Nationally, the war between charter and district schools continues to rage. In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Education has proposed new rules for start-up grants that charter advocates say make it virtually impossible for new charters to open. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear last week vetoed a bill that[Read More…]
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Former Florida Tax Credit Scholarship recipient featured on national podcast
Denisha Merriweather, director of public relations and content marketing at the American Federation for Children and founder of Black Minds Matter, appeared as this week’s guest on the Ricochet Audio Network. Merriweather shared the story of how she rose from struggling student to national spokeswoman for education choice, discussing how[Read More…]
Independent Women’s Forum announces launch of Education Freedom Center to advance education choice
Editor’s note: This announcement was carried over PRNewswire to announce a new initiative spearheaded by the nonprofit Independent Women’s Forum, whose mission is to engage and inform women about how policy issues impact them and their loved ones. Independent Women’s Forum, a leading national women’s organization, announced the launch of[Read More…]
Report recommends how to craft tax credit scholarships program
One out of three students receiving a tax credit scholarship in the United States lives in Florida according to a new report from the Pioneer Institute, a free-market think tank based in Boston. The report, “Earning Full Credit: A Toolkit for Designing Tax-Credit Scholarship Policies,” by Jason Bedrick, reviews the[Read More…]
Kentucky governor vetoes permanent funding for charter schools
Calling them “wrong for our commonwealth,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday vetoed a bill that would establish funding needed to launch public charter schools. “I’m against charter schools,” the Democratic governor said at his weekly news conference where he fulfilled his pledge to veto House Bill 9, which[Read More…]
Almost 5,000 struggling Florida readers reaped benefits of Reading Scholarship program in 2020-21
Nearly $2.5 million in Reading Scholarships were awarded to 4,961 Florida students during the 2020-21 school year according to a report prepared by the state-approved scholarship funding organization that helps administer the scholarship. Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, disclosed that families spent about 82%, or $1.5 million,[Read More…]
Florida governor signs bill offering state K-12 scholarships to Florida law enforcement officers’ dependents
With uniformed sheriff’s deputies looking on, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed HB 3, a bill aimed at recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers with a variety of perks, including state K-12 scholarships for their dependents. “There’ a lot of great stuff in here, and I’m just proud that[Read More…]
Florida’s struggling readers flock to free book program
Editor’s note: Families can check eligibility requirements for the New Worlds Reading Initiative and enroll their children at newworldsreading.com. To read more about what Florida legislator Chris Spowls has to say about the program, click here. A $200 million effort approved in 2021 by the Florida Legislature already has shipped[Read More…]