6 days ago
DeSantis aide Anastasios Kamoutsas elevated to Education Commissioner
The Turlington Building, which houses the Florida Department of Education, stands in the foreground, with the Tallahassee skyline, including the Capitol building, beyond. Photo taken from the FAMU campus on Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Anastasios Kamoutsas, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis, received unanimous approval from the Florida Board of Education Wednesday to serve as the state's next education commissioner.
Florida's education commissioner plays a major role shaping education policy in a state that has drawn national attention for its contentious policies on library book removals, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
'If given this opportunity, you can rest assured that I will take the baton and continue to run the race,' Kamoutsas told the Board of Education Wednesday morning.
Education commissioner to leave post, become interim president at University of West Florida
He started at the Department of Education in 2019, serving as general counsel and eventually as chief of staff, before joining the governor's office in 2023.
DeSantis came out in full support of Kamoutsas Tuesday, saying 'Stasi Kamoutsas has delivered on important issues like parental rights, school choice, and fighting back against radical ideologies in education.'
The job opened after Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. was named interim president of the University of West Florida. He will take that job in July, making Wednesday's meeting likely his last as commissioner.
Kamoutsas' approval as commissioner is contingent on Diaz being named the official president of UWF after a search, board Chair Ben Gibson said.
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'A lot of times in these situations, we are taking somewhat of a leap of faith in having a commissioner come in, … Here we have an opportunity, members, I believe, to choose someone we don't have to guess, really, how they're going to perform,' Gibson said. 'And someone who's been in the trenches at every level of the department, has been involved in every major education decision that the state of Florida has made over the last six years.'
During the public comment period, political figures lined up to praise Kamoutsas, including Florida International University President and former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, New College of Florida President and former Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, former House Speaker Jose Oliva, and Broward County College President Torey Alston.
'If I had to use one world to describe him, I'd say he's relentless,' Oliva said, while others praised him for his work ethic and family values.
'What's been the gem that's been hiding in the background is coming public,' Diaz said, attesting to Kamoutsas' involvement in previous policies and actions by the department.
'He understands that history because he's been present for a good amount of it inside the department, inside the governor's office, but he's heard the battle stories from President Corcoran, from Speaker Oliva, from Chancellor [Ray] Rodrigues, from myself, so he understands the history and where we came from in this reform, and he's perfectly equipped and willing to continue it,' Diaz said.
In addition to pledging to fight for parental involvement in the education system, Kamoutsas appealed to teachers, too.
'Teachers, you have my word that I stand in support of you. Whether that's maintaining discipline in your classrooms or working with the governor on continued pay increases, know that I have your back,' Kamoutsas said.
The Washington Post reported in 2023 that Kamoutsas, who worked in the governor's office, was responsible for denying a pending promotion to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement attorney who advocated for the governor's travel records to be public. The attorney 'was not on our team,' the paper reported Kamoutsas as saying.
The push to hide details of the governor's travel records came before DeSantis ran to be the GOP nominee for U.S. president.
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