Florida education commissioner confronts Alachua County School Board over conduct

State education commissioner confronts Alachua school board

Florida?s education commissioner made an unannounced appearance at the Alachua County School Board meeting Tuesday night, renewing scrutiny of the board?s behavior and one member?s recent comments on social media.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida’s education commissioner made an unannounced appearance at the Alachua County School Board meeting Tuesday night, renewing scrutiny of the board’s behavior and one member’s recent comments on social media.

Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas told board members the state has been monitoring their actions for months. 

What we know:

Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas made an unannounced visit to the Alachua County School Board’s Tuesday night meeting, continuing a months-long review of the board’s conduct. 

The state previously ordered the district to revise its public comment policy and undergo First Amendment training after reports of unprofessional behavior. 

Kamoutsas told board members that scrutiny would continue and emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism.

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The latest controversy involves Vice Chair Tina Certain, who faced backlash for posting comments critical of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his death. The commissioner accused her of damaging the district’s reputation through "selfish acts."

What we don't know:

It remains unclear what specific disciplinary or administrative actions, if any, the state may take against Certain or the school board as a whole. It is also unknown whether the State Board of Education could move toward formal sanctions when it meets in November, where Kamoutsas vowed to question Certain directly.

The backstory:

The Alachua County School Board has been under the state’s watch since August, when Kamoutsas first warned members about unprofessional conduct and meeting decorum issues. 

That warning came after public disputes and concerns about how board members handled citizen input. Since then, the board has made policy changes and completed state-mandated training meant to ensure adherence to constitutional standards during meetings.

The Big Picture

The situation highlights a growing tension between local school boards and state education officials in Florida. In recent years, state leaders have increased their oversight of local districts on issues ranging from curriculum to governance. The debate in Alachua County now touches on questions of free speech, accountability, and the limits of state authority in local school affairs.

What they're saying:

Kamoutsas criticized the board for failing to demonstrate restraint. "One would expect that at a minimum, the board would proceed with caution and professionalism," he said.

He also rebuked Certain directly: "Think. How do your words impact students? How do they impact the employees, and the staff, and the teachers in the Alachua County school district?"

Certain defended herself during the meeting, saying, "I made [the post] in my personal capacity on a Sunday afternoon with my personal device… Some folks may agree with it, and some folks, as I see, did not agree with that — but those are my feelings. I didn’t purport to speak for you."

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In a previous statement, she said she had "no plans to resign," adding, "We should be able to condemn violence without rewriting history or silencing critiques of [Kirk’s] rhetoric."

Community members also rallied to her defense. "Yes, some remarks are in poor taste, but that is not cause for a governor or a state board to wield the power to silence those whose views they dislike," said resident Rock Abujudae. Another attendee, Amy Trask, said, "Please know we stand with you."

What's next:

Kamoutsas said the state’s oversight of the district is not over and pledged to further question Certain at the State Board of Education meeting in November.