Open the Books - Part Two

In 2012, Richard Corcoran wrote a Jerry Maguire-esque manifesto against government grifting. Unlike the fictional Maguire, Corcoran went on to betray his lofty proclaimed values. And Floridians pay.

This is the second article in a series. Read the first article here

“What is to become of an independent statesman, one who will bow the knee to no idol, who will worship nothing as divinity but truth, virtue, and his country? I will tell you; he will be regarded more by posterity than those who worship hounds and horses; and although he will not make his fortune, he will make the fortune of his country.” -John Adams

So begins the 86-page government reform manifesto penned by Richard Corcoran in 2012, when he was a freshman legislator in the Florida State House. In the ensuing years, unlike John Adams, Richard Corcoran would make his own fortune, not the fortune of his country.

Corcoran was prompted to write his “Blueprint Florida” after he had won the pledges of fellow freshman State Representatives to make him their House Speaker in 2016-18. Florida’ State Representatives choose their “senior year” House Speaker during their freshman term. It’s an odd practice, to be choosing the Speaker of the Florida House four years ahead of time. The freshman legislator who can make the biggest initial “splash” is crowned House Speaker four years in advance through pledged support from fellow freshman legislators.

The future Speaker’s 2012 “Blueprint” begins by asking if the reader is tired of politics as usual. Bemoaning how Florida state government doesn’t work for citizens, Blueprint author Corcoran writes “How can we explain how members who have served many years in both chambers and have been elevated to positions of great responsibility willingly trade significant policy achievements that would benefit Florida for trinkets sought by lobbyists.” How indeed.

Corcoran’s Blueprint laid out an agenda for his time in the Legislature. Corcoran offers that true leaders are “statesmen”:

First, for an elected official to serve as a leader, he must be a statesman. True “statesmen” operate only in the long-term best interests of the public — free from the constraints of self-interest and special interests. Instead of promoting ‘statesmanship’ the current system often promotes a status quo that embodies many of the attributes that cause the lack of confidence and trust that our citizens resent. Those who slip into the status quo model find themselves catering to the special interest - those with short-term interests and limited vision. This limited vision spirals down to a simple agenda of self-advancement driven by the special interest.

Corcoran’s talk sounded good. His walk is different.

The Florida Legislature Years - mid 90s to 2018

Richard Corcoran worked for various Florida state legislators in the 90s and 00’s, and spent five years as Marco Rubio’s Chief of Staff (Rubio was Speaker of the Florida House from 2006-2008). During that time, it was reported in 2007 that Corcoran was the highest paid employee in the Florida House, making $175,212.

The salaries of actual Florida legislators in the State House and Senate pale in comparison to a legislative chief of staff’s six figure income. Today (and for over a decade) our state legislators - Representatives and Senators - earn $29,697 a year. Being a Florida legislator may be a powerful role, but the salary doesn’t make it lucrative. Some legislators find ways to leverage their public positions for financial gain.

Corcoran began serving in the legislature in 2010 as a representative for parts of Pasco and Pinellas counties, and from 2012-2018 he represented parts of Pasco County.

True to their 2012 pledges, Corcoran’s colleagues made him 2016-2018 Speaker of the Florida House on September 16, 2015. His pro-public interest, anti-corruption and foe of special interests speech includes the following words:

”We must send a clear signal that public service is not a path to personal financial gain. We must end the practice of legislators padding their pensions. We accomplish this by banning elected officials from taking jobs in government, unless elected by the people, for a period of six years after they leave office.” [Empasis mine]

Note: If Corcoran had honored his six year ban on elected officials taking jobs in government, he wouldn’t have accepted an appointed government position until late 2024. Immediately after leaving the legislature, Corcoran became Florida Education Commissioner in 2018 and New College President in 2023. More on these roles later.

Special Interest Expense Account

As Speaker of the Florida House, Corcoran was notorious for shameless spending. The self-proclaimed foe of special interests lived high on special interest money. The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2017 that “a big part of the cigar-loving House speaker’s war against special interests has involved taking and then spending their money to fly on private planes, dine at pricey restaurants and buy thousands of dollars worth of cigars”. Corcoran’s spending included $400,000 on private plane travel, and an $8000 dinner at the Napa Valley restaurant “French Laundry”. Burning through $238,000 in five months, Corcoran entertained on special interest money while preaching an anti-special interest agenda.

New College portico (which used to be adjacent to a classroom and accessible to students) has become President Corcoran’s lounge area.

Moving from the Florida House to Education Commissioner 2019 - 2022

After leaving the legislature Corcoran moved directory into lucrative government positions, becoming Florida Education Commissioner from 2019 - 2022 and President of New College from 2023 to the present. Corcoran decided to forgo his proposed six year waiting period for elected officials before they accept government employment. Corcoran’s salary as Florida Education Commissioner was $284,280 when he left in 2022.

According to GovSalaries.com, in the US, a Commissioner Of Education earns an average salary of $234,843. The top 10% of earners, that is the 90th percentile, have an annual salary of $276,000, and the site says the highest Commissioner Of Education salary in the United States is $276,000. That would be Richard Corcoran’s pay as Florida Commissioner of Education in 2018. GovSalaries.com is behind in tracking Florida Commissioner of Education compensation, which far exceeds US averages.

