Manny Díaz Jr. was born on March 2, 1973, in Hialeah, Florida, and he’s a well-known figure in the state’s education and political scene. He kicked off his career in education back in 1994, teaching social studies and coaching baseball in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. By 2007, he had climbed the ranks to become an assistant principal, a role he held until 2013. After that, he took on the job of Chief Operating Officer at Doral College, a private school linked to the for-profit Academica charter school operator.
Díaz started his political journey in 2012 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives for the 103rd District. While in the House, he chaired committees, where he was an advocate of expanding school choice. In 2018, he moved up to the Florida Senate, representing the 36th District. He was the Chair of the Senate Education Committee from 2018 to 2020. He led the Senate Health Policy Committee from 2020 to 2022, making a big impact on state policies.
Throughout his time in office, Díaz sponsored bills to broaden online education options, letting students take classes from different counties and boosting the number of private online education providers. One of his notable feats was the 2019 Family Empowerment Scholarship, which expanded publicly funded vouchers for private schools and became one of the largest school choice programs in the country.
In June 2022, Díaz was appointed Florida’s Commissioner of Education by the State Board of Education after being recommended by Governor Ron DeSantis. In this position, he oversees the Florida Department of Education, shaping policies that affect millions of students in the state. His time in office has focused on aligning educational content with conservative values. For example, in 2024, the Florida Board of Governors, with his backing, removed sociology as a core course at public universities due to concerns about where the subject was heading.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Diaz was against vaccine mandates and wanted to take a look at the current vaccine requirements for students. He also backed the 2022 “Individual Freedom” legislation, which many call the “anti-woke” law, though it faced some legal hurdles and was partially put on hold by a federal judge.
On the personal side, Díaz is a family guy, married to Jennifer with three kids. His life experiences, both personally and professionally, really shape how he leads in Florida’s education system.
