(1) The Commissioner of Education must independently perform the following duties:
(a) Cooperate with and coordinate responses to requests from the members of the Legislature.
(b) Serve as the primary source of information to the Legislature, including the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, concerning the State Board of Education, the Early Learning-20 education system, and early learning programs.
(c) In cooperation with the Board of Governors, develop and implement a process for receiving and processing requests, in conjunction with the Legislature, for the allocation of PECO funds for qualified postsecondary education projects.
(d) Integrally work with the boards of trustees of the Florida College System institutions.
(e) Monitor the activities of the State Board of Education and provide information related to current and pending policies to the members of the boards of trustees of the Florida College System institutions and state universities.
(f) Ensure the timely provision of information requested by the Legislature from the State Board of Education, the commissioner’s office, and the Department of Education.
(2) The Commissioner of Education shall annually report the state’s educational performance on state and national measures and shall recommend to the State Board of Education performance goals addressing the educational needs of the state.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Commissioner of Education, in conjunction with the Legislature, and the Board of Governors regarding the State University System, must recommend funding priorities for the distribution of capital outlay funds for public postsecondary educational institutions, based on priorities that include, but are not limited to, the following criteria:
(a) Growth at the institutions.
(b) Need for specific skills statewide.
(c) Need for maintaining and repairing existing facilities.
(4) The commissioner shall develop and implement an integrated Early Learning-20 information system for educational management in accordance with the requirements of chapter 1008.
(5) The commissioner shall design and implement a statewide program of educational assessment that provides information for the improvement of the operation and management of the public schools, including schools operating for the purpose of providing educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile Justice programs, in accordance with the requirements of chapter 1008.
(6) The commissioner is responsible for implementing and maintaining a system of intensive school improvement and stringent education accountability, in accordance with the requirements of chapter 1008.
(7) The commissioner shall make prominently available on the department’s website the following: links to the Internet-based clearinghouse for professional development regarding physical education; the school wellness and physical education policies and other resources required under s. 1003.453; and other Internet sites that provide professional development for elementary teachers of physical education as defined in s. 1003.01(16). These links must provide elementary teachers with information concerning current physical education and nutrition philosophy and best practices that result in student participation in physical activities that promote lifelong physical and mental well-being.
(8) The commissioner shall oversee the development and implementation of the 5-year strategic plan for establishing Florida digital classrooms to assist school districts in their efforts to integrate technology in classroom teaching and learning to improve student performance.
(9) The commissioner shall oversee and enforce compliance with the requirements relating to school safety and security by school districts; district school superintendents; and public schools, including charter schools. The commissioner must facilitate compliance to the maximum extent provided under law, identify incidents of noncompliance, and impose or recommend to the State Board of Education, the Governor, or the Legislature enforcement and sanctioning actions pursuant to s. 1008.32 and other authority granted under law.
History.—s. 24, ch. 2002-387; s. 1, ch. 2007-28; s. 71, ch. 2007-217; s. 173, ch. 2008-4; s. 11, ch. 2011-5; s. 40, ch. 2013-35; s. 28, ch. 2013-252; s. 4, ch. 2014-56; s. 6, ch. 2019-22; s. 24, ch. 2021-10; s. 3, ch. 2022-174.