Manny Diaz is the former Academica employee and state legislator who succeeded Corcoran as Florida’s Education Commissioner. Diaz succeeded Corcoran, serving as Florida’s Education Commissioner from April 2022 until May 2025, when he was tapped to be President of Univeristy of West Florida (where Diaz is now paid $643,000 a year.) Florida Education Commissioner pay rose from $276,00 in 2018 to $323,990 in 2024.

Flushing Third Grade Reading Proficiency Down the Toilet

As Florida’s Speaker of the House and later as Education Commissioner, Corcoran championed the complete privatization of Jefferson County Schools, turning the small Jefferson County school system over to the charter school corporation Academica. Corcoran termed his privatization plan “Schools of Hope”, a moniker indicating the intention to improve student outcomes in struggling public schools (like Jefferson County’s small school district). Academica took over Jefferson County schools in late 2016. Critics point out that the state’s performance criteria to qualify for “Schools of Hope” dollars were relaxed for Academica. The citizens of Jefferson County were not asked - they didn’t vote for the new Corcoran/Academica solution. Academica (aka Somerset Academy) was the ONLY charter school applicant for the Jefferson County Schools private takeover. State Representaive (at that time) Manny Diaz also worked for Academica.

Did Academica’s takeover of Jefferson County Schools improve student performance?

In his 2021 speech at Hillsdale College, Richard Corcoran pointed out that he considers third grade reading scores to be an important measure of a school’s academic success. I agree with him. By Corcoran’s own measure, his Jefferson County charter school privatization experiment was a failure.

Source: Florida Department of Education, Florida Standards Assessments Grade 3 reading, math 2017-2022

Reading proficiency scores cratered. In 2022, third grade reading proficiency fell to 19%, down from 28% in 2021. Academica (Somerset Academy) would not renew their five year contract with Jefferson County.

When a corporate charter school can’t cherry pick their students, when they have to take ALL students in a school district - there’s no evidence of better educational outcomes. If there were data proving charter schools produced better results, we’d all be hearing about it. Real public schools educate all children, not just the affluent or gifted ones. And when charters have to take all children, they don’t do a better job. In fact, they can do worse. Much worse. That’s what the Corcoran/Diaz Jefferson County schools privatization experiment showed.

Corcoran’s Jefferson County takeover was a bust. Corcoran got to move on to another educational experiment, but Jefferson County students didn’t get their Academica guinea pig years back.

Corcoran stepped down as Florida’s Commissioner of Education in March 2022. His departure was announced in a press release which claimed his exit was “planned”. But Corcoran’s exit came shortly after a Florida Department of Education bid rigging scandal became public in January 2022.

Jefferson County Bid Rigging Scandal

While Academica (Somerset Academy) was returning the administration of Jefferson County Schools back to Jefferson County officials, the Jefferson County school board was being strong armed by the Corcoran’s State Department of Education to use $4 million of their Federal COVID relief education dollars to fund a consulting contract. The specifications for the contract appeared to be tailored to assure the only bidder - MGT Consulting - would qualify. Prior to the consulting work bid request being announced, MGT has been in talks with the Florida Department of Education for at least a week. The bid request was sent to 25 pre-approved vendors, with only one week to reply. MGT Consulting was the only firm to respond.

Richard Corcoran’s former colleague in the Florida legislature, Trey Traviessa, is CEO of MGT Consulting. From 2008 to 2011, Richard Corcoran, his wife and Traviessa co-founded “Steps to Success”. Steps to Success was focused on “providing at-risk students the tools needed to succeed in kindergarten”. Traviessa served in the legislature (2004-2008) when Richard Corcoran was Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio’s Chief of Staff.

Jefferson County School officials were outraged over the state’s efforts to get them to put their COVID relief millions toward a consulting contract that the State was working to put in place. According to the Miami Herald, members of the Jefferson County School Board saw the bid process “as a way for the state to siphon more money out of a rural, majority-Black school district and into the pockets of the politically connected.”

Governor DeSantis pledged to conduct an investigation into the bid-rigging. The Florida’s Chief Inspector General did not interview anyone involved and sent the case to the Florida Department of Education Inspector General. The DOE IG report did not look at concerns with the MGT bid. The Miami Herald reported details of the bid rigging scandal. Read it here.

In August 2023 it was reported that a Federal Grand Jury was looking into the bid rigging involving Corcoran’s education department.

