Sarah Huckabee Sanders picks Florida official to ‘transform’ Arkansas education

“He is a proven leader in the fight to empower parents and implement bold education reforms under Governor [DeSantis] and we are ready to transform Arkansas education,” Sanders wrote in a tweet on Thursday.

Oliva has years of experience in education at the national and local level.

Since 2017, Oliva has served as Senior Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, a position with responsibility for public schools, school safety, early learning, and school choice. He remained in that role throughout DeSantis’ governorship and major events such as the 2018 Parkland school shooting, the effects of which linger in Florida schools.

Oliva recently helped Florida enforce some controversial laws such as « Don’t Say Gay » as state education officials press schools about possible LGBTQ policies they say could violate children’s rights. parents. Earlier this year, he also applied to become Superintendent of Schools for Miami-Dade County.

Prior to her tenure with the Florida Department of Education, Oliva began her career as an elementary school teacher and rose through the leadership ranks to become principal of two schools in Flagler County. Oliva then led Flager County Schools as superintendent for four years until she joined the state education agency.

Arkansas state lawmakers on Thursday approved Sander’s efforts to hire Oliva, with some calling him a « HomeRun » and a movement that goes « bringing the freedom of education back to the fore. »

On Thursday, Florida Department of Education officials thanked Oliva for her service.

« Over the past five years, Senior Chancellor Oliva has been a dedicated member of the Florida Department of Education’s leadership team, including as Acting Commissioner of Education, and his work has helped make Florida the education state, » the agency said in a statement. .