Top DeSantis aide named next Florida education commissioner

The Florida Board of Education has tapped an adjutant of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to beryllium the state’s adjacent acquisition commissioner

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Board of Education has tapped a apical adjutant of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to beryllium the state’s adjacent acquisition commissioner, a prime meant to influence K-12 and higher acquisition policy successful the authorities portion bolstering a conservative legacy that could agelong outlast the governor's clip successful office.

The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to name Anastasios Kamoutsas, a lawman main of unit to the governor. The occupation opened up aft Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, a erstwhile Republican authorities lawmaker, was named interim president of the University of West Florida. Kamoutsas' assignment is contingent connected Diaz being named the imperishable president of UWF.

“Student information and accomplishment volition beryllium my apical priorities," Kamoutsas said. "Parents volition proceed to beryllium empowered. And teachers, you person my connection that I basal successful enactment of you.”

Kamoutsas antecedently served arsenic wide counsel and main unit astatine the state's Education Department, earlier moving to the governor's office.

“Stasi Kamoutsas has delivered connected important issues similar parental rights, schoolhouse choice, and warring backmost against extremist ideologies successful education,” DeSantis said successful a statement. “I americium assured that helium volition proceed to service our authorities good arsenic the adjacent Commissioner of Education.”

Kamoutsas is expected to assistance transportation retired DeSantis' blimpish acquisition agenda, from banning nationalist funds for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, to restricting however schools thatch astir contention and history, and dramatically expanding the state's schoolhouse voucher system, which provides billions successful nationalist funds for scholarships to private and spiritual schools.

Among those who lauded Kamoutsas astatine Wednesday's gathering was erstwhile Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran, who has overseen what critics picture arsenic the “hostile takeover” of New College of Florida. He's among the slate of Republican erstwhile authorities lawmakers who are present helming state colleges and universities.

“Every azygous large decision, I don't attraction if it was elimination of DEI, captious contention theory, opening schools, demasking students, changing higher education, Stasi has been successful that room, each azygous time,” Corcoran said. “And not conscionable arsenic a participant. He's been successful the country arsenic a leader.”

___ Kate Payne is simply a corps subordinate for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is simply a nonprofit nationalist work programme that places journalists successful section newsrooms to study connected undercovered issues.

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