Mourns the Loss

The education community lost one of its brightest stars with the passing yesterday of Deputy Chancellor of Educator Quality Dr. Brian Dassler. Please see below for the remarks Commissioner Stewart made today during the State Board of Education meeting:
Yesterday was one of the saddest days of both my professional career and my life. I am heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Brian Dassler. He joined the Florida Department of Education in 2013 and brought with him an unrivaled passion for students, educators and the field of education as a whole.
It is only fitting that he was scheduled to be recognized during this meeting for having volunteered 50 hours as mentor between July 1st and December 31st 2016. For Brian, it wasn’t enough that he spent countless hours encouraging students and providing professional development to educators in his official capacity. In his free time, he also mentored a student at Godby High School here in Tallahassee.
Brian was one of a kind. He was always the first to highlight the positive in any situation, and through his inherent goodness and relentless drive, he inspired others to go the extra mile and believe they too could make a difference.
For evidence of that fact, look no further than the position Brian held before becoming Deputy Chancellor – founding principal of a charter high school in New Orleans and the chief academic officer of the arts conservatory for the state of Louisiana. He went to New Orleans Post-Katrina – at a time when lifelong residents weren’t even sure they would ever return.
That was Brian.
He fiercely believed in the city and its people, and more than anything, he could not turn his back on a group of students and educators who had already been dealt one of the worst hands our nation has ever witnessed.
It comes as no surprise that the school and its students succeeded. And, in typical Brian fashion, he maintained the relationships he had built during that time and he returned regularly to celebrate in the achievements of his former students and colleagues who had seamlessly become friends.
Brian was always destined for greatness. Even in his first job, as a high school English teacher in Broward County, his impact was significant. He was one of the founding teachers of the Urban Teacher Academy Program and he was recognized as the county’s teacher of the year.
I believe he was able to achieve so much in his short 38 years because he never lost his desire to learn. Brian earned bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida where he has twice been named an outstanding young alumnus.
We are truly heartbroken. His loss will be deeply felt throughout the nation, and he will never be forgotten.