Florida Names Kelly Rogers Chancellor for Employment Division
Former U.S. Education Department official will oversee rehabilitation and blind services under a newly created division.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Special Education
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Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack appointed Kelly Rogers as Chancellor to oversee the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Division of Blind Services. Both divisions will fall under a new Division of Employment Opportunity and Independence.
Why it matters
Mack said ending the dual bureaucracy while protecting specialized disability and blind services is critical to the future of the Florida economy. The restructuring is intended to streamline how Floridians with disabilities are served by state programs.
Kelly Rogers brings more than 25 years of experience leading programs to improve outcomes for Florida's families. She previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education, and the source does not state the size of the programs she will now oversee.
The players
Henry Mack
Henry Mack serves as Florida's Education Commissioner and oversees the state's education system, including the restructuring of its vocational rehabilitation and blind services divisions.
Kelly Rogers
Kelly Rogers is a former U.S. Education Department official who previously led special education and rehabilitative services programs at the federal level and is the mother of an adult child with autism.
Florida Department of Education
The Florida Department of Education is the state agency responsible for public education policy and administers the state's vocational rehabilitation and blind services programs.
The details
Rogers stepped down from the U.S. Education Department in September before taking the Florida post. Mack and Rogers plan a listening tour with stakeholders, and feedback will help shape how the new Division of Employment Opportunity and Independence is established and implemented.
Timeline
September: Kelly Rogers steps down from the U.S. Education Department.
November 9, 2026: Rogers' appointment as Chancellor is announced.
In the coming months: Listening tour with stakeholders on the division changes begins.
Culture Shift
The move to combine Florida's rehabilitation and blind services under one employment-focused division departs from the state's longstanding practice of running them as separate agencies. It reflects a broader state effort to link services for people with disabilities more directly to workforce outcomes.
Floridians who use vocational rehabilitation or blind services may see their programs administered under a new division once the restructuring takes effect. The source does not describe changes to eligibility, service delivery, or how residents apply for assistance.
The takeaway
Residents who rely on Florida's vocational rehabilitation or blind services should watch for announcements from the Department of Education as the new division takes shape. Stakeholder input gathered during the listening tour may shape how those services are delivered.
What happens next
Mack and Rogers will hold a listening tour with stakeholders in the coming months, and that feedback will inform how the new Division of Employment Opportunity and Independence is established.
Further reading
For more on how states support students and adults with disabilities, explore Special Education coverage on Wisevoter.
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