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  • Home
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    • Analysis
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    • Spotlights
    • Voices for Education Choice
    • factcheckED
  • Topics
    • Achievement Gap
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    • Education Research
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    • Faith-based Education
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    • Microschools
    • Parent Empowerment
    • Private Schools
    • Special Education
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    • Virtual Education
    • Vouchers
  • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Guest Bloggers
    • Ashley Berner
    • Jonathan Butcher
    • Jack Coons
    • Dan Lips
    • Chris Stewart
    • Patrick J. Wolf
  • Education Facts
    • Research and Reports
    • Gardiner Scholarship Basic Program Facts
    • Hope Scholarship Program Facts
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    • FES Basic Facts
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Public School Choice

Charter SchoolsCommentary and OpinionEducator VoicesEducatorsFeaturedParental ChoicePublic School ChoiceSchool ChoiceVoices for Education Choice

Word for word: Founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy Latoya McGhee

Lisa Buie January 12, 2021
Lisa Buie

Editor’s note: IDEA Public Schools, a Texas-based nonprofit that serves more than 63,000 students in 120 schools across Texas and Louisiana, is set to bring its award-winning college preparatory program to the Sunshine State this year with the opening of two campuses in Hillsborough County.

In their first year, the Tampa “schools of hope” – charter schools that serve lower-income students from one or more persistently low-performing schools – will be open to students in kindergarten through second grade as well as sixth grade, with additional grades added each year until the schools are fully scaled with K-12 campuses. Building on its reputation as the nation’s fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools, IDEA, which stands for Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement, plans to have four schools in the Tampa Bay area by 2023 and aims to grow that number to 20 by 2026.

IDEA Tampa Bay already has begun recruiting students and principals, including Latoya McGhee, who has been tapped as principal in residence at IDEA Victory Vinik Campus. At the school’s virtual groundbreaking in November, McGhee shared how she overcame her personal challenges to succeed in college and life and why IDEA affords her the perfect opportunity to prepare other students to do the same.

Hello everyone, my name is Latoya McGhee, founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy. I have been an educator for 11 years, and most of my career has been spent as a teacher and a leader in low-performing schools in underserved neighborhoods. 

I grew up in a small town called Hartsville, S.C. Though I had a pleasant educational journey through elementary, middle, and high school, I was not prepared for college. 

Throughout grade school, I was considered a “smart” student. I always did my work, always studied, worked hard, and maintained a B average. But in college, I could barely keep up. By the end of my first year, I had failed all my classes, and I was back home in Hartsville. I felt like a complete failure.

When I was pregnant with my son, I worked several jobs and struggled to make ends meet. I enrolled in three colleges and quit. I prayed for an answer, or even just to have options, and one day a co-worker mentioned becoming an educator. Immediately, the small hairs on my arm began to stand up.

I sat there visualizing the possibility. I could actual see myself in a classroom filled with students. It made me smile in that moment to think about the kind of impact that I would make. I knew then that education was my true path of service to both children and my community.

For the first time in years, I set a goal that aligned with my passion. I worked hard to complete the remaining classes I needed to obtain my bachelor’s degree.  I became a teacher, earned my master’s degree and became an assistant principal. Now, here I am, founding principal of IDEA Victory Academy. 

You might be wondering: Why is she sharing this? 

I’m sharing because, as I’ve said, even though I was considered a “smart” student, I was not prepared for college or life. I believe that all children deserve to have options, and to have options, they need to be prepared as early as possible. They deserve to have the education and resources needed to thrive in this world regardless of where they come from.

When I learned about IDEA and its commitment not only to seeing students to the college door but also through college, I knew it was home for me. I knew I wanted to be a part of an organization that is committed to providing a quality education for kids and that stands behind that commitment by ensuring schools have the necessary resources to meet the holistic needs of all students, their families, and the community. 

The children in this community deserve to have passionate educators who are willing to give 100% every day, and I have seen IDEA do this firsthand while completing my residency at an IDEA campus in Weslaco, Texas. I had the opportunity to work with teachers and staff who go above and beyond to ensure that every child has what they need to be happy, healthy, and successful. 

Our Direct Instruction curriculum closes gaps and builds students’ reading confidence. As a result, we can close reading achievement gaps and get 90% of our students reading to grade level at the end of each school year. Our critical student intervention and special education teachers work tirelessly to ensure that differentiated, small group instruction is designed to address the specific content gaps daily. Our Eureka math curriculum allows students to learn math concepts by integrating grade/age-appropriate real-world scenarios and activities into daily lessons. 

