Florida Board of Education Confirms Anti-CRT, Anti-Communist Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. as Education Commissioner

April 29, 2022 Updated 12:24 P.M. ET

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Republican State Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. was confirmed Friday as Florida’s next Commissioner of Education.

Diaz Jr., from Hialeah, is replacing current commissioner Richard Corcoran, who announced in March that he is stepping down.

“Manny Diaz has done a great job in the Legislature on education issues ranging from teacher pay to parental rights and choice,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said of the senator. “I am confident that he will serve our state well as the Commissioner of Education.” 

Diaz Jr. has been in the Florida Senate since 2012 and championed legislation to ban schools from teaching that anyone is “inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.” 

Diaz also supported legislation creating the Charter School Review Commission, creating the proclamation on “Victims of Communism Day” and requiring financial literacy education in Florida schools. 

“It is an honor to be recommended by Governor DeSantis to serve as the Education Commissioner,” said Senator Manny Diaz, Jr. “For my entire career I have worked to improve the education system to serve Florida’s students, parents and teachers. I am excited to get to work continuing the mission of the Governor to make Florida the Education State.”

Diaz has also worked as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and school administrator. 

“His experience as a classroom teacher early in his career brought incredible perspective to his work on education policy in the Florida Legislature and that knowledge will serve him well as he leads the Department of Education,” Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson said. 

Diaz Jr. also garnered the favor of Attorney General Ashley Moody, who said that he is a “great man for the job.”