Florida school district sees charter schools as ally in managing rapid growth
Suzanne Legg had a problem. She had co-founded her county’s first charter school. Classes had barely begun, and already student behavior was causing serious issues. As a first-time charter school...
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States and cities: the next battlegrounds for education freedom
Last year, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Carson v. Makin said excluding schools from choice programs solely because they teach religion violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. The...
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New Hampshire judge rejects teachers union challenge to Education Freedom Accounts Program
The story: As legal challenges to the wave of newly adopted education choice laws wind through the courts, a judge just handed New Hampshire a big win. On Tuesday, the...
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Brewer owner’s lawsuit looks to capitalize on Badger State’s new court and attack school choice options
The story: After two court victories in the 1990s, Wisconsin, the national birthplace of modern-era school choice, now faces a court challenge that, if successful, could send more than 60,000...
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Chimpanzees and sewing lessons: Flexible scholarship fuels Florida student’s unconventional education
Kate Streets wants to be Jane Goodall when she grows up. “I have always wanted to work with animals that you can actually touch and play with and have a...
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Florida Senate’s deregulation push targets third-grade retention, testing and turnarounds
A provision that made Florida a national literacy leader 20 years ago could be repealed in an effort to ease the regulatory burden on Florida’s school districts. A state Senate...
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Two ed choice giants join forces to defend families’ freedom as ESAs usher in new era
The school choice movement has entered a new era. A clear signal of that came today with the announcement that Institute for Justice, the national public interest law firm...
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Q & A: How a veteran home school educator helps West Virginians create customized learning plans for their children
For families in states that allow parents to use scholarships to customize their children’s education, the opportunities can be exciting. However, the plethora of choices can also make the process...
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Award-winning science teacher and STREAM program credited for Catholic school’s success
Step onto the campus of Christ the King Catholic School, and you’ll find STEM everywhere. The first graders are raising chickens to provide eggs for the school cafeteria. The second...
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South Carolina becomes latest battleground in fight over school choice
Add South Carolina to the list of states whose education choice scholarship programs are facing court challenges. The state teachers’ union, along with the state NAACP and six parents, has...
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Federal proposal would bring school choice to families in all 50 states
As a fifth grader, Hera Varmah struggled with English. One of 12 children of immigrant parents, it made her question her own intelligence. “Growing up, I never thought I was...
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Oklahoma religious charter school case divides GOP, school choice movement
The story: Oklahoma’s top lawyer, who already warned state officials about the constitutionality of a faith-based charter school, has now jumped into the legal fray. Attorney General Gentner Drummond sued...
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Unique Alaska program stirs education choice legal battle
What started in 1939 to ensure students in even the most remote areas of Alaska got access to public education is now at the center of a court battle over...
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Florida’s top education leader seeks to unify school choice movement
ORLANDO — Joining forces to form a powerful movement was the theme as the Florida Charter School Conference and School Choice Summit kicked off Wednesday. For the first time,...
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Court challenge fails to derail Arkansas education choice scholarships
The headline: The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld state lawmakers’ vote to fast-track landmark education legislation. So, what: Education choice opponents’ legal challenge to lawmakers’ approval of an emergency clause delayed...
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A key next step for Florida scholarship programs: Simplicity
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to student learning, and the same is true for the universal education savings account (ESA) programs that nine states adopted this past...
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New purchasing guides help families navigate Florida’s expanding education choice scholarships
Emily Hamilton’s two kids learn most things best by doing. For science, that means making smears on slides, dissecting everything from seeds to mollusks, and conducting chemistry experiments with beakers...
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New Drexel Fund-backed school to offer autonomy through competency-based education
A private elementary school that emphasizes self-paced, competency-based learning is set to open next year in the Sarasota community of Newtown. Newtown was founded by Black residents who were forced...
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Florida education chief touts benefits of riding the education choice wave
When it comes to education, a rising tide lifts all boats, Florida’s education commissioner told a national audience of school choice supporters and education entrepreneurs. Look at Miami-Dade County, where...
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Innovative schools dominate Florida’s National Blue Ribbon School award winners list
Across Florida, 14 schools received National Blue Ribbon honors this year from the U.S. Department of Education. Those recognized for exemplary performance include a Catholic school, five magnet or choice...
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