Florida school districts would be able to form networks of “autonomous” public schools operated by top-performing principals under a proposal released Tuesday in the state House.
The concept combines elements of two ideas already making their way through the Legislature. The House has proposed expanding the state’s existing principal autonomy program. Meanwhile, a Senate proposal would allow districts to create “franchise” schools.
The franchise concept would allow high-performing principals to adopt low-performing schools to help turn them around, while still operating their current schools at the same time.
The newest House proposal is set to come before the Education Committee Thursday morning. It would allow districts participating in the autonomy program to place principals in charge of not just one school, but an entire network of schools within the district. Districts would need to create an independent governing board to oversee the network.
The autonomy program already gives participating schools much of the same freedom charter schools receive under state law.
In other words, this proposal would essentially allow districts to create their own charter-like networks.
The 109-page bill is likely to get a good deal of attention. Some of the most significant parts would:
- Lift the limit on replications of high-performing charter schools from one new school per year to two. A change from last year, allowing unlimited replications if the new schools would target struggling communities, would also remain in place.
- Allow charter schools to operate their own training programs for principals. This resembles a change made last year that allowed them to run their own teacher training programs.
- Require school districts to go before the Division of Administrative Hearings if a charter school disputes a decision to terminate its contract. The current law gives school boards the option to conduct charter termination hearings themselves.
- Create new reading scholarship accounts, which would be funded in the state budget. This mirrors legislation Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville has introduced. The accounts would allow public school students who don’t pass the state’s must-pass third-grade reading assessment to pay for tutoring, summer school and other types of support*.
- Codify a proposal the House panel has already discussed, which would tighten oversight of private school choice programs*.
