On this week’s “Florida NewsMakers” program, Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart sits down with Sachs Media Group’s Trimmel Gomes to discuss the implementation of more rigorous education standards throughout the state.

With more than 30 years in public education, Stewart is now tasked with implementing significant changes to Florida’s education system. “I think we’ve got a lot to do in Florida; I’m up for that challenge,” she tells Gomes. One of those challenges is overseeing the rollout of the Common Core curriculum standards, which critics argue amount to a federal intrusion in the state’s right to manage its education system. “We will join hands and do everything we can to ensure that there isn’t federal overreach,” Stewart said. As the state moves forward, Stewart says it’s important for parents to become more familiar with the new standards by talking to teachers and finding out what will now be expected of their children.