In addition to providing rigorous academics, IDEA Victory will serve as a pilar of the community by building partnerships to provide a bank of resources that students and their families can take advantage of.

I am grateful to be a part of IDEA because we are committed to breaking barriers, giving families options, and making a positive impact in our communities. Though we are new to Tampa Bay, IDEA has 20 years of success under its belt in Texas and Louisiana, and now, it’s our turn. I encourage families to apply today and continue to connect with us.

Interested families can apply at www.ideapublicschools.org/apply.

January 12, 2021 0 comment
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Coronavirus / COVID-19CustomizationEducation and Public PolicyEducation ChoiceFeaturedNewsParental ChoicePublic School ChoiceSchool ChoiceVirtual Education

Can preschoolers learn virtually? In a Denver pilot program, some kids ‘can’t wait to log in’

Special to redefinED December 18, 2020
Special to redefinED

Moumin Elgizoli, 4, paints with his class as part of a virtual preschool pilot program, a partnership formed in response to parent demand between Denver Public Schools and the taxpayer-supported Denver Preschool Program.

Editor’s note: This post by Chandra Thomas Whitfield published earlier this month on Chalkbeat.

Sara Mohamed and her husband had intended to enroll their 4-year-old son in in-person preschool at Holm Elementary, a nearby Denver public school, but as COVID-19 infection rates soared through the fall in Colorado, they had second thoughts.

They placed their two older children into virtual learning but struggled to find a district program for their preschooler.

“All summer he’d been excited about going to school in the fall; he was so ready to go,” said Mohamed, of Denver. “He was so disappointed when we eventually told him that he would not be able to go to school in person.”

The family’s saving grace came when a call to Mile High Early Learning, a network of nine subsidized Montessori-inspired learning centers in Denver, confirmed they had space in its virtual preschool pilot program.

The program stems from a partnership between Denver Public Schools and the taxpayer-supported Denver Preschool Program, in response to parent demand. Unlike some other Colorado school districts, Denver Public Schools originally did not offer a virtual preschool option. Administrators there believe strongly that in-person learning is better for the youngest students.

It wasn’t quite the “big boy school” experience Mohamed and her family had envisioned for their energetic little Moumin, but they quickly concluded that any help getting him kindergarten ready was worth a try. Mohamed says weeks into the program her son is flourishing, and they’re grateful to have him enrolled.

“He’s so happy, he loves it,” said Mohammed, who supports new Arabic-speaking families and teaches English classes virtually for Holm Elementary. “It’s only 30 minutes a day, but it’s still made a big difference for him. He can’t wait to log in at 3:30 p.m.”

Mile High Early Learning and the Denver Preschool Program said the pilot appears to be working well for enrolled families.

Mile High Early Learning is among 47 providers that had enrolled in the pilot as of Dec. 3, according to Denver Preschool Program President and CEO Elsa Holguín. Some providers are offering remote learning while some are planning virtual programs in case they have to pivot later in the school year.

Mile High Early Learning students log in Monday through Thursday with program-issued iPads preloaded with learning apps, to join a teacher and more than a dozen classmates for 30 minutes. Families also receive books, paper, crayons, markers, and art supplies. The program asks parents to engage their students outside of class in drawing, painting, writing letters, and even homework.

Holguín says the pilot aims to support early childhood education providers. Since the onset of the pandemic, many said they felt like they were, “flying by the seat of their pants,” with limited guidance and direction.

“We decided that the best thing to do was not just to continue to help out our providers, but also to figure out how to start learning more about how to do [distance learning] at a quality level,” Holguín said.

Denver Preschool Program has underwritten sliding-scale tuition and teacher training and coaching, and provided funding to help sites remain afloat as they navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

Mohamed says she believes the program, especially the tuition support and supplies, is a lifesaver especially for working parents who are leery about risking in-person schooling but also want to ensure their children don’t miss out on critical learning opportunities.

“We were so worried that he might get behind,” she said. “We wanted to make sure that he was ready to go to school next year.”

Occasional technical glitches aside, Mohamed says their program experience has been virtually problem-free. They’ve noticed improvements in Moumin’s attention span. She said he’s grown more focused and engaged with each session he joins with his teacher and classmates.

