Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. champions parental choice in education

Florida’s Voice | By Christina Schuler | January 28, 2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. reaffirmed the state’s commitment to parental choice in education during an interview on Florida’s Voice with Drew Steele.

He emphasized the importance of empowering families to make decisions tailored to their children’s unique needs.

“Florida is the place where parents can make the best decisions for their child,” Diaz said. “That’s what the governor believes. That’s what I believe, and we’re continuing to push that forward.”

Diaz criticized what he described as a long-standing belief that government and educational elites know what’s best for children, arguing that parents are the most influential educators in a child’s life.

“For the longest time, we were fed this thing that the government knows best,” Diaz said. “Parents are the number one teacher in a child’s life, and they know best.”

He likened the lack of competition in traditional public education to economic monopolies, citing examples from Cuba and the former USSR.

Diaz argued that competition among schools, including public, private, charter, and virtual options, drives improvement and innovation.

“When you have a monopoly, there’s no competition and there’s no improvements,” Diaz said. “Ultimately, [competition] makes our public schools better, it makes our teaching and learning better, and it provides a wide array of options for parents.”

Diaz also highlighted the diversity of educational needs, noting that many Florida families have children in multiple educational settings, from private schools to homeschooling.

“We have to get away from the thinking that public education means that it has to be provided by the government,” Diaz said. “Children are not widgets. Every single one of them is an individual human being that learns differently, thrives differently, and parents are the best judge of the setting that works best for that individual student.”

Florida has been at the forefront of expanding school choice options under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, with policies aimed at increasing access to charter schools, vouchers, and alternative education programs.

Diaz’s remarks underscore the state’s philosophy of putting parents at the center of education decisions.

“That’s the philosophy we maintain in Florida,” Diaz concluded.