FPSCC Annual Conference
A Broad Representation of School Choice
Article Submitted by: Yolanda Miranda-Hill
The mission of the 2008 Florida Public School Choice Consortium (FPSCC) annual conference was to provide stakeholders the opportunity to learn about the latest research on school choice, collaborate with colleagues from across the state, and participate in professional development sessions. Attendees included district management teams, college and university faculty, parent liaisons and advisory councils, and school choice community members. The event was a success. Often events such as this concentrate on a particular component appealing to a specific cohort. By embracing individuals from all areas within the school choice community, the conference produced an elaborate agenda that appealed to all school choice leaders.
Conference attendees included members of the newly formed statewide School Choice Parent Advisory Council (SCPAC) whose mission is to serve as “parent mentors” and leaders committed to educating other parents about Florida’s wide array of educational options. Parent liaisons from the Florida Public School Choice Parent Resource Centers (PRCs) also participated in the event, and were able to collaborate with district contacts and school choice community leaders. Organizations such as Florida’s Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) joined the conference and offered valuable insight on how to further school choice efforts by maximizing parent outreach efforts. University and individual evaluation and research teams garnered data to further studies related to school choice programs. Attendees participated in group activities, panel discussions, critical conversations, and round table forums. The mixed composite of school choice participants contributed to the success of the conference.
Presentations from the national, state, district, and local perspectives offered valuable topics. Presenters such as Dr. Mark Berends, Director of the National Center on School Choice, David Kikoler, Principal Officer of American Education Solutions, Inc. (AES), and Robert Canelli, Supervisor of Magnet Schools in the City of New Haven, contributed valuable research from a national view. A national broadcast sponsored by the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with Nova Southeastern University’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services, emphasized the importance of collaboration among school choice leaders and how the FPSCC conference plays a vital role in Florida’s academic arena. Statewide district school choice leaders shared their successes in implementing replicable strategies that improved their school choice programs. The FPSCC conference offered vast opportunities to learn, share, teach, and grow.
The development of school choice opportunities has made an impact on Florida’s student achievement. Continuing to improve the quality of these programs by sharing research, ideologies, best practices, and innovative programs is essential to their ongoing success. The annual FPSCC conference continued to promote awareness of Florida’s school choice opportunities, while fostering relationships among all individuals within the school choice community.