Rebecca Kantor, a Denver Preschool board member who sits on the task force that is developing the distance learning curriculum, said the group sought to incorporate best practices in early childhood education.

“The two most important things that we know about young children’s learning is that they learn through direct experience and they learn within the context of stable trusting relationships,” said Kantor, dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver. “So, we’re trying to recreate that using tech as a tool and we’re really getting very creative in figuring out a lot of different ways to do that.”

For example, she said, one suggested activity entails a student and parent painting together at home, while a teacher discusses with them on screen.

“One of the benefits of doing it that way is that the adult at home is also learning effective conversation skills from the teacher,” she said. “So, there’s a modeling going on that’s really good for the adults, too.”

Mile High Early Learning President and CEO Pamela Harris said along with providing a solid foundation in academics, administrators and teachers in the program have incorporated critical social and emotional learning opportunities.

“Even babies can develop true relationships using technology,” said Harris, who also co-chairs Colorado’s Early Childhood Professional Development Advisory Working Group. “I think it’s the interactivity that is key, having an adult person kind of on both sides, helping the child navigate.” The pilot also provides families resources on a YouTube channel and videos.

The pilot program, which is scheduled to run through the end of this school year, will begin enrolling some 3-year-old programs starting Jan. 4

“We still believe that we need to increase the quality of the distance learning experiences in Colorado,” Holguín said.

December 18, 2020 0 comment
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Education and Public PolicyEducation ChoiceFeaturedNewsParent EmpowermentParental ChoicePublic School ChoiceSchool Choice

Legislation that would put holding back students in parents’ hands draws praise from Florida mom

Lisa Buie December 14, 2020
Lisa Buie

Brody Cholnik’s mother, Nicole, chose to send the 5-year-old to a private school so she could retain control of her choice to decide if he should repeat kindergarten. New legislation could put that choice in the hands of public school families.

When Nicole Cholnik learned earlier this year that her 5-year-old son’s district school principal would get the final say in whether he would be allowed to repeat kindergarten, she took matters into their own hands and enrolled him in a private Montessori kindergarten program.

“We thought out of the box,” said Cholnik, who was dismayed to learn that she and her husband would have no say next year in what would happen to Brody, who had struggled during online pre-kindergarten when the coronavirus pandemic began in the spring.

But a bill filed by state Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, would prevent other parents from having to pay out of pocket for private school if they disagreed with a principal’s decision. SB 200 would let parents decide whether their children need to repeat a grade next year.

The bill follows through on an announcement that Gov. Ron DeSantis made last spring that parents would be allowed to hold their children back a grade in the fall if they had concerns about learning losses from online instruction.

DeSantis did not issue an executive order, and later guidance from Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran softened the governor’s stance by recognizing that while parents have a right to provide input, the final decision regarding student retention rests with school officials.

Berman’s bill would secure that authority for parents, which came as welcome news to Cholnik.

Private kindergarten has alleviated stress for the family and has allowed Brody’s teachers to pursue different approaches to find out the best method of education for him, she said. Most important, it ensures that she and her husband will be the ones to decide whether he begins the 2021-22 school year at his district school as a first-grader or a kindergartener.

“We know our kids best,” she said. “We should have a say in our kids’ future.”

December 14, 2020 0 comment
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Charter SchoolsEducation ChoiceFeaturedNewsParental ChoicePublic School ChoiceSchool Choice

New KIPP campus coming to Jacksonville

Lisa Buie December 10, 2020
Lisa Buie

KIPP Impact Academy, which opened in 2010, is the highest-performing middle school in the North and Westside of Jacksonville. KIPP will expand its Jacksonville reach with a new elementary school.

The nation’s largest network of public charter schools is expanding its footprint in North Florida following approval of $23 million in bond financing through the city of Jacksonville.

The Knowledge is Power Program, commonly known as KIPP, will lease 8 acres in the city’s northwest area from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to build a $15-million, 73,000-square-foot school that will serve students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Those students have been attending school on another KIPP site, which will be converted to a high school set to open in August.

Addition of the high school, which will be named KIPP Bold City High School, will allow KIPP to realize its goal of offering a comprehensive education to students from kindergarten through 12th grade in the Jacksonville area.

Bond financing for the new VOICE Elementary School, which will serve 900 students, also will allow KIPP to refinance existing debt.

