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Lisa Buie

Lisa Buie

Lisa Buie is online reporter for redefinED. The daughter of a public school superintendent, she spent more than a dozen years as a reporter and bureau chief at the Tampa Bay Times before joining Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa, where she served for nearly five years as marketing and communications manager. She lives with her husband and their teenage son, who has benefited from education choice.

Education ChoiceEducation LegislationEducation PoliticsFeaturedGardiner ScholarshipNews

Gardiner Scholarship funding increase begins to move forward

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

Hundreds of education choice advocates rallied at the State Capitol Jan. 21 to ask lawmakers to expand access to the Gardiner Scholarship program. Gov. Ron DeSantis told the crowd that he and lawmakers are committed to increasing funding again this year.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education today approved a $42 million funding increase to the Gardiner Scholarship program which would boost by slightly more than 28 percent last year’s allocation of $147.9 million.

The scholarship currently serves more than 13,000 students with unique abilities. Approximately another 3,500 remain on a wait list, despite the Legislature’s agreement last year to provide an additional $23 million in funding.

Created in 2014, the program is named for former Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner, who led the legislative effort to create the program, and his family. It differs from other state scholarships in that it allows parents to personalize their child’s education by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers.

Approved expenses include tuition, therapy, curriculum, technology and a college savings account. Unspent money can roll over from year to year.

Gardiner Scholarship amounts vary according to grade and county. The average amount for most students in the 2019-20 school year is $10,400.

The budget proposal must win approval from the corresponding House committees, as well as the full House and Senate, to be included in the final proposed budget sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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National poll shows voter support for education choice continues to grow

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

A new poll from a national education choice advocacy group shows voter support for education choice remains strong, especially among minorities, millennials and Republicans.

The American Federation for Children poll, in its sixth year, revealed overall support at 69 percent among likely 2020 general election voters.

Support was strongest among Latinos and Republicans, with 82 percent of each group saying they favored empowering parents to use tax dollars designated for education spending to send their children to the public or private school that best serves their needs.

Millennials also strongly expressed support at 71 percent, while African American support posted at 68 percent. The only group surveyed that did not show majority support was Democrats, polling at 48 percent.

The sixth annual poll from the American Federation for Children shows overall support for education choice is holding strong.

Support was even greater for the proposed Education Freedom Scholarship, a federal scholarship tax credit that allows individuals and businesses to donate to instate nonprofit scholarship granting organizations that would provide scholarships for students to attend public, private, or career or technical schools of their choice. Seventy-eight percent of respondents overall – up 9 percentage points from last year – backed the program, including 83 percent of both Latinos and African Americans.

Millennials were not far behind with 78 percent approving. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans expressed support compared with 67 percent of Democrats.

Florida, which has been at the forefront of education choice nationally, is among about 18 states that offer a tax credit scholarship. The Florida Tax-Credit Scholarship program, administered by Step Up for Students, which hosts this blog, allows lower-income families to choose from a broad spectrum of private schools that participate in the program.

“This national survey is the premier benchmark for school choice opinion research across the country, and voters have consistently stated that they support these policies and want more K-12 options for their children,” John Schilling, president of the American Federation of Children, said in a news release Friday. “We fundamentally believe that every family, especially lower-income families, should have the freedom to choose the best K-12 education for their child—and the vast majority of Americans agree with us.”

A majority of respondents who said they plan to vote in their state’s Democratic presidential primary said they would be less likely to vote for candidates who say they want to eliminate federal funding for charter schools. Among those candidates are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, both of whom have called for a temporary or permanent end to the $340 million program.

According to the poll, 56 percent of Democrats said that position would make them less likely to support a specific candidate. Among Latinos, 65 percent shared that view, compared with 62 percent of African Americans.

The poll also provided a breakdown of education choice options. For the fourth year in a row, support increased for education savings accounts, one of the most popular forms of school choice, with 80 percent of respondents backing the concept. Opposition to ESAs was at 14 percent, representing a drop of 2 percentage points from last year.