Next Up: New College and Padding the Pension

By becoming President of New College of Florida, Corcoran realized his own big payday and an avenue to a much larger state pension that those given to state legislators. Florida’s state legislators make less than $30,000 a year. The final years of one’s state paid salary determine the size of one’s pension, and all years of service as a state employee count toward the pension a state employee receives. Corcoran’s bloated $1.1 million New College compensation creates a huge lift in his Florida pension. There’s a growing trend in Florida college/university president hires with six figure salaries. Corcoran is joined by other former state legislators “padding their pensions” by becoming a higher education institution president:

• Former State Representative Fred Hawkins became President of South Florida State College in July 2023

• Former State Represenative Tommy Gregory became President of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota in April 2024

• Former State Representative Mel Ponder became President of Northwest Florida State College in November 2024

• Former State Representative Adam Hasner became Florida Atlantic University President in February 2025

• Former State Representative and Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez became President of Florida International University in February 2025

• Former State Representative and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz became President of the University of West Florida in May 2025

Richard Corcoran needs the New College Foundation to fund his salary

In the 2023 takeover of New College by the Florida Legislature’s former Speaker of the House, Richard Corcoran, it quickly became clear that Corcoran would eviscerate the institution and install his own team. One of his first hires was Sydney Gruters, former aide to Congressmen Greg Steube and Vern Buchanan, and wife of State Senator Joe Gruters. Sydney Gruters was hired to be Executive Director of the New College Foundation, with a salary of over $200,000 a year. Remember state legislators like Gruters receive $29,967 a year.

State Senator Joe Gruters praised making Corcoran the President of New College “I think it’s a lifeline,” Sen. Gruters said. “He makes things happen. He is so perfectly suited for a liberal arts college like New College. He’s the best hire they could have made in the entire country.”

The entire country. Really?

The New College Foundation raises money to support the college from private donors. In hiring Sydney Gruters as head of the New College Foundation, Richard Corcoran put an ally in place to raise funds to pay his $1.1 million per year compensation package.

Why?

The law in Florida prohibits any more than $200,000 of taxpayer funds to be used to compensate public higher ed president salaries. If a state college or university president is paid more than $200,000 a year, the extra money must come from private donations. Corcoran’s $1.1 million annual compensation requires $900,000 per year in private donations after the public kicks in the $200,000 legal limit. For Corcoran to receive his extra $900,000, he needs a New College Foundation Executive Director who is a supporter and on board with his salary needs. Enter Sydney Gruters.

Corcoran’s work to ensure the New College Foundation is friendly to his salary needs did not stop with hiring Sydney Gruters.

Last fall, the New College Board of Trustees changed New College regulations to allow Richard Corcoard to remove any New College Foundation board member without cause. Two NCF Foundation board members who were consistently asking for financial transparency - Susan Burns and Larry Geimer - were soon gone. Geimer shared with Suncoast Searchlight that after Corcoran was appointed, Geimer stopped receiving Foundation financial statements. Larry Geimer resigned. New College Foundation board member Susan Burns was removed by Corcoran without explanation just one day after the NCF Board of Trustees gave him the power to do so.

New College administration claims Burns was removed due to the results of a Foundation audit showing “operating deficits and cash flow”. But there was no explanation given for why Burns would be singled out for removal among the board members due to the audit. Burns’ removal by Corcoran is especially troubling given her calls for financial transparency, Corcoran’s personal financial interest in the Foundation providing $900,000/year for his compensation, and questions about whether Corcoran’s salary was (or is?) being improperly paid with restricted NCF Foundation funds.

What happened to the “Blueprint Florida” values? We deserve better.

Corcoran’s 2012 “Blueprint Florida” includes the following in its summary:

We believe the resources we have been given are the resources of the people. We will establish a record of prudence with these resources, returning to the people, year after year, a greater value for what they have entrusted to us. People will come to Florida to experience a renaissance of effective ideas and real results.

Corcoran and his Florida Legislature colleagues fail to embody the “Blueprint” values they proclaimed in 2012. There is nothing special about politicians who are bought by special interest money and are padding their pensions via college presidency appointments. Still, it’s worth revisiting the empty promises and who made them.

Poor outcomes matter. Corcoran is not “returning to the people, year after year, a greater value for what they have entrusted” to him. Third graders whose reading outcomes suffered, who were made guinea pigs in a Corcoran/Diaz Jefferson County Schools privatization experiment - they are real. New College students whose education was disrupted by a misguided, subservient, sometimes vulgar board of trustees, students whose intended Foundation educational funding appear to be paying an exorbitant salary for Mr. Corcoran - they are real. New College’s national ranking has dropped from 76 to 122 since Corcoran took over. Bid-rigging to benefit a former colleague fails to honor the resources entrusted to Corcoran by Floridians.

From where I sit, Corcoran’s education at the law school founded by the Christian Broadcasting Network - Regent University - is important (see “Open the Books - Part One”). This country has a history of following televangelists who are enriching themselves while amassing their flock and not necessarily walking their talk. Corcoran's political career looks similar to me - preaching a message of accountability and results, but failing to deliver and enriching himself along the way.

It remains to be seen whether the New College Foundation is operating properly, whether restricted donations are being tapped to pay Mr. Corcoran. Sydney Gruters must open NCF Foundation books to put concern to rest. Any foundation that exists to support a public school in Florida owes the public transparency and assurance that the institution they are fundraising for is being supported exactly as donors intend. Such transparency would be establishing “a record of prudence” with these resources. In his own “Blueprint Florida” words, Richard Corcoran owes the public no less.