Foundation for Florida’s Future Concerned About Elements of Sweeping Deregulation Proposal 

“The Foundation is committed to the goal of removing unnecessary, duplicative and outdated regulations on Florida’s public schools, but we do not want to see Florida take a step backward.  

“Now is not the time for Florida to soften its position on policies that have played key roles in contributing to two decades of educational progress. Prior to these core policies, nearly half of Florida’s fourth graders had significant reading deficiencies. Similarly, half of Florida’s fourth graders were significantly below grade level in math. Only half of high school students graduated on time. 

“Consider where we are today: Florida’s fourth graders rank third in the nation for reading achievement and fourth in the nation for math achievement. Our high school graduation rate is approaching 90%.  

“Florida is an education leader. But not by accident. 

“We will continue to work with the Senate to meet the goals set forth in HB 1, but we are concerned about several components of the package. We welcome the opportunity to educate policymakers on the importance of maintaining high standards for students, robust choice for families and strong accountability that provides transparency and ensures the system is meeting the needs of students and families.”

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• SB 7000, sponsored by Senator Alexis Calatayud, contains provisions related to personnel. Among these provisions, the bill expands access to Florida’s teacher apprenticeship program by allowing individuals with a high school degree and enrolled in a post-secondary program to become a teacher apprentice so long as they achieve and maintain a 2.5 GPA. The language additionally reduces the requirement for a mentor teacher to participate from needing seven years of experience to five years of experience. The bill also ensures a collective bargaining agreement cannot preclude a school board from carrying out certain duties and practices. Both of these provisions are FFF priorities. 
• SB 7002 sponsored by Senator Travis Hutson, contains provisions related to facilities and finance. Among these provisions, the bill eliminates the cap on the amount of funds a school district can withhold from a charter school for services provided under Title I. It adds an additional 5% that a school district can withhold to provide teacher bonuses. The bill also removes the requirement that school districts provide surplus property to charter schools. 
• SB 7004, sponsored by Senator Corey Simon, contains provisions related to assessments, accountability, and choice. Among these provisions, the bill waters down the strong third grade promotion gate that has been a core part of Florida’s comprehensive early literacy policies. The bill also removes the requirement that a student pass the tenth grade English Language Arts and Algebra I end-of-course assessments to receive a standard high school diploma.