Education: School Choice in Florida

Education: School Choice in Florida

In the United States, school choice programs provide diversified opportunities to guardians and parents who prefer to send their children to other learning institutions other than the assigned local public schools (EdChoice, 2015). The federal government and states’ authorities avail financial help to parents who prefer to enroll their children in private learning institutions. Assistance emanating from the USA’s government for this course include vouchers (permit students in public schools to study in private facilities), education savings accounts (allow guardians to collect public funds to support educational expenditures), personal tax credits, and tax credits. In Florida, the state provides a number of exceptional public choices that include Charter, Home Education, Open Enrollment, and Magnet Schools.

Controlled Open Enrollment

The state of Florida and the legislature recognizes the importance of an education program that provides an array of significant options for learners and their parents (Solodev, 2019). So as to promote and support parental involvement and ascertain scholars have access to a learning facility that meets schooling requirements, the Florida legislature has enacted statutes and laws which guides individual school districts to design a manageable open enrollment plan. A controlled open enrollment program enables school districts to develop learner’s school assignments by utilizing parents mentioned preferential system choice as the primary factor of consideration.

For the period between years 2017 and 2018, each charter and district school was required to adopt an Open Enrollment design that permits a guardian from any learning facility in the district in the state to register their children in any transport plan of any public school (Solodev, 2019).. Nevertheless, the charter schools and district schools capacity requirements must be recent and must be recognized on their websites (Solodev, 2019). This program also provides preferential treatment to a number of categories including children whose parents are military personnel, students who have been transferred as a result of foster care placement or a court’s order, and learners residing in the district.

Adults with Disabilities Workforce Program

This program applies to DeSoto, Hardee, Sarasota, and Manatee counties in Florida. Adults with Disabilities Workforce system supports students who are employed in a diversified work environment, and learners who receive the allocated employment services (Solodev, 2019). These categories of students are also eligible to apply and receive scholarships for studying at private institutions. Since its inauguration, the program has been on the frontline on ensuring that a maximum of thirty students in the four counties in Florida receives scholarships to study in private schools.

Nonetheless, applicants must meet a number of requirements. Legible candidates must have a documented type of disability, should be at least twenty-two years of age, but less than thirty years, and should be at the moment of the application be receiving instruction from a tutor in a private institution (Solodev, 2019). In addition, contenders must not be having a standard or special high school diploma and should be receiving permitted employment services at the time of application. Notably, if a scholar opts to participate, and is admitted by a supported employment agency, the learner must inform the Department of Education of this acceptance two months before the payment of the first scholarship.

Home Education Program

This program is primarily parent-directed and is considered as an educational alternative that meets the needs for systematic school attendance. In Florida, legislative laws protecting home tutoring and learning officially became functional in 1985 and are regarded as effective to date (Solodev, 2019). Today, there exists approximately 60,000 families and 85000 scholars under Home Education in Florida alone (Solodev, 2019). Guardians and parents have the rights to exercise authority on their children’s schooling patterns and are, in fact, determinant of their youngsters’ educational journey and the strategy for attaining their ambitions.  Learners have the opportunity to unveil new ways, explore various techniques, and study at their own pace, in any geographical position, and during any time. In addition, students under the Home Education program are allowed to enter higher education institutions and are qualified to participate in other education programs.

Magnet Schools

Magnet programs and schools provide a specialized course for learners outside the facilities’ typical attendance curriculums (EdChoice, 2015). During the 2017-2018 school year in Florida, more than 600,000 scholars partook activities in over 500 magnet schools (Solodev, 2019). These systems and syllabuses may include a specific topic or can focus on particular subjects such as technology, mathematics, business, foreign affairs, science, and even arts. As a result, a magnet educational facility is recognized as a normal elementary, middle, and a high school that provides, to all scholars admitted in that specific institution, a unique curriculum adept of attracting a meaningful number of learners of varied economic, social, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. On the other hand, magnet programs vary slightly from schools as the unique curriculums are provided to a target category of students as opposed to overall institutions.

Military Families Education Programs

This program applies to students whose disabled parents or guardians were or are current members of the United States Armed Forces operating in Florida or a foreign nation (EdChoice, 2015). The child is required to have an updated IEP or 504 accommodation orders whose duration exceeds six months. Students under this program must also be eligible for the McKay Scholarship Program (Solodev, 2019). The learners are granted opportunities to attend public schools of their preference (other than the one they are assigned) and can also learn and participate in a private learning institution.

Schools of Hope

This category constitutes of learning facilities under charter schools (Solodev, 2017). The programs are run by hope operators who attend to learners from one or numerous low-performing schools. Also, these types of charter schools are situated in the zonal areas of continuously low-performing facilities or within five-mile proximity of associated institutions.

Family Empowerment Scholarship Program- Florida

This program is a part of a voucher package and was enacted and launched in 2019 (Solodev, 2019). The plan was designed and developed to lessen the pressure on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program while still providing extended school alternatives for masses of low- and middle-income Florida citizens (EdChoice, 2015). This empowerment package is also considered Florida’s fifth school option and second-most-popular voucher program in the state.

In conclusion, Florida’s legislative body, in line with Education Acts, provides a myriad of education programs for not only students, but to their families too. State laws allow parents and guardians to choose public schools, private facilities, free tutoring, or even take advantage of homeschooling if a child attends an institution that requires improvement. Schools of Hope, programs for military families, magnet schools, home education, Adults with Disabilities Workforce Program, and open enrollment are among the packages available for Florida residents. In overall, Florida’s legislature still supports the emergence and expansion of more autonomous school programs and pushes for adequate funding to charter schooling endeavors.

References

EdChoice. (2015, February 14). School Choice in America Dashboard. Retrieved from https://www.edchoice.org/school-choice/school-choice-in-america/

Solodev. (2017, October 27). Schools of Hope. Retrieved from Florida Department of Education website: http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/other-school-choice-options/schools-of-hope/

Solodev. (2019, May 2). Family Empowerment Scholarship. Retrieved from Florida Department of Education website: http://www.fldoe.org/about-us