New Florida education commissioner wants to stay past DeSantis
Tampa Bay Times | By: Jeffrey S. Solochek and Divya Kumar | August 6, 2026
The big news: Education policy experts long speculated that Florida’s next governor will want to recommend his or her own choice to lead the state Department of Education.
They figured when Anastasios Kamoutsas, a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, resigned in July to become president of Polk State College, that was the direction things were headed. Then came DeSantis’s surprise endorsement of Henry Mack to the post.
Now Mack is talking about sticking around.
“Why I’m here … now is to provide stability and integrity and to double down on the great education agenda, which this governor has set, and again the next governor too,” he said Wednesday at a news conference in Tampa.
Asked about his top three priorities, Mack said he would “defer to the governor and the next governor too,” but added that he believed the state needed to “double down on choice, optionality and parental empowerment.”
”I think we need to really think about options for career and technical education, greater alignment between education and industry, and how we’re sort of breaking down those silos to accelerate individuals into jobs faster,“ he said. ”So optionality, choice, tailor-made programs for students, and I think figuring out ways to help students get into an occupation or job quicker.“
The State Board of Education has yet to approve Mack’s contract, though. When he was named commissioner, board chairperson Ryan Petty said terms were still being finalized. Mack notably walked away from an offer to become Broward College president in 2023 after being unable to settle on a contract.
Mack’s visit to Tampa marked a stark shift in tone from his predecessor, who often criticized Hillsborough school district officials and actions.
