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Dr. Earlean C.
Smiley: A Fresh Voice in Tallahassee
Candidate for Florida
Senate District 29
Dr. Earlean Smiley is
employed as the Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction/Student
Support for Broward Public Schools, the sixth largest fully accredited school
district in the nation. She supervises all aspects of administration including
local, state, and federal programs, with an instructional and non-instructional
staff of approximately 800 employees in 29 departments. She manages a budget of $185 million within a
district operating budget of approximately $5 billion.
Smiley’s biography provides a glimpse into the
formation of her leadership skills. Born
as the third of four children to Mary and Fred Collins on August 2,1951, she
grew up in the “free state of Jones County,” in that part of south
Mississippi’s “Piney Woods” that lies between the opulent country club elite
and the impoverished cotton fields of sharecroppers. Smiley was an active participant in student
activities and held a number of leadership positions in organizations such as
Student Council, Delta Debs, Drama Club, and she was Recording Secretary of her
church’s Sunday School. This pattern for leadership continued through college,
where she was active in social justice issues and held class office during her
sophomore year.
Although her parents did not have the opportunity to
complete high school, they were adamant that their children would know the
value of an education. Pursuit of a
college degree was expected of Earlean, her sisters and brother. In fact, they were reminded of this regularly
at the dinner table.
With her high school senior year approaching and two
sisters in college it proved quite a challenge for her parents to send her to a
four-year college. Determined to attend college, Earlean applied for and
received financial aid based on her academic record. She left Mississippi to attend Dillard
University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she majored in Drama, Speech and
English. Graduating with honors early, after the first semester of year four,
she married and moved to Fort Lauderdale where she began her career as a
special education teacher at Northeast High School in Broward, instead of
making her debut on Broadway.
In the mid-eighties, Earlean pursued graduate studies
in Administration and Supervision at Nova Southeastern University, where she
received a Master of Science degree. In
1991 she earned her Doctorate Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the
University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. Dr. Smiley's tenure in education includes serving as an assistant principal; curriculum specialist (North Carolina); a TRIO Talent Search Director (Sioux City, Iowa); principal; and as an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University.
Smiley has been highly recognized by the community
for her accomplishments. This year she was honored as one of the Top 25 Most
Influential Black Women in South Florida; the NAACP presented her with its
Advocacy Award; Carrie P. Meek presented her with the Carrie P. Meek
Outstanding Leadership Award; she was honored by the Sistrunk Historical
Festival Outstanding Achievement Award 2007, and was recognized by the American
Association of University Women at its International Women’s Day 2006.
With the experience of an accomplished administrator
and the admiration of the community for her leadership and volunteer efforts,
Dr. Earlean Smiley is ready to bring her fresh voice to Tallahassee.
“I will work to ensure our tax burden is shared
equally; I will encourage a positive business development climate, and to
support this climate, an educated workforce; I will work to control our water
uses and explore all options; and I will work to remind all people that we are
more alike than different.”
Dr. Earlean C. Smiley
Earlean wants to hear from
you. Send her an email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Residence: Broward County
Occupation: Deputy Superintendent, Broward County Schools (2000-present)
Spouse: Roy C. Smiley Sr. (33 years)
Children: Roy C. Smiley, Jr., Qualeyleigh C. Smiley
Education:
- Ed.D., Curriculum & Instruction, August, 1992, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
Dissertation: An Assessment of Educational Resources in Small Rural Agricultural Public High Schools
- M.S., Administration and Supervision, May, 1984, Nova Southeastern University, Davie, FL
- B.A., Drama/Speech/English, May, 1974, Dillard University, New Orleans, LA
Born: August 2nd, Laurel, MS
Religious Affiliation: Baptist
Recreational Interests: Many
ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
- Florida Organization for Instructional Leaders
- Broward Principals and Assistant Principals Association
- Florida Association of School Administrators
- National Association of Secondary School Principals
- National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE)
- Leadership North Broward Graduate
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
- Delta Kappa Gamma
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| Roy & Earlean Smiley |
Roy C. Smiley, Jr.
Music Producer, Entrepeneur,
CEO
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Miss Qualeyleigh C. Smiley
Miss Junior Class Princess, PBHS &
Mr. "Pretty Boy" Smiley |
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About Earlean 
