MIAMI (CBSMiami) – One day after recommending Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. to replace outgoing Secretary of Education Richard Corcoran, Governor Ron DeSantis will make a stop in South Florida with both men.
Corcoran, a Republican former House speaker, announced last month that he will “return to private life” when his resignation takes effect at the end of April.
The State Board of Education needs to appoint a replacement to take over after he leaves at the end of the month.
On Friday, DeSantis, along with Corcoran, Diaz, and Senate President Wilton Simpson, will hold a news conference at Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School in Hialeah Gardens to talk about his recommendation.
Diaz has been a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and school administrator. He’s currently an administrator for Doral College, a private charter school.
He was elected to the Senate in 2018 after serving in the House for six years. He has held posts such as chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee.
Diaz, a vocal proponent of charter schools, has been a driving force behind the expansion of school-voucher programs. He’s also sponsored high-profile education bills, including two measures during the 2022 legislative session that were top priorities of DeSantis. One of those measures (HB 7) would restrict how race-related issues can be taught in schools and in workplace training.
South Florida’s teachers’ unions said they look forward to working with him.
“The Broward Teachers Union congratulates Sen. Manny Diaz on being Florida’s first Hispanic commissioner of education and we are hopeful that his experience as a teacher and school administrator will make him a fierce advocate for strong public schools. Under his leadership, we must ensure that our public schools are the strongest in the nation and that every child gets the education they need. To do that we must address the ever-increasing shortage of teachers and staff. I look forward to having a good relationship with the new commissioner,” Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco said in a statement.
“Despite our differences in the past, we trust that Mr. Manny Diaz Jr.’s appointment brings him back to his educational roots. He has publicly noted the tremendous achievements of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and we expect that he will help us build on those successes. As a former MDCPS teacher and assistant principal, he understands the challenges and opportunities of educating children in this community. We hope that he will become the champion that our teachers and para-professionals need and deserve,” said Karla Hernandez, President of United Teachers of Dade, in a statement.