Sen. Manny Diaz

Following through on a recommendation from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the State Board of Education on Friday appointed Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. as Florida’s next education commissioner. Diaz, a Hialeah Republican, will replace Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who is stepping down effective Sunday.

Soon-to-be Education Commissioner Manny Diaz has worn many hats in his career, starting with teaching geography, history, social studies and psychology at public high schools in Miami. Today, he’s a Republican state Senator from Hialeah and works as the Vice President of Finance for Doral College. Diaz is also a staunch supporter of school choice which he says is falsely equated as being against public schools.

Soon-to-be Education Commissioner Manny Diaz has worn many hats in his career, starting with teaching geography, history, social studies and psychology at public high schools in Miami. Today, he’s a Republican state Senator from Hialeah and works as the Vice President of Finance for Doral College. Diaz is also a staunch supporter of school choice which he says is falsely equated as being against public schools.

Florida's school choice programs are set to allow more students in and families will likely receive more money under plans approved by the legislature. There will also be fewer programs to choose from, a move supporters say streamlines the process and makes it easier for families to navigate.

Florida lawmakers want to expand school choice, but what that will look like remains uncertain. The House is nearing a vote on its plan while the Senate is expected to take up its version Wednesday. Still the two chambers remain far apart.

Democratic efforts to slow a planned consolidation of the state's school choice programs failed Thursday. The proposal would merge the state's five school choice programs into two, and transform them into education savings accounts. The measure is a top priority for Republicans.

State Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah Gardens, has been at the forefront of school choice issues in recent years. This time around he’s pitching a big one: a plan to consolidate the state’s five school choice programs into two. The measure also changes HOW those programs would be funded, and that’s where Democrats are drawing the line.

Florida lawmakers will deal with the pandemic’s impact on education when they reconvene in Tallahassee in March. Among the issues: a steep drop in student attendance, growing concerns about learning losses and a Republican effort to consolidate the state’s school choice programs.

On the eve of the Florida legislature’s organizational session, influential Republican Senator Manny Diaz talked about COVID-19 protocols, the 2020 election, and more. He’s also eyeing a key leadership position down the road.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has apparently dropped a monkey wrench on his potential success in winning over Florida’s Cuban voter bloc. In an interview with…