“We want families and local community members to know that our schools are built on a foundation of equity and high academic expectations where students will thrive, and this expansion means that more north Jacksonville students will have access to a high-quality schooling option that prepares them with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose, including career, college, or beyond,” said Jennifer Brown, executive director of KIPP Public Schools Jacksonville.

KIPP opened in Jacksonville in 2010 in a former greyhound track building with one class of fifth graders. It since has expanded to more than 1,600 students, 97% of whom are Black. Seventy to 80% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. KIPP also has three campuses in Miami-Dade County.

The national network of 255 public charter schools, which launched in Houston, is dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools have expanded since 1994 to serve more than 100,000 students. Nationwide, KIPP students earn bachelor’s degrees at a rate of 35%, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average for students from low-income families.

December 10, 2020 0 comment
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Charter SchoolsEducation ChoiceFeaturedNewsParental ChoicePublic School ChoiceSchool Choice

IDEA principal offers glimpse of things to come when charter school network debuts in Florida

Lisa Buie November 5, 2020
Lisa Buie

IDEA Tampa Bay is hosting three lottery events to randomly select students to fill seats for the 2021-22 school year. The first is scheduled for Nov. 14.

IDEA Public Schools, a Texas-based nonprofit that serves more than 63,000 students in 120 schools across Texas and Louisiana, is set to bring its award-winning college preparatory program to the Sunshine State in 2021 with the opening of two campuses in Hillsborough County.

In their first year, the Tampa “schools of hope” will be open to students in kindergarten through second grade as well as sixth grade, with additional grades added each year until the schools are fully scaled with K-12 campuses. Building on its reputation as the nation’s fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools, IDEA, which stands for Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement, plans to have four schools in the Tampa Bay area by 2023 and aims to grow that number to 20 by 2026.

IDEA Tampa Bay already has begun recruiting students and principals, including Emily Carlisle, who has been tapped as principal in residence at IDEA Hope College Preparatory School. redefinED reached out to Carlisle to learn more about how her school will offer additional education options to families. Our interview follows, edited for brevity and clarity.

Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in education?

Emily Carlisle

A. Being raised in a faith tradition that encourages love and the pursuit of justice and restoration, as a teenager I recognized the disparate educational opportunities afforded to the magnet and neighborhood student populations at my high school in Tampa. Desiring to be a teacher from a young age, I committed in college to pursuing a career seeking to change the educational trajectory of students from underserved communities. It is my ever-evolving faith that guides my attempts to love those around me well, both inside and outside the schoolhouse. Having labored relentlessly for seven years at my alma mater in Tampa to provide quality educational opportunity, I am thrilled to embark upon this new journey with the IDEA team and family to prepare all students to go to and through college so that they can live choice-filled lives that positively impact our world.

Q. What is a principal in residence and what does that role involve?

A. The Principal in Residence (PIR) program is a rigorous training program aimed at honing educators’ instructional leadership skills so that they are ready to take on the challenges and joys of successfully founding and growing an IDEA school. The program affords tremendous growth opportunity for educators. Principals in residence work to support teachers, leaders, students, and families while sharing responsibility for critical school achievement goals at an IDEA campus. The personalized coaching and feedback principals in residence receive as a part of the residency is invaluable as they prepare to launch schools.

Q. Tell us a little about your background, education and previous experience and explain how that prepared for you for your new role at IDEA Public Schools in Tampa.

A. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Florida prior to joining Teach For America as a 2007 Mississippi Delta corps member. After meeting my commitment, I completed a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in social and economic development from Washington University in St. Louis. After graduating, I moved back to my hometown of Tampa and taught high school social studies for eight years. During that time, my students achieved some of the highest Advanced Placement pass rates in the district. I also served as a social studies department chair for four and a half years, operationally and instructionally supporting a 17-member team. I believe my education and 10 years of experience in the classroom have fully prepared me to take on the role of founding principal at IDEA Hope College Preparatory School.

Q. Tell us about the mission of IDEA Public Schools as it relates to Florida.

A. IDEA believes that no student’s potential should be limited by the color of their skin, where they live, or household income. IDEA Public Schools is committed to a vision of college for all children. Through our curriculum and college support model, we are closing the opportunity gap and increasing levels of achievement by preparing students from underserved communities for success in college and citizenship. In 2017, the Florida Legislature passed Schools of Hope legislation to help high-performing charter school districts, including IDEA, expand in neighborhoods with a concentration of persistently low-performing schools. Our staff members are out in the broader East Tampa community five days a week, introducing themselves to families, and spreading the word about the two new high-quality schooling options, IDEA Hope and IDEA Victory.