In 2014, Florida approved the Gardiner Scholarship program, an ESA that allows parents of children with unique abilities to personalize their child’s education by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers. Approved expenses include tuition, therapy, technology and a college savings account. Gardiner Scholarships serve 13,000 students and vary according to grade and county, with the amount for most students in 2019-20 averaging $10,400.

The survey fielded January 7-13 among 1,275 likely November 2020 voters. Interviews were conducted via live callers on landline and cell phones in English and Spanish. The base sample margin of error is +/- 3.5%.

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Education choice advocate voices reverberate day after Gardiner Scholarship rally

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

Hundreds of parents, students and educators rallied for expansion of the Gardiner Scholarship program Tuesday at the State Capitol. PHOTO: Colin Hackley

TALLAHASSEE — A rally to celebrate the Gardiner Scholarship program Tuesday brought hundreds of families and educators to the Capitol. Their mission: Show their gratitude for a program that provides educational choice to students with unique abilities and encourage lawmakers to increase funding so more children have access to educational opportunities.

Those who attended put their thoughts on posters, completing the prompt, “Opportunity Gives Me ____.”

Among rally attendees were scores of students who came to show their support and represent their schools. PHOTO: Colin Hackley

Responses were as individualized as the education experiences made possible by the Gardiner Scholarship.

Hope. Love and peace. My teacher. A fighting chance.

Among parents who attended the rally was Katie Swingle, whose oldest son, Gregory, 11, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. Thanks to a Gardiner Scholarship, he is thriving at St. Joseph Catholic School in Winter Haven. The sixth-grader has earned high academic honors and was named most improved student of the year. 

“It has changed my life and changed my child’s life,” said Swingle, who traveled more than 275 miles to petition lawmakers. “That’s why Florida needs to increase funding to make the Gardiner Scholarship available to more families. They deserve the hope and the peace of mind that the scholarship provides, which are just as valuable as the schooling, educational materials, and therapies it subsidizes.”

Maylen Puentes, principal at Ridge Manor Christian Academy, brought a busload of 96 people from Hernando County, 234 miles from the Capitol. Sixteen of her 117 students attend the K-12 school on Gardiner scholarships.

“We have a lot of siblings who have been on a wait list, and it’s a nightmare,” Puentes said. “The wait list kills my families.”

Raquel Baldwin, principal at Baldwin Academy in Fort Lauderdale, traveled with 32 others on a charter bus more than 450 miles – about seven hours – to make sure decisionmakers heard her voice.

“There’s strength in numbers, said Baldwin, who left Broward County at 1 a.m. Tuesday. Of her 120 students, five participate in the Gardiner Scholarship program. She would like to help more families.

“I think it’s important to show our lawmakers the need for the funding that has opened up thus far and to show the need for expansion,” Baldwin said. “I think it’s important for them to realize there are real people and real lives being impacted.”

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Senate Education Committee approves school choice bills

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

school choice

TALLAHASSEE – Bills that would align two scholarship programs for lower-income students, speed the opening of charter schools, and make it easier for private high school students to participate in college dual enrollment programs all won approval from the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

SB 1220, a bill that spells out rules for teacher training and qualifications, was approved and will be reported favorably out of the committee. It now includes an amendment proposed by Education Committee chairman Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah. The amendment adds provisions aimed at aligning application and eligibility guidelines between the new Family Empowerment Scholarship, adopted last year and serving 18,000 students, and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, created in 2001 and serving 108,000 students.

SB 1420, sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Anitere Flores, R-Miami, would require school districts to let charter schools with approved applications open the next school year.

SB 1246, sponsored by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, would prohibit colleges and universities from charging fees to private schools with students who participate in dual enrollment. It also would establish a scholarship fund to help colleges cover the costs. Additionally, the bill clarifies that home schooled students are allowed to participate in dual enrollment programs at no cost to their families.

