President Randy Dunn was announced as a top-three finalist for the Florida education commissioner position Tuesday. Dunn will interview at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.
Florida Department of Education spokesperson Kassandra Elekes said Dunn submitted his application last Friday near deadline.
The Education Commissioner is in charge of primary and secondary education, as well as universities and community colleges in the state. The new commissioner will be chosen Dec. 12.
The other two finalists include Charles Hokanson, an education consultant, and Tony Bennett, outgoing Indiana superintendent of public instruction.
Interviews will be broadcast live on the Internet.
Dunn said he had felt it wise to submit his name for the Florida Commissioner’s position in the final hours of the application window.
“I have shared publicly that, until such time the Murray State (Board of Regents) offers a reasonable contract extension, I would need to look carefully at select, exceptional career opportunities when they arise,” Dunn said. “I owe it to my own career path to keep all options open.”
He said the Florida Commissioner of Education job would be an attractive one for someone with similar background and experience.
“Because it’s a unified PK-16 system – combining elementary and secondary education with the Florida College System – it would be in my wheelhouse, having worked across those educational levels,” Dunn said.
Dunn served as state superintendent in Illinois before coming to Murray in 2006.