Florida offers more educational options to parents and students than any other state. The state’s charter schools, private school scholarships, and homeschooling assistance have all combined to threaten the financial and operational viability of the public schools.
Florida has seen a dramatic decline in the number of students enrolled in public schools. It’s partly the aftermath of the pandemic, which has affected schools nationwide. In Florida, however, the success of the school choice program has allowed thousands of parents to enroll their children in private schools and homeschooling.
“We need some big changes throughout the country,” DeSantis said Thursday evening at the Florida Homeschool Convention in Kissimmee. “Florida has shown a blueprint, and we really can be an engine for that as other states work to adopt a lot of the policies that we’ve done.”
Broward County is Florida’s largest school district and it may close up to 42 of its schools. In other districts, the school boards are looking at consolidating schools which has angered parents and students. Broward lost 20,000 students in the last five year while charter schools grew by 27,000.
Broward County Public Schools claim to have had 49,000 classrooms seats empty this school year. This is almost the same number as the 49,833 charter students according to an overview of enrollment.
Politico:
Broward’s leaders are being pressed by these enrollment swings to consolidate and combine dozens of schools. This would reduce the district’s operating costs. Some of these ideas have met with heavy opposition.
A recent town hall saw a crowd of nearly 200 people oppose a proposal to convert a Fort Lauderdale magnet that uses the Montessori teaching method, into a neighborhood elementary school. A sea of blue “VSY” shirts, representing Virginia Shuman Young Elementary, were worn by dozens of attendees who argued that the proposal would “disrupt” a highly-rated school.
Erin Gohl said, “You’re trying to create school community that will attract families,” during the town hall on May 6. Look at what’s in front of you — duplicate, don’t destroy and dismantle this amazing school community.
Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn shelved his idea to close 42 campuses. Instead, the Board has instructed him to shut eight schools by 2025 or 2026.
Allen Zeman, a member of the school board, said at a meeting on May 14, “If you wish us to provide exemplary education for your children and to create Broward County tomorrow, then you would like us to close campuses.” “And you would like us to use that money for your students’ education?”
How do you educate them? The public school curriculum is causing parents in Florida and all over the country to be upset because their children are not receiving a basic education. The standardized test scores have dropped dramatically and the absenteeism has skyrocketed. The public schools are struggling because they produce a product that is inferior to private and charter school products.
Public school administrators shouldn’t complain about inferior schools, but instead should look for solutions.
