The Florida Board of Education, also known as the State Board of Education (SBE), is a committee composed of members appointed by the Florida governor to guide and direct the public K-12, community college and state college education in the U.S. state of Florida.
History From Reconstruction through 2002, the commissioner of education had been a Cabinet-level position, elected by the people and directly responsible for public education in Florida. The 1998 Constitutional Revision Commission proposed a rewrite of Article IV, Section IV of the Florida Constitution that reduced the Florida Cabinet from six elected officials to three. The voters approved the changes and it became effective January 7, 2003. The Florida commissioner of education became an appointed position and the Florida Department of Education became the overall responsibility of the governor. The revised constitution also created a new Florida Board of Education with seven members (one of whom is the commissioner of education), appointed by the governor. The Florida commissioner of education manages the day-to-day operations of the FLDOE. The current commissioner is Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas, appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 3, 2025.
Meetings The Florida Board of Education meets at least bi-monthly in Tallahassee; more often if issues require it. Public hearings are also held periodically at locations throughout the state.
Controversial regulations In 2021 the Florida Board of Education prohibited teaching about critical race theory or the 1619 Project in public schools.
In April 2023, the Board of Education extended the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, often called the "Don't Say Gay" Act, from covering kindergarten to third grade students into covering the entire range of kindergarten to twelfth grade. The regulation forbids teachers from discussing topics of sexual orientation and gender identity, except as part of reproductive health courses. The Board clarified that they did not believe that even their exception on health classes would come up frequently, as Chancellor Paul Burns said that "abstinence is the required expectation of what we teach in our schools".
In July 2023, the Board of Education approved a Social Studies curriculum with lessons on how "slaves developed skills" that could be used for "personal benefit." Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Jacksonville where she denounced the curriculum as whitewashing slavery and urged Floridians to "fight back" against "extremists in Florida who want to erase our full history and censor our truths." Two members of the work group who established the curriculum standards countered by saying the curriculum provides "comprehensive and rigorous instruction on African American History."
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas threatened to investigate and fire any teacher that posted comments celebrating Kirk's assassination.
Members Name Position Occupation First Confirmed Current Term Begins Current Term Ends Ben Gibson Chair Partner, Shutts & Bowen, Tallahassee March 8, 2018 07/14/2017 12/31/2024 Ryan Petty Vice Chair Technology executive, parent of Parkland high school shooting victim March 13, 2020 01/21/2020 12/31/2022 Esther Byrd Member United States Marine Corps veteran, wife of Secretary of State of Florida Cord Byrd Unconfirmed 03/11/2022 TBA Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie Member Radiologist, columnist for Angelus (magazine) Unconfirmed 03/11/2022 TBA Daniel P. Foganholi, Sr. Member Former Broward County Public Schools board member Kelly Garcia Member Teach For America alumna, education policy expert formerly with StudentsFirst MaryLynn Magar Member Healthcare executive, former member of Florida House of Representatives
Former members Name Occupation First Confirmed Term Ended Thomas R. Grady Insurance executive, former state Rep. March 8, 2016 12/31/2022 Marva Johnson President, Florida A&M University April 29, 2014 12/31/2021 Andy Tuck Citrus farmer, Highlands County April 3, 2014 12/31/2021 Gary Chartrand business executive 2011 12/31/2014 Roberto Martinez 12/31/2012 Sally Bradshaw political consultant 2011 October 2013 (resigned) John A. Colon 12/31/2014 Barbara S. Feingold 12/31/2014 John R. Padget 12/31/2012 Kathleen Shanahan 12/31/2013 Akshay K. Desai 12/31/2013 (resigned early) T. Willard Fair 2010 Roberto Martinez 2008 Phoebe Raulerson 2008 Kathleen Shanahan 2009 Linda Taylor 2009
See also
Florida Department of Education
State University System
Florida College System
References
External links
Florida Department of Education website