The good news about Florida’s charter school growth
Florida’s charter schools grew by more than 15,000 students this school year. And new research suggests their steady growth might help students in district schools. In recent years, charter schools in our state have scored under-the-radar policy wins, clearing away barriers to their growth and inching closer to funding parity...OUR LATEST
The renowned New York charter school operator Success Academy moved a step closer to opening new schools in Florida. READ MORE
The celebrated New York City charter school network is considering its first expansion beyond the Big Apple. READ MORE
Somewhere around four years ago, public school systems around the country began “temporarily” shutting down as a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States had a plan, an allegedly... READ MORE
Cooper Campen is the spelling bee champion of Alachua County who plays the trumpet, reads John Grisham novels, and would like to be a mechanical engineer. Or a doctor.... READ MORE
Gov. Mark Gordon signed legislation creating education savings accounts in the Equality State. READ MORE
The latest national and state-by-state Catholic school enrollment numbers are out. Florida is up, while the nation is flat. READ MORE
For years, Florida’s online schools have grappled with a logistical challenge: Getting their students to the campuses of brick-and-mortar schools, operated by school districts, to take their standardized tests. READ MORE
The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s instigated an enormous Russian baby bust. Geopolitical analysts Peter Zeihan predicted in a 2014 book that Russia would invade Ukraine... READ MORE
CLEARWATER – On the desk inside Emma Coto’s bedroom is a sign that says, “This Girl Can.” That’s as good of a place as any to begin this story because... READ MORE
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LEARNING SPOTLIGHTS
A student with many interests has many options thanks to his Personalized Education Program
Cooper Campen is the spelling bee champion of Alachua County who plays the trumpet, reads John Grisham novels, and would like to be a mechanical engineer. Or a doctor. Or a lawyer. He is 12 years old, a young man of many interests. Science. History. Music. Words. And this:... READ MORE
CLEARWATER – On the desk inside Emma Coto’s bedroom is a sign that says, “This Girl Can.” That’s as good of a place as any to begin this story because... READ MORE
APOPKA – The days were long when the family lived up north, when Maria Alvaracin and her husband, Fernando Ramirez, worked two and sometimes three jobs each in one... READ MORE
IDEAS & INNOVATIONS
Blazing Stars, blazing trails
DADE CITY, Fla. – LaTania Scott and Kameeka Shirley were former public school teachers who wanted something different when they opened their own school in January 2023. Something … authentically Montessori … accessible to families from all walks of life … embedded with the autonomy that’s often missing from traditional... READ MOREBuilding a bridge to the 21st century nowhere
In 2005, the Alaskan Congressional delegation created a national controversy when they attempted to secure $398,000,000 to build a bridge to an island with 50 inhabitants. Known as “the Bridge to Nowhere” this effort lingered on until Congress finally halted it in 2011. The islanders continued to make do... READ MORE
An episode of Paul MM Cooper’s outstanding documentary podcast series “The Fall of Civilizations” recounts the history of Carthage, which includes details of wars fought between the Carthaginians and Syracuse... READ MORE
U.S. public education has had three primary eras. The first era reflected the needs of a sparsely populated rural agrarian society. Most children were homeschooled and literacy focused primarily on... READ MORE
DADE CITY, Fla. – LaTania Scott and Kameeka Shirley were former public school teachers who wanted something different when they opened their own school in January 2023. Something … authentically... READ MORE
As we prepare to say goodbye to 2023, it is worth noting what an extraordinary year it was for parental choice advocates. As recently as 2022, no states had statewide... READ MORE
If 2023 could be summed up in a single word, it would be transformation. Florida lawmakers passed House Bill 1, which expanded education choice eligibility to all students in the... READ MORE
Last year, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Carson v. Makin said excluding schools from choice programs solely because they teach religion violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. The... READ MORE
The story: As legal challenges to the wave of newly adopted education choice laws wind through the courts, a judge just handed New Hampshire a big win. On Tuesday, the... READ MORE
The story: After two court victories in the 1990s, Wisconsin, the national birthplace of modern-era school choice, now faces a court challenge that, if successful, could send more than 60,000... READ MORE
Kate Streets wants to be Jane Goodall when she grows up. “I have always wanted to work with animals that you can actually touch and play with and have a... READ MORE
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