Q. What distinguishes IDEA from other charter schools and from traditional district schools?

A. IDEA Public Schools has a long track record of success. For the last 14 years, 100% of our high school graduates were accepted to college. Additionally, in the latest rankings of the most challenging high schools in the nation by the Jay Mathews Challenge Index published in the Washington Post, all 15 eligible IDEA college preparatory schools were ranked among the top 1%. Looking past the sheer numbers, every adult I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside at IDEA has an unwavering belief in the potential of all children and works relentlessly day in and day out to prepare our scholars for college. Lastly, as an organization, IDEA values feedback and considers it a gift. This pervasive mindset is interwoven into the fabric of our operating mechanisms and helps cultivate improvement in every area of the school district.

Q. What should IDEA families expect on the first day of school?

A. Imagine a hot, muggy morning in early August 2021. As students arrive, they recognize the principal, Ms. Carlisle, from when she made a home visit in the spring to welcome their family to IDEA. She greets them by name, and a tiny bit of nervousness dissipates as they feel seen in that moment. Stepping across the threshold, they enter the building and are welcomed by other smiling Hope staff members who usher sixth graders to their homerooms. As the school day begins, homeroom teachers facilitate opportunities for community and culture building. Students are served breakfast in homeroom while they listen to morning announcements. The closing lines of this daily ritual will quickly become a comforting and inspiring refrain: “At IDEA Hope we are BOLD members of our community. We are BRILLIANT lifelong scholars. We are BECOMING more of our truest, fullest selves. With all the knowledge you are sure to acquire today, dear ones, may this remain top of mind: You. Are. Beloved. Rays of Hope, may you shine bright, today and every day!” Once homeroom ends, students transition through their schedule, where each teacher embeds culture building opportunities into their lessons, ensuring all scholars have a strong start to the year.

Q. Where do you see IDEA’s Florida schools in the next several years?

A. IDEA Jacksonville will be the next IDEA Florida region with its first two schools launching in 2022. Meanwhile, IDEA Tampa Bay plans to open 20 schools by 2026. I am confident that as IDEA expands its reach throughout the Tampa Bay area and Jacksonville, thousands of scholars will be put on the path to and through college while partaking in a joyful and rigorous elementary and secondary school environment.

Q. How do interested families find out more?

A. We are currently accepting applications for scholars entering kindergarten, first, second, and sixth grades in fall 2021. Our IDEA Hope and IDEA Victory student lotteries are occurring on Nov. 14, Jan. 16, and Feb. 20 for the 2021-2022 school year.

For more information, visit https://ideapublicschools.org/apply/.

November 5, 2020 0 comment
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AnalysisCharter SchoolsDemographic ResearchEducation ChoiceEducation PollingFeaturedMagnet SchoolsPrivate School ScholarshipsPrivate SchoolsPublic School ChoiceSchool Choice

Office of the President releases new data on education choice

Patrick R. Gibbons October 30, 2020
Patrick R. Gibbons

Percentage distribution of students age 5 through 17 attending kindergarten through 12th grade by school type, 1999 and 2016

The percentage of students accessing schools of choice has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, with growth coming from the expansion of both public and private school choice options, according to a new report from the Council of Economic Advisers.

Among the findings of the council, an agency within the Executive Office of the President charged with offering the President objective economic advice on the formulation of domestic and international economic policy:

Private school scholarships have grown considerably, but still make up a small portion of the K-12 student population, with 539,000 students utilizing tax-credit scholarships, vouchers or education savings accounts to enroll in private schools.

With the inclusion of public options, more than 5.8 million students were enrolled in charter and magnet schools in 2016, the latest available public school data. That figure was up from about 1.5 million students enrolled in charter and magnet schools in 2000.

Importantly, the number of students attending their assigned public school dropped from 74.1% to 68.8% between 1999 and 2016. In Florida, 54.8 percent of K-12 students attended assigned public schools in 2018-19, the most recent figure available.

Public choice schools grew by 4.3 percentage points and home education grew by 1.6 percentage points. Though private school scholarships have grown considerably, private school enrollment has dropped 0.8 percentage points nationwide.

