Florida — A national poll released in August 2022, revealed that 86% of parents want options for their kids other than the district-run school they are assigned to attend. This overwhelming support for school choice nationwide mirrors the views of Florida parents and lawmakers who have continually supported the growth and expansion of quality educational choice.
The Florida 2023 Legislative Session officially begins on March 7, 2023. This legislative session, the Florida Charter School Alliance (FCSA) will advocate on behalf of the charter school movement and the more than 362,000 students and families who have opted to attend a public charter school. In preparation for this year’s session, the FCSA surveyed member school leaders, volunteer governing board members, and other stakeholders to identify critical issues that they want lawmakers to address. Survey responses drive the work that the FCSA advocacy team, led by Ralph Arza, does during the state legislative session as well as throughout the year on a district/local level. The FCSA is also working with the team at Continental Strategies, led by Ambassador Carlos Trujillo (retired), this legislative session.
The FCSA supports per-student funding and teacher raises outlined in the Governor DeSantis budget proposal. We also welcome fair measures of student achievement and growth, and support policy that enhances accountability and promotes charter schools growth, replication of successful programs, and increased student/parental choice options and opportunity in the state.
Priorities identified by our member school survey include:
- Teacher Shortage / Certification Options
- Continued Safe Schools Funding
- Equitable Distribution of Per-Student Funding
- Balanced and transparent charter school application review and renewal process
In the survey, expediting the ESSER reimbursement process ranked among the top concerns. The FCSA team been meeting with key FDOE and district representatives to work towards a solution.
“During this legislative session, FCSA will work to ensure that charter schools and their teachers are provided with the resources needed to continue to raise academic achievement and provide a quality option for parents and students — especially those in high need areas,” said Lynn Norman-Teck, executive director of the FCSA and charter school parent.
Facts about Florida’s Charter Schools
For 26 years, public charter schools have been a vital component of Florida’s K12 public school system – providing quality education choice programs for families throughout the state. There are more than 361,900 public school students in Florida — making up 12% of the total public school population. Of Florida’s 3.4 million PreK-12 students, an estimated 47% attend a school of their choice. Click here for more charter school facts.
About the FCSA
The voice of the charter school movement in Florida, the Florida Charter School Alliance is a non-profit member-driven association whose mission is to improve student achievement and promote parental choice by advocating for, supporting, defending, and collaborating with public charter schools. While charter schools run the gamut from urban to rural campuses, municipal-run programs to exceptional students or drop-off prevention, classical curriculum to college-prep programs in high-need areas, all have a common thread – a steadfast commitment to raising the bar on public education and providing a quality education option to the children and communities they serve.