Hokanson Consulting Group in Arlington, Va., is also a former president of the Alliance for School Choice.

Hokanson told the board that among his first priorities as commissioner would be to hire a strong chief of staff. That way, Hokanson could travel across the state to reach out to stakeholders, including teachers, parents and superintendents.

He said he would also take time to get to know department personnel, discover strengths and weaknesses in the system, and build trust.

“I would be a commissioner who would start walking the halls,’’ Hokanson said.

He downplayed his lack of school leadership experience, saying he comes from a family of educators. “I’m not a teacher, but I love working in education reform because of the ability to change students’ lives,” Hokanson said.

What does he see for the future in classrooms? “We are going to need to continually address online opportunities,’’ Hokanson said, including blended learning.

In his application, Hokanson highlights his background in strategic planning, along with expertise in federal and state law and a suite of education policies. Having been inside the “belly of the beast,’’ Hokanson said he is poised to continue reforms that have made Florida a national leader. (more…)

School choice is growing. DOE officials tell state lawmakers 40 percent of Florida students now attend a school other than their zoned school, reports WFSU.

School choice adds complications. Planning and zoning is a lot tougher with magnets and charters in the mix, editorializes the Palm Beach Post.

Dozen new charters coming to Duval. Florida Times Union.

Digital learning. Lee County School Board members worry about funding for state-mandated requirements for electronic learning materials, reports the Naples Daily News.

Tony Bennett. He’s one of three finalists for the ed commish job, along with Charles Hokanson Jr. and Randy Dunn. Coverage from redefinED, Gradebook, WFSU, School Zone.

More budget questions in Manatee. The interim superintendent says he has found another $7 million in unbudgeted items, reports the Bradenton Herald.

Covering the coverage. Gradebook and StateImpact Florida note EdFly Blog’s rebuttal to Reuters’ story on Florida’s academic progress.

Teacher evals. Alachua teachers are upset with the new system, reports the Gainesville Sun.

The Florida Board of Education announced its finalists for education commissioner today, with a list of three candidates including Indiana's outgoing education chief Tony Bennett.

Bennett, who gained national acclaim and criticism for pushing Florida-style education reforms in his home state, lost his re-election bid last month. That immediately sparked rumors that the Chiefs of Change leader might come to the Sunshine State.

The other finalists culled from 53 applications are:

Charles Hokanson Jr. A consultant and former president of the Alliance for School Choice, he also served as a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, appointed by former President George W. Bush. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Hokanson said he worked on state reform efforts at the alliance, including those pushed in Florida by former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Randy Dunn. Murray State University president and a former Illinois state superintendent of education.

The board will interview the finalists during its Dec. 11 meeting in Tampa.

The new education commissioner will replace Gerard Robinson, who left at the end of August. Robinson, who only took the job a year earlier, said at the time that being apart from his family in Virginia proved too challenging. He also received sharp criticism surrounding changes to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test that resulted in test scores dropping statewide.

Pam Stewart, the interim education commissioner, did not submit an application for the permanent post.