TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday tapped previous point out instruction commissioner Richard Corcoran to provide on the state college system’s Board of Governors.
The Board of Governors oversees Florida’s 12 condition universities and is tasked with these kinds of duties as adopting regulations designed to carry out point out regulations related to greater education and learning.
Corcoran, a previous Republican Property speaker, served 3 years as the state’s top rated instruction formal overseeing Florida’s general public-college and university programs. All through his time at the helm of the condition instruction section, Corcoran was a close ally of DeSantis on contentious troubles these types of as attempts to protect against faculty districts from enacting mask specifications during the COVID-19 pandemic and to bar important race theory from general public-college curriculums.
Corcoran also was a critical figure in the state’s decision to reopen schools in the early days of the pandemic, which DeSantis for the earlier two many years has touted as a important political victory.
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In March, Corcoran declared that he would be stepping down as education commissioner at the finish of April to “return to non-public life.” Point out Sen. Manny Diaz, a Hialeah Republican, will swap Corcoran as education and learning commission starting next 7 days.
“Like the relaxation of the nation, Florida’s school districts have had to weather some of the greatest difficulties they have ever expert above the past two years, and I couldn’t believe of a far better governor to provide,” Corcoran stated in a March 10 assertion saying his resignation from the commissioner article.
DeSantis reported the point out grew to become an “education juggernaut” and chief in innovation beneath the previous Home speaker’s leadership.
Corcoran’s March resignation announcement on the Office of Education’s internet site outlined a selection of “historic training reforms” attained less than his tenure.
The reforms involved the state’s “largest growth to educational choice prospects,” the Legislature appropriating history funding levels for public education and learning and the launch of a civics and discussion initiative for middle and substantial faculty learners.
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Considering that leaving the instruction put up, Corcoran has joined the Continental Strategy lobbying business. The firm’s site says that it specializes in “advising our purchasers on a broad assortment of troubles,” such as “analyzing U.S. guidelines in Latin The usa.”
Corcoran, an lawyer, is a graduate of Saint Leo College who gained his law degree from Regent University.
Rumors had swirled that Corcoran was angling for a task as president of a condition college, as a few universities — the College of Florida, Florida Global College and Florida Gulf Coastline University — at the moment are seeking new leaders.
Corcoran past summer time utilized to be president of Florida State University, drawing powerful media notice to the school’s look for for a chief. Corcoran’s candidacy drew opposition from college members who argued that he was not experienced for the occupation.
The university in the long run hired Richard McCullough, a previous vice provost for research at Harvard.
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Diaz is set to start off as commissioner on Wednesday.