ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doug Tuthill
My background story
What I did before joining Step Up For Students
What do I do on my day off?
How to reach out?
04/22/24 | Doug Tuthill
Education Choice and Learning by Doing
After we finished recording an interview about homeschool families using state funds to pay for educational activities at Florida theme parks, a TV reporter told me her most interesting day...
READ MORE
04/15/24 | Doug Tuthill
U.S. public education became more diverse and inclusive in 1925
The Ku Klux Klan helped pass an amendment to the Oregon constitution in 1922 requiring that all students attend Protestant-controlled schools operated by local governments. The primary target of this...
READ MORE
02/06/24 | Doug Tuthill
The transition to the third era of US public education has begun
U.S. public education has had three primary eras. The first era reflected the needs of a sparsely populated rural agrarian society. Most children were homeschooled and literacy focused primarily on...
READ MORE
03/20/23 | Doug Tuthill
podcastED: Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill talks with New Hampshire education choice pioneer Kate Baker Demers
On this episode, Tuthill interviews Demers, who started the Children’s Scholarship Fund in New Hampshire, and has worked tirelessly as its executive director for the establishment of a tax credit...
READ MORE
06/21/22 | Doug Tuthill
SUFS president Doug Tuthill on new DeVos book, how the former education secretary exhibits grace under pressure
Former US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a new book today called Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child. I’ve read...
READ MORE
01/27/22 | Doug Tuthill
National teacher union leader wants to have a different conversation. Me too.
Editor’s note: This commentary from Step Up For Students president Doug Tuthill explores why education choice advocates are working hard to improve public education. The education news site, The 74,...
READ MORE
11/10/21 | Doug Tuthill
Word for word: SUFS president on expansion of education choice in Florida
Editor’s note: Step Up For Students president Doug Tuthill appeared last week before the Florida House of Representatives’ Pre-K – 12 Education Appropriations Subcommittee to answer questions about how state...
READ MORE
04/26/21 | Doug Tuthill
Florida Legislature is normalizing, expanding access to education choice
The Florida House and Senate have sent Gov. Ron DeSantis legislation that will continue normalizing and expanding access to choice in public education. Florida began expanding access to education choice...
READ MORE
03/02/21 | Doug Tuthill
Florida Legislature heads into historic session
The 175-year-old Florida Legislature, which turns 176 on May 26, reconvenes today for its annual 60-day legislative session. The largest global pandemic since 1918 has played havoc with the state’s...
READ MORE
02/17/21 | Doug Tuthill
Further evidence that Florida’s lower-income students will benefit from access to ESAs
There are many important policy improvements in Florida Senate Bill 48, the innovative education choice legislation sponsored by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. that is receiving so much national attention. But...
READ MORE
01/25/21 | Doug Tuthill
Much to celebrate in Florida as school choice is recognized nationwide
National School Choice Week kicked off Sunday and will continue through this Saturday. This year’s celebration is especially meaningful for Step Up For Students given it coincides with our 20th...
READ MORE
09/04/20 | Doug Tuthill
Black students need empowerment and support, not white paternalism
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision and the 1968 conflict between the white New York City teachers union and the Black Ocean Hill-Brownsville community were historic events....
READ MORE
09/02/20 | Doug Tuthill
The 1960s leftist rationale for education choice is rising from the dead
As I talk with parents and educators who are struggling to create safe and effective learning options for their students, I’m taken with how many are revisiting the left-wing education...
READ MORE
08/20/20 | Doug Tuthill
How should state and local officials regulate parent teachers?
State and local officials in Florida are discussing how to best regulate parents who are facilitating learning pods, homeschooling cooperatives and micro-schools that satisfy Florida’s mandatory school attendance law. For...
READ MORE
08/06/20 | Doug Tuthill
The evolving public education market
Public education has historically been a poorly managed, underperforming market. The pandemic is driving changes that could, over time, lead to market improvements that will benefit families, students, educators and...
READ MORE
07/28/20 | Doug Tuthill
Is it time for Blueprint 2030?
In 1991, the Florida Legislature passed, and Gov. Lawton Chiles signed, Blueprint 2000: The Education Reform and Accountability Act. The purpose of Blueprint 2000 was to restructure how Florida’s public...
READ MORE
07/08/20 | Doug Tuthill
Facts are the best vaccine for excessive negativity
Let’s start with a quiz. 1. In all low-income countries across the world today, how many girls finish primary school? A. 20 percent B. 40 percent C. 60...
READ MORE
01/07/20 | Doug Tuthill
Are teacher unions putting profits before people?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Securities and Exchange Commission is examining the for-profit business practices of Florida’s teacher unions and their for-profit business partners. The Journal reported recently...
READ MORE