The report’s authors conclude that expanding choice options could help low-income and minority students. Florida already is a national leader on that front, with 41% of students attending schools of choice in 2018-19, the latest data available.

The state’s most popular options include charter schools, open enrollment, magnet schools and career academies enrolling more than 600,000 students, about half of all choice students in the state. By comparison, only about 152,000 students utilized scholarships to attend private schools in Florida.

With the inclusion of 237,200 students attending private schools through private pay, more than 45% of Florida students attend schools of choice.

October 30, 2020 0 comment
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Coronavirus / COVID-19FeaturedNewsPublic School ChoiceReading ScholarshipSchool Choice

NAACP, Urban League make use of Reading Scholarship Account to improve outcomes for low-income students

Lisa Buie October 20, 2020
Lisa Buie

Florida students who may have experienced learning loss due to COVID-19 got help recently from a pilot program made possible by a state scholarship aimed at helping public school students who struggle with reading.

The North Brevard NAACP, along with the Central Florida Urban League and Brevard Public Schools, partnered to launch a reading enrichment program powered by the state’s Reading Scholarship Account program at Mims Elementary, a Florida Space Coast school where at least 40% of students come from lower-income families.

The scholarship accounts, valued at $500 per student, are available for students in grades 3 through 5 who are enrolled in a Florida public school and scored below a Level 3 on the grade 3 or grade 4 statewide, standardized English Language Arts assessment in the prior school year.

Families can use the money for instructional materials, curriculum, tuition and fees for part-time tutoring services or specialized education programs designed to improve reading or literacy skills and fees for after-school programs designed to improve reading or literacy.

Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog, helps administer Reading Scholarship Accounts along with four other scholarships for Florida schoolchildren.

Students who participated in the pilot program already were behind before the pandemic forced school closures, according to Ruth Gary, a member of the North Brevard Education Committee and coordinator of the program.

Funded by a grant from the Central Florida Urban League, the students met daily with an instructor and teaching assistant at a local community center for focused, hands-on tutoring in reading and science.

With help from Brevard County Parks and Recreation, and personal protective equipment donated by the Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore Cultural Complex, the program also included tours of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the American Space Museum in Titusville.

Timing of the program likely was fortuitous, as children in Florida and across the nation who already were prone to summer learning loss were predicted to fall even further behind due to COVID-related school campus closures.

Amid concerns the learning gap would only continue to worsen this fall, especially for children already at a disadvantage, Gary said the organizations would like to expand to a full-blown after-school program for K-5 students at up to five additional schools.

Brevard Public Schools spokeswoman Nicki Hensley said district officials have scheduled a meeting for early November with representatives from the Urban League and the North Brevard NAACP to discuss the plan.

October 20, 2020 0 comment
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Commentary and OpinionCoronavirus / COVID-19Course ChoiceCustomizationEducation ChoiceFeaturedParental ChoicePodcastPublic School ChoiceSchool ChoiceTechnology and InnovationVirtual Education

revisitED: SUFS president Doug Tuthill follows up with Florida Virtual School president and CEO Louis Algaze

redefinED staff October 7, 2020
redefinED staff

On this episode, Tuthill catches up with the educational leader who became FLVS’ president and CEO in July 2019. Since the two last spoke in May, Florida’s fully accredited online public school district has seen an increase of 3,700 students and now fulfills more than 200,000 part-time flexible course requests statewide and beyond.

https://www.redefinedonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FLVSUpdate_EDIT.mp3

Tuthill and Algaze discuss what has worked thus far for FLVS as well as improvement opportunities that will allow the school to continue providing virtual instruction for the great number of families who want it. Algaze also reflects on his surprise at the last-minute jump in the number of families interested in virtual classes even after school districts reopened with in-person instruction.

“It is all about choice. Wherever parents want to put their kids is what we are trying to help accommodate.”

EPISODE DETAILS:

·       How FLVS’ rapid expansion in the wake of COVID-19 is progressing so far

·       What FLVS staff members are hearing from families about online learning experiences

·       How FLVS’ competency-based model is being incorporated into the more rigid district education model and what that could mean for the future

·       How FLVS is focusing on developing instructional materials for school districts so they can fluidly serve students moving back and forth from virtual to in-person learning

LINK MENTIONED:

Florida Virtual School Online Learning and Training Community

To hear Tuthill’s earlier podcast with Algaze, click here.

October 7, 2020 0 comment
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