Who will be Florida's next education commissioner?
The big story: Floridians won't have to wait long to find out who will be Florida's next education commissioner.
State Board of Education chairperson Ben Gibson has added an item to the board's June 4 agenda for a discussion on how to replace Manny Diaz Jr., who was chosen to lead the University of West Florida earlier this week.
Speculation is running high among education advocates and activists as to who might take the commissioner post, which lately has been a high profile bully pulpit for Gov. Ron DeSantis' agenda including support for vouchers and opposition to diversity programs. Florida has been among the acknowledged leaders in setting the national education agenda for several years.
But only a few names have circulated, with one DeSantis staffer — deputy chief of staff Anastasios Kamoutsas — getting mentioned frequently.
The board agenda gives no clues, as it includes no attachments for 'Consideration of the Appointment of Commissioner of Education.' Gibson did not respond to an email asking who might be under consideration.
The State Board, which is filled with DeSantis appointees, is responsible for choosing the commissioner. Before DeSantis took office, the board would hold national searches for the job, taking the governor's advice into consideration.
That process ended after the brief tenure of Tony Bennett, who came to Florida from Indiana's top education post in 2012 and left under a cloud less than a year later. Since then, the board has not held searches, instead looking to internal candidates or relying on the governor's choices.
UF president search: Conservative opposition to the appointment of Santa Ono to lead the University of Florida gained steam, with Donald Trump Jr. the latest to join in. • Pushback against the selection of Marva Johnson, a DeSantis ally chosen as Florida A&M University's next president, continued to grow, WFSU reports.
Student nutrition: With classes ending, Florida school districts are ramping up their summer food programs, Spectrum 13 reports.
New schools: The Bay County school district plans to rebuild its K-8 school that serves the Tyndall Air Force Base, WMBB reports.
Medical school: Tallahassee leaders are looking to the USF-Tampa General Hospital model for a possible future of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare connected to FSU, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Hurricane aftermath: Fort Myers Beach officials and residents discussed the future of the city's elementary school, which has not been used since being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022, WGCU reports.
Charter schools: An Alachua County charter school is appealing the school district's decision to rescind its contract, WCJB reports.
Don't miss a story. Here's a link to yesterday's roundup.
Before you go ... The Scripps National Spelling Bee is under way, with the finals set for tonight. Here's a flashback to winning Tampa speller Bruhat Soma's amazing spell-off from last year. This year, the region's contestant didn't make the finals.
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