Letter from the Florida Public School Choice ConsortiumArticle Submitted by: Katherine Israelson
This year has been an exciting and most productive year for the Florida Public School Choice Consortium (FPSCC). Florida still leads the charge in innovative school reform in the state as we continue to set the bar higher in our quest for greater student achievement. The “Florida Public School Choice Consortium” is a professional organization made up of School Choice advocates throughout the state, advocating equal access to high quality school choice for all students and parents. Professional groups involved in this organization include, but are not limited to, Controlled Open Enrollment, Magnet, Charter, Virtual, NCLB Choice, Opportunity Scholarships, McKay Scholarships for Exceptional Student Education, Career Academies and other public school choice options. Together we are working to make a difference in the lives of children as well as parents throughout the state of Florida. The FPSCC began the 2007-2008 school year with a statewide conference in October 2007 at the School Reform Conference in Orlando, and then a meeting of the Central Region was held on January 31, 2008 as well as the North Region in Tallahassee in April 2008. Next, with great success, the Career Academies on The Hill Conference was held on April 15-17, 2008, in collaboration with the Association of Career & Technical Education, Florida Association of Career & Technical Educators, National Career Academy Coalition and the Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools. On June 17, 2008, at the State Board of Education meeting in Tampa, I had the honor of presenting the first annual “Dr. Carlo Rodriguez Champion of School Choice” award. Nova Southeastern University provided two half scholarships for masters and doctorate awards for the year 2008 to further education in an area of school choice. The first winner was Ms. Carla McMullen from Polk County, and the second recipient was Ms. Mary Ellen Elia, Superintendent of Hillsborough County. Congratulations to these two most deserving professionals. The FPSCC, working together with NOVA Southeastern University, Fischler School Education and Human Services, led by Dr. Judith Stein, is dedicated to the expansion and improvement of choice options in the state. Since the inception of the “Florida Public School Choice Consortium”, NOVA Southeastern University’s Parent Resource Centers have played an incremental role in school choice in the state. The Center was developed under the USDOE Voluntary Public School Choice grant (VPSC), which was provided to the State of Florida in the 2002-2003 school year to expand, reinstate or improve school choice in Florida. More recently, with the new VPSC grant for 2007-2012, the Parent Resource Centers can be expanded beyond Miami-Dade, Broward, Jacksonville and Orlando to include other districts in the north regional part of the state. They will be expanding to Gadsden County to the north, as well as Palm Beach and the Seminole Reservation in Glades County in the year to follow. We are continuing to collaborate with the State of Florida, Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice on the 2007-2012 Voluntary Public School Choice grant. This year the grant is being led by Yolanda Miranda-Hill, the VPSCC Manager, through the implementation of three models of inter district choice with Palm Beach, Polk, Hillsborough and other districts in the state. The initiative is to develop a competition for “inter district choice” and to enhance and expand it in Florida. We have an exciting year coming up, as we provide valuable resources to school districts and continue to show the value of quality school choice programs throughout the state of Florida. Don’t forget our annual Florida Public School Choice Consortium Conference in November 2008, to be held before the state Charter School Conference. We also have area regional meetings held throughout the state, and on April 7-9, 2009, will be the “Academies on the Hill” Conference in Tallahassee. Have a great 2008-09 School Year |
Dear Florida Public School Choice Consortium Members and Friends:
