Florida Education Board taps former House Speaker Richard Corcoran to be next commissioner

The former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives is going to be the state's next education commissioner.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to select Richard Corcoran, Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis' recommendation, for the job. Corcoran advocated for more school choice options and taxpayer-funded vouchers during his eight years in the Florida House. 

He finished his two-year term as speaker in November. 

Marva Johnson, chair of the Board of Education, said with a new administration coming aboard Corcoran is "the best leader to ensure a smooth transition, and to identify opportunities to accelerate progress along the way.”

More:If you like charter schools, you'll love Richard Corcoran; If not, buckle up | Gil Smart

More:Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis taps Richard Corcoran to be Commissioner of Education

DeSantis recommended Corcoran for the job earlier this month and he is expected to be as disruptive of a force in the Education Department as he was in the House.

As speaker, Corcoran muscled through the Legislature what critics said were measures to divert local tax dollars to charter schools, expand school vouchers, set up a process for for-profit charters to replace failing public schools and a plan to decertify teacher unions.

Two years ago, Corcoran openly feuded with Gov. Rick Scott about economic incentives.  

Three years ago, he led the House in a legendary dispute with the Senate over the expansion of Medicaid – the House adjourned three days early leaving the Senate alone at the Capitol.

Monday morning his supporters described Corcoran as an effective leader able to collaborate on policy issues with different stakeholders. Members of the business community, such as the Council of 100 and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said Corcoran was a skillful negotiator capable of bridging partisan divides.

Chamber CEO Mark Wilson said he and Corcoran have not always agreed on policy, especially about tax incentives to spur economic development.

“But we have violently agreed that education and quality workforce are the best economic development tools that Florida can invest in,” Wilson told the Board in his endorsement of Corcoran.

Representatives of the Tea Party Coalition and Common Ground, two groups opposed to Common Core and the state’s accountability regimen for schools — along with the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union — urged the board to conduct a nationwide search for the post.

But others said current Education Commissioner Pam Stewart was hired without one. She followed two commissioners hired after nationwide searches and neither lasted a year in the job.

Stewart will step down Jan. 8 when DeSantis takes office.

Her resignation was unexpected. In October, Stewart and the Board agreed to extend her contract for a year. She agreed to step down when DeSantis made the Corcoran recommendation.

The two share similar ideas about government spending, more school options for parents and support for the charter school industry. DeSantis campaigned on an increased focus on industry and vocational certification in high school and colleges, creating more choice options and directing 80 percent of the education budget into classrooms.

“Those are great, bold, optimistic visions on his part and I share his optimism. I share his boldness and I hope to able to accomplish that,” said Corcoran about the DeSantis' agenda.

While Corcoran thanked members of the Board of Education for their support, his long-time opponents, the Florida Education Association, held forth in a hallway outside the meeting to discuss their disappointment over his selection.

Fedrick Ingram, FEA president, said a public school teacher shortage of more than 2,000 is evidence that Florida has taken a wrong path in education. He said he hopes Corcoran's supporters are correct that the former speaker is committed to a collaborative approach as the state’s education chief.

“If Commissioner Corcoran is going to collaborate then he’s going to have to unwind a lot of what he has done to our public schools,” said Ingram. “If he is going to work with us then we expect that we have the conversation starting immediately.”

While reporters fired questions at Ingram, a Corcoran aide tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he could speak with the Commissioner.

In front of a water fountain and catty corner to a bank of elevators, the new Education Commissioner and newly-elected union president held their first meeting. The two agreed to get together to discuss policy after the holidays.

“It was a handshake,” said Ingram, when asked if the encounter was significant. “I’ll start there, and I’ll say that we want more. We want not only to be a voice at the table but to physically sit down with our folks and deal with a lot of these laws and policies. The last 20 years the status quo has not worked.”

Corcoran will succeed Stewart in January. He has yet to negotiate a salary. Stewart was paid $276,000 a year.

Reporter James Call can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com.