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Education and Public PolicyEducation ChoiceEducation LegislationFeaturedGardiner ScholarshipNewsParent EmpowermentSchool Choice

Hundreds rally at Capitol for Gardiner Scholarship expansion

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

Students, teachers and parents from across the state descended upon the Florida Capitol Tuesday to petition for education choice and Gardiner Scholarship expansion. Photo: COLIN HACKLEY

THIS STORY WAS UPDATED AT 2 P.M.

TALLAHASSEE – Marsy Miller’s son, Ian, struggled for years to keep up with his classmates. Mainstreamed at his district school, Ian, who is on the autism spectrum, needed behavioral therapy, one-on-one attention, tutoring, and a smaller classroom environment.

Miller was ready to give up on Ian’s school by the time he reached fourth grade. But she never gave up on Ian.

Fortunately, neither did Florida lawmakers, who in 2014 approved the Gardiner Scholarship program to help Ian and other students with unique abilities.

“It opened up a world of opportunities for Ian,” said Miller, who was among hundreds who attended a rally at Waller Park near the Capitol today to thank lawmakers for creating the scholarship and to ask for an expansion to help more students.

“The scholarship has changed Ian’s life,” Miller said, explaining that it enabled him to attend a private school that was better able to meet his needs and receive therapy that helped him become more independent.

Gov. Ron DeSantis welcomed rally attendees, including families, educators, education choice advocates and lawmakers, calling the Gardiner Scholarship “a lifeline for a lot of families in Florida.”

“We’re going to work on the wait list this year,” he said. “We really believe all parents need to find the best school for their child.”

Students from Ridge Manor Christian Academy in Hernando County play games while waiting in the civic center ahead of the Gardiner rally. The school brought 96 students to petition for Gardiner Scholarship expansion. PHOTO: Lisa Buie

Created in 2014, the Gardiner scholarship serves more than 13,000 students with certain special needs, including autism, Down syndrome and spina bifida. The Florida Legislature appropriated an additional $23 million in funding for the Gardiner Scholarship program in 2019, pushing Gardiner funding to $147.9 million and allowing it to serve at least 2,000 more students.

Despite the expansion, more than 3,000 students remain on a waiting list.

A bill filed by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, which passed the Senate Education Committee Jan. 13 by an 8-0 vote, would add a new category to the Gardiner Scholarship for art, music and theater classes or lessons, broadening the ability of Gardiner recipients to participate in these activities in addition to activities currently covered under the part-time tutoring category. It also would allow funds to be spent on educational summer and after-school programs not limited to programs specialized for students with unique abilities.

Additionally, it would allow students who turn 3 after Sept. 1 to apply and would give them the ability to be placed on a waiting list so they have priority after renewal students when scholarships are awarded the following year.

Senate President Bill Galvano assured rally attendees that the scholarship’s future was secure.

“We will always support the Gardiner Scholarship,” he said.

State Rep. James Bush III, D-District 109, one of six Democrats who voted in favor last year of the Family Empowerment Scholarship program, promised to remain a champion of education choice.

“I believe that one size does not fit all,” he said. “If children are going to be successful, we need to empower parents. If we are going to save the next generation, parents must be included.”

He added: “You have a friend here in the House. I stand forever with our children.”

Sally Hazelip, principal of North Florida School of Special Education, introduced rally attendees to three students with unique abilities, one of whom is preparing to compete in basketball in the state Special Olympics.

“We set the bar high,” she said. “We also believe our children should have the same opportunities that other kids do. Gardiner helps them financially. Gardiner offers them hope. I am grateful, and I ask the Legislature to please increase the funding.”

 

Five-year-old Madison Walker’s message to rally attendees: Opportunity gives me love, peace, connection. Madison attends Ridge Manor Christian Academy. PHOTO: Lisa Buie

The Gardiner scholarship differs from other state scholarships in that it allows parents to personalize their child’s education by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers. Approved expenses include tuition, therapy, curriculum, technology and a college savings account. Unspent money can roll over from year to year.

Gardiner Scholarship amounts vary according to grade and county. The average amount for most students in the 2019-20 school year is $10,400.

