Escambia County School Board member Patty Hightower has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to a new statewide committee that will explore testing, parent involvement, and other education issues. Hightower is the current chair of the school board and president of the Florida School Board Association.
She was chosen out of more than 2,800 applicants – teachers, administrators, parents, school board members and others.
Scott has tasked the committee will look at deregulation opportunities for the school system, instructional material review processes used by school boards, strategies to increase parental involvement, and the implementation of the Florida Standards and the Florida Standards Assessment over the next year.
Here are the other members: Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, 2015 Florida Teacher of the Year Christie Bassett, Polk County, Rep. Manny DÃaz, Jr., R-Hialeah Gardens, Principal Margaret Fahringer, Miami-Dade County, Teacher Doris Garcia, Orange County, Parent Julia Hendricks, Pasco County, Higher Education Participant Joe Pickens, Putnam County, Superintendent Owen Roberts, Alachua County, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, Parent Laura Zorc, Indian River County