Can giving low-income families more access to private schools spur the growth of more school choice options in the public school system?

The question came up during the most recent debate over legislation that would accelerate the growth of Florida's tax credit scholarship program. Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, asked whether the bill could help spur "school boards and school districts to create more options for magnet schools."

Pointing to the growth of magnet programs and other public school choices in his hometown, the chair of the House Education Appropriations panel, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, said he believed it could.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that the explosion of magnet schools and of schools of choice within the public school system happened at the exact same time that options outside of the conventional public school system were happening,” he said.

The New York Times recently highlighted the growth of Miami-Dade's magnet programs in a story about the revitalization of magnet programs in urban districts around the country. Originally conceived as a way to increase demographic diversity in the era of racial integration, the Times observed magnet programs have seen renewed growth "as traditional public schools come under increasing pressure from charter schools and vouchers for private schools."

The number of children in Miami-Dade County attending magnet programs — which admit students from anywhere in the district and focus on themes like art, law or technology — has grown by 35 percent in the past four years. These children now account for about one in six students in the district.

The pattern is similar across the country. There are now about 2.8 million students attending magnet schools — more than the nearly 2.6 million enrolled in charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated.

"That’s what we’ve always theorized from the moment that we started talking about choice and choice options was that, not only would it lift all ships," Fresen said, but it would also spur school districts to create new programs "to meet different needs of students."

"I do think that the more that you expand choice options outside of the conventional public school system, the more the conventional public school system will innovate itself, and start responding to those demands and those changes,” he said. (more…)

The muscular growth of Florida Virtual School, the nation’s largest provider of online classes, has suddenly become anemic. And the culprit seems to be legislative changes made this spring to the state’s funding formula for education.

Over the last five years, the highly regarded FLVS has seen a 24 percent annual growth in the number of course requests approved by guidance counselors at the end of the school year, according to FLVS figures.

Last year, the number grew at a robust 34 percent, from 150,578 approvals to 201,066. Course approvals are still up this year, but by only 1 percent.

FLVS officials are predicting at least a $34 million hit because of the legislative change, which may have unintentionally pitted the provider against school districts still reeling from the Great Recession. But the bigger problem may be that thousands of students are not getting classes that work best for them.

Evidence continues to surface that districts are denying students access to FLVS courses and/or pushing them toward other providers. A published report suggested a similar effort was underway at a leading charter school network.

“Denied choice is not just about the dollars,’’ said FLVS spokeswoman Tania Clow. “Ultimately, the one who suffers is the student.’’

In response to the sagging numbers, FLVS has instituted a hiring freeze, except in critical areas. And Julie Young, Florida Virtual’s president and CEO, is set to meet with Education Commissioner Tony Bennett next week to talk about the fallout. (more…)

Florida Virtual School officials say Florida school districts are already beginning to curb student enrollment in online classes in response to a funding shift proposed by state lawmakers.

Under the change – which continues to be debated as lawmakers head into the final week of the session - districts would get less funding if their students take Florida Virtual School courses. Florida Virtual School officials say they’re already seeing a spike in guidance counselors denying student requests for FLVS courses this summer.

In the past, counselors usually denied requests for academic reasons, such as students not completing prerequisite courses. But now they aren’t signing off because of funding concerns, Florida Virtual School officials said.

“We knew that this would happen,’’ said Holly Sagues, FLVS’s chief policy officer. “The entire session, we were telling legislators that it’s going to pit the district against Florida Virtual School.’’

It’s too early to tell how widespread the trend is, but FLVS already has heard from students, parents and guidance counselors in at least five districts, Sagues said.

Sen. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, who introduced the new funding formula in House Bill 5101, could not be reached for comment. The bill has since been amended to Senate Bill 1502, where it is now being negotiated as part of the Legislature's education budget conference.

If the measure passes, it would cut 14 percent to 17 percent from what FLVS receives for every class a student takes in the program, Sagues said. The estimated total loss: about $34 million. The program already receives between 10 percent and 20 percent less in per-student funding than traditional public schools, she said.

Here’s how funding for FLVS and the districts works now: when students take six courses in their district school and one through Florida Virtual, the district receives its full per-student allotment for that student and FLVS receives another one-sixth of the funding – but only if the student completes the course.

If the new funding forming goes into effect, it would cap it so that the district receives six-sevenths of its allotment and FLVS receives one-seventh. (more…)

Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford announced committee assignments today (hat tip: News Service of Florida.) Here is who will serve as chairs and vice chairs of the education committees, including the new subcommittee on school choice and innovation:

Education Committee: Chair, Marlene O'Toole, R-Lady Lake. Vice Chair, Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City.

Education Appropriations Subcommittee: Chair, Erik Fresen, R-Miami. Vice Chair, Marlene O'Toole, R-Lady Lake.

Choice and Innovation Subcommittee: Chair, Michael Bileca, R-West Miami. Vice Chair, George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale.

K-12 Subcommittee: Chair, Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach. Vice Chair, Ronald Renuart, R-Ponte Vedra Beach.

Higher Education and Workforce Subcommittee: Chair, Jeanette Nunez, R-Miami. Vice Chair, Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford.

To see all members by committee, click here.

I was a news reporter for 20 years. I appreciate what good journalists do. But I’m often perplexed by the selective scrutiny that permeates so much education coverage in Florida, particularly when it comes to school choice issues.

The latest example: An “investigation” by an Orlando TV station into the "cozy connections" between Florida state lawmakers and rapidly expanding charter schools. WFTV-Ch. 9 raised conflict-of-interest questions this week about lawmakers who work for charter schools and who have backed legislation that generally promotes charter expansion. It  singled out incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel; Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami; and John Legg, R-New Port Richey, a state rep headed to the state senate.

First off, this is old news. The ties between all three lawmakers and charter schools have been well publicized. In fact, they were among a bigger handful of lawmakers cited last December in a front-page Tampa Bay Times piece on the same issue. Curiously, the TV station kicked off its story with the same anecdotal lead as the Times did, one involving Legg and the Pasco County School Board.

More important, the station neglected to mention that a number of other lawmakers have strong if not direct ties to school districts. Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, heads the state superintendents association. Former state rep and now Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, is a public school teacher and local union rep. Two newly elected  Democratic state reps, Mark Danish in Tampa and Karen Castor Dentel in the Orlando area, also teach in district schools. Should teacher-lawmakers be voting on state budgets that could affect how much they’re paid? Should they vote on legislation that could impact how they’re evaluated? (more…)