The rally was organized by Step Up For Students, the nonprofit that helps administer the Gardiner Scholarship and hosts this blog.

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Education ChoiceEducation LegislationEducation PoliticsFamily Empowerment ScholarshipFeaturedFlorida Tax Credit ScholarshipNewsSchool Choice

Amendment to streamline scholarship eligibility guidelines headed to Senate Education Committee

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

TALLAHASSEE — The Senate Education Committee is expected to consider a measure today that would make it easier for economically disadvantaged families to access a new K-12 scholarship program approved last year.

Committee chairman Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah, is proposing an amendment to SB 1220, a bill that currently spells out rules for teacher training and qualifications. The amendment would add provisions aimed at aligning application and eligibility guidelines between the new Family Empowerment Scholarship, adopted last year and serving 18,000 students, and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, created in 2001 and serving 108,000 students.

Both scholarship programs serve students from lower-income and working-class families. The primary difference is that the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship is funded by corporations that receive a 100 percent tax credit, and the Family Empowerment program is funded directly from the state education budget.

The two programs now use slightly different rules to determine eligibility, such as household income levels. Diaz’ amendment represents an effort to make them more alike, therefore streamlining the process for families who apply. Among the proposed changes:

  • To be eligible for the Tax Credit Scholarship, families currently are limited to incomes of no more than 260 percent of the federal poverty level, which equals $68,120 for a household of four this fall. The proposed change would raise that to 300 percent of poverty, or $78,600 for a household of four, which would match the requirement of the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
  • Allowing Florida Tax Credit students to continue receiving the scholarship until they graduate from high school or turn 21, aligning it with the Family Empowerment Scholarship provision. Now, Florida Tax Credit students must reapply each year.
  • Allowing any Florida Tax Credit student to transfer to the Family Empowerment Scholarship, as long as he or she attended a public school in the year prior to entering the program.
  • Allowing students in the Family Empowerment Scholarship program to take up to two state-supported virtual courses each year without cost. That provision already applies to Florida Tax Credit students.

In addition to the scholarship amendment, the committee also is expected to consider SB1246, which would make it easier for students who attend private schools or are home schooled to participate in dual enrollment programs at participating colleges and universities. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland.

The Senate Education Committee meets at 2:30 p.m. at 415 Knott Building.

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DeSantis delivers ‘State of the State’ address to launch 2020 legislative session

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his second State of the State address focused on teacher pay increases and thanked lawmakers for their support of education choice during last year’s session, including two scholarship programs that expanded opportunities for families.

Speaking on the first day of the 2020 legislative session, DeSantis said the state’s approach to K-12 education should rest on recruiting and retaining great teachers and promoting education choice so that parents, particularly low-income parents, can find the best schools for their children.

He also spoke of the importance of measuring results through accountability.

“Last year, we faced the prospect of thousands of Florida families toiling on waiting lists for various scholarship programs,” DeSantis said. “Standing here last year, I asked the Legislature to act, and you delivered.”

He then recognized Brittney and Jeremy Wilson and their son, Josiah, who was on the wait list last year for a Gardiner Scholarship. The Gardiner Scholarship, which serves more than 13,000 students, provides funding for educational programs for children with unique abilities.

“Thanks to our work in 2019, last year’s wait list was cleared, and the Wilsons were able to get Josiah on a scholarship so his educational needs can be met,” DeSantis said.

He also mentioned the new Family Empowerment Scholarship program, which was approved last year and serves roughly 18,000 students. 

“Last year, we had nearly 13,000 low-income families on the waiting list for a tax credit scholarship. Thanks to the enactment of the new Family Empowerment scholarship, these families have been liberated from the waiting list,” DeSantis said. 

To illustrate his point, DeSantis recognized Talethia Edwards, who was in the gallery with her seven children, including three who are using Family Empowerment Scholarships.

“All Florida parents, regardless of income or zip code, should have the ability to choose the best school for their children,” he said.

