It doesn't qualify as an exodus just yet, but the number of high-level officials leaving the Florida Department of Education continues to grow.

The latest to leave include:

• Sandy Cho, the department's chief strategy officer, sort of a second-in-command post to commissioner Eric J. Smith. Cho, who had connections to Smith through the College Board, left a week ago Wednesday without word where she was headed.
• Evan Lefsky, the well respected head of Just Read, Florida!, who sits on several state and national literacy advisory panels. He's headed to a district-level job in Lake County schools.
• Charlie Carraway, director of instructional materials. You might recognize her name as being involved in a flap over her opposition to evolution education. She's planning to teach in Wakulla schools.

They join former assistant deputy commissioner Cornelia Orr and deputy chancellor Pam Stewart in heading out the door. Stewart left to join the St. Johns' district administration, while Orr took over the helm of the board that sets policy for NAEP.

Unconfirmed buzz has commissioner Smith sniffing around too. (He's not been available to comment.)

Could any of this have to do with Charlie Crist's pending departure from the Governor's Office? A new governor surely could have new ideas for the state's education system. Stay tuned.