The state's top education official has been diagnosed with breast cancer, the Department of Education announced Thursday.
Education Commissioner Pam Stewart will remain on the job despite the illness, agency spokeswoman Meghan Collins said in a written statement.
"(Stewart) wants to emphasize that while her prognosis is positive, her diagnosis is the result of a self-examination and to remind Floridians to be diligent in their health care," Collins said. "We will provide updates over the coming months, but hope that you will respect her privacy as it relates to this matter."
The statement did not specify when the diagnosis was made. Stewart became full-time commissioner in 2013, in the middle of her second stint as interim leader of the department. She has steered the agency through a controversy over state education standards and the rocky roll-out earlier this year of a new standardized test.
