Florida Board of Education taps Paul O. Burns as interim commissioner
.JPG "Dr. Paul O. Burns, Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality, speaks during the first (at Miami Jackson Senior High School,) of three public forums at where Floridians will have the opportunity to offer public input on the recently revised drafts of Florida’s student academic standards in several content areas. Earlier this year, the Florida Department of Education opened Rule 6A-1.09401, Florida Administrative Code, for rule development to adopt or revise student academic standards for several content areas.on Tuesday June 01, 2021.")
Florida has a new top education official.
The Florida Board of Education tapped Dr. Paul O. Burns, a longtime administrator at the Department of Education, to become the state’s interim commissioner of education Tuesday.
Burns has been with the department for more than eight years, starting as Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality in 2018. Prior to that, he was a principal in Sarasota County Schools.
In 2024, Burns was promoted to Senior Chancellor, overseeing the Division of Early Learning, the Division of Accountability, Research and Measurement, the Office of School Choice, and the Office of Safe Schools, according to a release from the department.
The release stated that Burns will keep his chancellor role while serving as interim commissioner.
Kamoutsas, who is leaving to take a job as president of Polk State College, offered words of praise for Burns.
“For the past eight years, Dr. Burns has played a central role in implementing and advancing Florida’s education agenda. The Board made a strong and thoughtful decision in selecting him as Interim Commissioner. He knows this Department, understands what it takes to deliver results, and I am confident he will continue building on the progress we’ve made,” Kamoutsas wrote.
In a social media post, spokepersorn for Gov. Ron DeSantis Alex Lanfranconi praised Burns, calling him “the GOAT,” short for “greatest of all-time.”
Burns has played a role in some of the department’s biggest initiatives.
He helped form Florida’s B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) program, an alternative to Common Core previously championed by former GOP governor Jeb Bush. He played a role in introducing PragerU, a conservative media and education group, to Florida schools. Burns, who is Black, also pushed back on criticisms that the state’s new Black history curriculum whitewashes the history of slavery and oppression in America.
Burns earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas and received his doctorate from St. Louis University.
He will continue to serve as Senior Chancellor at the Department as well as Interim Commissioner, according to the release.