Sophia Salazar tried for nearly two decades to get her children into one of Broward County's most sought-after school choice programs.

Her oldest, now 26, didn't win the lottery for the district's Nova schools. She sent her second-oldest to private school. But when one of her children finally gained admission to the district's highly regarded partnership with Nova Southeastern University, she'd found a new first choice.

She started sending her three youngest children — a first grader, a fourth-grader and a sixth-grader — to the newest Franklin Academy charter school, which opened this fall in Sunrise, Fla.

"Franklin gave them a little more," Salazar said. She drives he children daily from Hollywood, in southeastern Broward, to the suburb near the western edge of the county. The commute, she said, is worth it. "If my kids are happy to wake up in the morning and be the first one here, that's how I know."

At a time when national charter school advocates are wondering how their movement can attract more suburbanites, Franklin Academy charter schools managed to thrive in the already-choice-heavy school systems of South Florida. In five years, the network overseen by the Florida Charter Foundation has grown to enroll more than 6,000 students on five campuses in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Its combined waiting lists stretch into the thousands. Plans are in the works to add a sixth campus — its first for high school grades — and to roll out International Baccalaureate programs.

The relatively young charter school network has gotten some high-profile help, including a facilities investment backed by retired tennis star Andre Agassi. It's caught on in part because it hits a sweet spot for parents like Salazar, providing a private-school feel with public-school oversight.

Daniel Sandberg, the principal at the new Sunrise campus, said parents come looking for one thing above all else.

"They're looking for rigor," he said. Sometimes, he added, they tell him: "School seems a lot harder here." (more…)

Charter schools. A new Duval charter school is part of a rising tide of single-gender programs. Florida Times-Union. A hospital proposes a charter school as part of an expanding medical complex. South Florida Business Journal. A Marion charter school finds a new location to start the school year. Ocala Star-Banner. A Hillsborough charter school is cleared in a state testing investigation. Tampa Bay Times. One of the first charter school bills is filed in the Legislature. Gradebook.

Top schools. Choice schools dominate Newsweek's rankings. School Zone.

Class size. Pinellas schools face a state investigation. Tampa Bay Times.

Teacher evaluations. A judge says no to a rehearing in a teacher evaluation lawsuit. Sun-Sentinel.

Budgets. St. Johns proposes a $150 million capital program. St. Augustine Record.

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Single gender. The Hillsborough District responds to an ACLU complaint. Tampa Tribune.

Tax credit scholarships.Sunshine State News reports on the latest evaluation of student results.

Digital learning. A Collier bring-your-own device policy proves popular. Naples Daily News.

Testing. The Lee County School Board discusses a district-wide testing boycott. Fort Myers News-Press.

Accountability. Brevard's superintendent discusses falling school grades. Florida Today.

Budgets. The Manatee school district faces an investigation into bond funding it could not account for. Bradenton Herald.

Campaigns. A "contract" between voters and five school board candidates stirs controversy in Collier. Naples Daily News. The Tampa Bay Times profiles a three-way race for an open school board seat in Pinellas while a columnist looks at a controversial incumbent in Hillsborough. The Tampa Tribune profiles a different Pinellas race, while the Bradenton Herald looks at one in Manatee.

English language learners. Pinellas looks to review its policies for students who need help learning English. Tampa Tribune.

Superintendents. Hillsobrough's MaryEllen Elia gets a contract renewal. Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Tribune.

Facilities. Polk County delays the release of impact fee revenue to the local school district. Lakeland Ledger.

Single-gender. Separate floors for boys and girls are part of the turnaround plan for a struggling Duval County school. Florida Times-Union.

Tax credit scholarships. The statewide teachers union calls on Gov. Rick Scott to veto legislation expanding eligibility for the program while reiterating myths about a failed constitutional amendment and referring to proposed personal scholarship accounts for disabled children as a "new entitlement." Sentinel School Zone.

Charter schools. The Pinellas superintendent outlines a plan to take over a charter school aimed at at-risk students. Gradebook. Tampa Tribune.

Course choice. Virtual education and course choice may hold promise for instruction in physics and other sciences, but policymakers should be aware of potential pitfalls, Paul Cottle writes at Bridge to Tomorrow.

Brown v. Board of Education. Civil-rights activists aim for equity and elimination of achievement gaps on the anniversary of the landmark ruling. Miami Herald.

Special needs. Exceptional education students showcase their talents in Wesley Chapel. Tampa Bay Times.

Funding. Palm Beach voters will have to choose between lower property taxes or funding for arts programs on their fall ballots. Sun-Sentinel. The district plans to spend up to $1 million on bus cameras. Palm Beach Post.

Valedictorians. Broward schools will keep the honorary titles for top high school graduates. Sun-Sentinel. A Palm Beach valedictorian is interested in neuroscience. Palm Beach Post.

Facilities. Leon County's schools superintendent acknowledges an FBI investigation in the wake of reports about the district's allocation of constructions contracts. Tallahassee Democrat. Largo High School may be poised for demolition, but the again building houses a rich history. Tampa Tribune.

Administration. Hillsborough's school district plans improvements after meetings with district employees. Tampa Tribune. Tampa Bay Times. A federal complaint against the Pasco superintendent is thrown out. Gradebook.

Testing. A fourth grader writes a song to rally students for the FCAT. Sun-Sentinel.

School safety. Teenagers are arrested after a gang-related incident on a school bus. Tampa Tribune. The family of a student shown in a video getting kicked by a police officer seeks an investigation. Palm Beach Post.

Employee conduct. A Palm Beach County guidance counselor faces DUI charges after getting stopped on the way to work. Palm Beach Post.  Lawsuits dog the Manatee County school district after a criminal case is closed against a former football coach. Bradenton Herald.