Accountability must be the basis for an effective governance structure. The proposed education governance model is first and foremost an accountability system for education. In a dramatic departure from the old way of thinking in education governance, Florida has established the accountability system first, and will build the organizational infrastructure to support it. Our objective has not been to merely rearrange the organizational chart. The Board of Regents is not the issue.
Students are the issue.
The media and opponents to change have done a disservice to the education governance process by defining the issue as merely an effort to abolish the Board of Regents. Believe me, it would have been much simpler to just eliminate the Board of Regents without going through a three-year process of evaluating every education entity and sunsetting every board, commission and division related to education. The role of the state, whether legislative or by state agency, should be based in fair policy, with a clear understanding of the roles of state and local entities. Opponents led most recently by Florida s senior Senator, Bob Graham have argued that the reorganization effort is politically motivated. To many, the issue became political only after Senator Graham addressed the task force for the first time in January, just hours before we issued our recommendations.