DeSantis also gave a nod to the state’s 658 public charter schools, which serve 314,000 students, 70 percent of whom are Hispanic and African American and more than 50 percent of whom are from lower-income families.

“When we increase educational choice and provide innovative learning opportunities, we can help students reach their full potential,” he said.

The 2020 legislative session is scheduled to run for 60 days and is expected to take up a number of education choice-related issues.

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Education ChoiceEducation LegislationEducation PoliticsFeaturedNewsSchool Choice

Florida Legislature begins 60-day session today

Lisa Buie
Lisa Buie

family empowerment scholarship

Today marks the start of the 2020 Florida legislative session, featuring a $91.4–billion budget proposal from Gov. Ron DeSantis that includes recommended increases in teacher salaries and what DeSantis is touting as “bold and meaningful” educational reform efforts.

Among bills already in the mix are several that would benefit education choice. Here are a few that bear watching.

SB 1400. Filed by Senate Education chairman Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah Gardens, this bill does not yet have a House companion. It seeks to align the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship programs, both of which provide private school scholarships to economically disadvantaged students, to align income eligibility and to allow some students to transfer between the two programs.  

The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, created in 2001, serves roughly 107,000 students and is funded by tax-credited corporate contributions. The Family Empowerment Scholarship, passed into law last year, serves roughly 18,000 students and is funded with direct state dollars through the Florida Education Finance Program.  

Among the provisions, SB 1400 would: 

·       Allow students who are currently on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program and who attended a district public school prior to being awarded a scholarship to transfer to the Family Empowerment Scholarship program 

·       Align the income eligibility threshold between the two programs; currently, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship is capped at 260 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which is $66,950 for a household of four. The Family Empowerment Scholarship is capped at 300 percent, or $77,250. The bill would set both at 300 percent. 

·       Allow Family Empowerment Scholarship students to take up to two Florida Virtual School courses per year with no impact on their scholarship, aligning that program with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program 

·       Allow students on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship to remain on the scholarship until they graduate from high school or turn 19, which would align the program to the new Family Empowerment Scholarship law 

SB 1164. Filed by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, the bill does not yet have a House companion; however, it passed through the Senate Education Committee Monday by a unanimous vote of 8-0. It offers a variety of changes to the Gardiner Scholarship, which was created in 2014 and serves more than 13,000 students with severe special needs. 

Among the provisions, SB 1164: 

·       Includes the addition of a new category for art, music and theater classes or lessons, broadening the ability of Gardiner recipients to participate in these activities in addition to activities currently covered under the part-time tutoring category 

·       Allows funds to be spent on educational summer and after-school programs not limited to programs specialized for students with unique abilities 

·       Allows students who need a scholarship but may be on the waiting list a better chance of receiving the scholarship, as it closes accounts of students who don’t use their funds after two years rather than three 

·       Allows students who turn 3 after Sept. 1 to apply and give them the ability to be placed on a waiting list so they have priority after renewal students when scholarships are awarded the following year (Students who turn 3 by Sept. 1 already are eligible to apply for the scholarship.)

Some other education choice bills to watch include: 

SB 324, filed by Diaz and Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake, requiring the Department of Education to maintain a disqualification list and requiring district school boards to investigate certain complaints and report results of such investigations to the department

HB 883, a similar bill filed by Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-District 15, requiring the Department of Education to maintain a disqualification list and prohibiting individuals on the list from employment at charter schools or private schools that participate in scholarship programs

SB 1246, filed by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R, Lakeland, relating to dual enrollment

HB 187, a similar bill filed by Rep. Ardian Zika, R-District 37, allowing home education and private school students to gain access to instructional materials used for dual enrollment courses free of charge and allowing private schools to set up articulation agreements for dual enrollment that do not charge the student or the school for the cost of tuition or instructional materials

HB 2565, filed by Rep. James Bush III, D-District 109, providing a non-recurring appropriation of $1 million to the Florida Department of Education for security funding to K-12 private schools

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