Could a Republican lawmaker from the Florida House become Miami-Dade County’s next schools chief? With about a year remaining before the current superintendent steps down, quiet efforts are already underway to position Rep. Alex Rizo as a potential contender. Rizo, a former charter-school principal and public-school administrator, confirmed the interest Friday night. “I’m getting four or five calls a day about it,” he told the Miami Herald. “I’m flattered people would even consider me for such an incredible position.”
Rizo stopped short of saying he plans to seek the job once Superintendent Jose Dotres retires at the end of his contract early next year. Still, the Hialeah lawmaker — who chairs an education subcommittee, owns a charter-school consulting firm, and previously worked as an assistant principal in the county school system — made it clear the idea appeals to him. “No serious discussions have gone on,” Rizo said. “If it would turn serious, I would certainly listen. I feel it is within the realm of public service to do something like that. … I am a public servant. I love what I do.”
The interest in Rizo comes after several Republican officeholders have secured top education posts under Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature. Last year, then–Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez was named president of Florida International University. Manny Diaz Jr., a former Miami-Dade state senator appointed education secretary by DeSantis, took the top job this month at the University of West Florida. Former House Speaker Richard Corcoran became president of the New College of Florida in 2023.
How much traction Rizo’s potential candidacy has remains unclear, though Tallahassee insiders have been talking about the push in recent weeks. It’s also uncertain when Miami-Dade’s elected School Board would begin the process of selecting a successor to Dotres, a longtime public-school administrator appointed superintendent in 2022. Dotres is part of a mandatory retirement program that requires him to step down when his contract expires in February 2027.
A close friend of Rizo on the School Board, Roberto Alonso, recently introduced legislation that would set hiring criteria for the next superintendent. Speaking in an interview Friday, Alonso praised Dotres and said the board should begin thinking about how a new leader could build on the superintendent’s accomplishments.
While Alonso did not endorse Rizo, he said the lawmaker is among several names being discussed as possible successors to Dotres. Others include Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas, Florida’s education secretary and a Miami-Dade schools graduate, and Jacob Oliva, who now leads the Arkansas Department of Education after beginning his career in Florida’s school system. “Is Rizo on the short list? Absolutely,” Alonso said. “As are other candidates.”
School Board member Luisa Santos said her focus is on ensuring the board conducts a wide-ranging search to identify the strongest possible contenders for the position. “I want to ensure we have a professional inclusive search that would lead us to the strongest candidate,” she said. “I’m looking for a leader who understands complex operations, that is a seasoned executive and who understands our community.”
Rizo began his career as a high school biology teacher and told the Herald he enjoyed the work so much that he abandoned plans to attend medical school in order to keep teaching. He later served as a vice principal in a public school and as a charter school principal before joining a private company that provides tutoring and after-school programs. He currently chairs the House Student Academic Success subcommittee. “I have served on education committees since Day One,” the three-term House member said. “I think Dade County schools has no challenger when it comes to excellence. … I think the school system’s best days are ahead of it. I really do. Given the right leadership.”
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