This is the Florida Department of Education Commissioner of Education’s blog.
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Commissioner's Blog 
The information that has been provided about the school data is informative and greatly appreciated. However, I have concerns about the Florida Education policy that effects the jobs of the current ESE teachers. I find it disturbing that ESE teachers that has been employeed in the system for numerous of years are losing their jobs due to certification issues. The most disturbing part is they are being replaced by long term substitues or other teachers that are less qualified. Those kids require more intensive instruction and attention than any other students in the school system. They also bring more federal money in the schools than the regular education student, therefore my concerns brings up these questions. Is the Florida Education System giving up on our kids with disabilities and allowing them to be left behind? Why are the experienced ESE teacher not being offered classes to become certified at the state’s expenses and keeping their jobs or being grandfathered in? Why are the regular education teachers that teaches those same kids not required to be ESE certified? Why aren’t the effectiveness of the teacher to make a different in these students that are challenged not being considered? Is firing those teachers catering to the needs of the students or saving the state money? Have anyone in those high offices at Florida Depoartment of Education walked in the shoes of an ESE teacher to undersatand the day-to-day task of working to make a difference in those student? I can not help but be a little upset because I have a passion for ESE students and the Florida Education System has set them up for failure once again. In ending, I would like for the commisioner to take at a look at the DATA for the turn-over rate for teachers and staff members in the Florida’s Excecptional Student Education departments and openly address those issues as well, because our motto is, No Child Left Behind, and the new policy that are eliminating the experienced teachers are causing many of our ESE students to be just that “Left Behind,” even more.
As the Teacher Liaison for the Florida Department of Education, I can tell you that our goal is to see all of our students succeed to their full potential. In response to the movement for inclusion classrooms, Florida colleges and universities are now requiring their education students to take multiple ESE courses. This is ensuring that our beginning teachers are prepared to handle the needs of ESE students. Four years ago, I was asked by my administration to take the ESE exam at my own expense to become certified so that I may teach those students with IEP’s in my regular classroom; as there were not enough ESE certified teachers to offer the Co-Teacher model in my classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the ESE students and felt that it gave me a better understanding of how to individualize instruction for all of my students. I believe this is the quintessential definition of Differentiated Instruction.