Nathan Hoffman is the Senior Legislative Director for the Foundation for Florida's Future.
Each year, many states look to Florida as a guiding light for student-centered policies. In 2024, we saw a continuation of the state’s priorities of improving student outcomes, supporting teachers and expanding new educational opportunities for families.
A year ago, state policymakers created the largest school choice program in the country. They also prioritized math policy; established a robust teacher apprenticeship program; and expanded existing literacy policies, including banning three-cueing, the harmful instructional practice that teaches students to guess words rather than decode them.
You might think that with all that progress, perhaps we’d take a year off? Not in Florida.
This year, the Foundation for Florida’s Future proposed an aggressive agenda to continue building on the Sunshine State’s exemplary progress. Our key goals included:
Yet as aggressive as we wanted to be in advancing a proactive agenda to build on Florida’s success, we also found ourselves in the position of needing to defend policies that have been core to Florida’s education success over the past two decades.
So, protecting student success became our top priority in 2024. We wanted to make sure lawmakers didn’t roll back longstanding policies that have enabled Florida students to perform consistently near the top in nationwide student achievement. We were steadfast and committed to holding the line on high expectations for students and school systems.
Here’s a closer look at what happened in each area of our legislative agenda.
Policymakers in both the Florida House and Senate proposed legislation aimed at “deregulating” Florida’s public schools. However, the Senate version of the bill took things a step further by proposing anti-accountability and anti-choice policies that would have taken Florida in the wrong direction. We argued that providing reasonable regulatory relief to public schools did not need to include proposals that would be harmful to student success. These proposals included rolling back third-grade literacy policies, watering down the high school diploma and making it more difficult for charter schools to access the facilities and federal funding they are owed.
We worked hard to educate members on those harmful impacts and launched a very public advocacy strategy to defeat the proposals. Thankfully, Florida’s third-grade promotion policies, high school graduation requirements and protections for charter school funding were all maintained. These are important wins for students!
When all was said and done, the legislature approved a public school deregulation package that includes reasonable regulatory relief from reporting requirements no longer necessary due to changes in statute. The legislation also provides for a number of other policy-related reliefs that will improve efficiency in managing Florida’s public school systems.
Importantly, the deregulation package strengthened the policy landscape by improving the state’s teacher apprenticeship program. It also precludes certain district policies and practices—such as awarding teacher bonuses, implementing school safety plans and communicating with school stakeholders—from being included as part of collective bargaining. Further, it expands access to reading intervention and supports for students in K-2, including additional notification for parents of students who are struggling with reading.
Building on 2023’s universal school choice bill, this year’s HB 1403, sponsored by Rep. Josie Tomkow and Sen. Corey Simon, expands access to school choice programs, cleans up reporting and compliance requirements and makes important changes for virtual education providers.
Specifically, the legislation:
As part of the Department of Education’s legislative initiative, classical charter schools received a policy boost from sponsors Rep. Jennifer Canady and Sen. Danny Burgess. Specifically, HB 1285 creates a new classical education certification to be used exclusively by teachers at classical schools. The bill also establishes a new charter school enrollment preference for students transferring from another classical school.
Florida has a growing classical education landscape, and these policies are yet another opportunity to support growth for these in-demand school models.
Several bills passed this session that boost the state’s career and technical education programming.
HB 917, sponsored by Rep. John Snyder and Sen. Corey Simon, expands math pathways in high school that are aligned to postsecondary education and career programming. The bill allows districts to provide alternatives to career fairs that connect students directly with industry networking opportunities.
The legislation also directs the state’s workforce agencies to develop an asset map that examines the alignment of district-offered programs and outcomes to industry demand and the state’s overall economic needs.
SB 1688, sponsored by Sen. Rosalind Osgood and Rep. Lisa Dunkley, provides for three important improvements, requiring that:
Finally, SB 7032, sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall and Rep. Lauren Melo, creates a first-of-its-kind program to connect with students who have dropped out of high school and lack a career-related credential of value. The Graduate Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE) program provides students ages 16–21 who have dropped out of school an opportunity to obtain postsecondary course credits at no cost while also earning their high school diploma or equivalent.
State-level policies designed to restrict youth access to smartphones and social media platforms can empower teachers by creating better learning environments in the classroom. When these policies are more broadly crafted, they can also protect children at home from the harmful effects of social media. Social media policies to protect children have been sweeping the nation during the last year, and Florida continues to be a leader in this timely and important conversation.
House Speaker Paul Renner’s signature initiative this year—establishing regulations for minors’ use of social media and access to harmful content—received overwhelming support and was signed into law by Gov. DeSantis.
The amended bill, HB 3, struck a balance, called for by Gov. DeSantis, between necessary regulation and parental empowerment.
The new law:
The Florida legislature made good on its annual promise to make on-time and balanced investments that support the priorities of the state. Taken together, these budgetary investments represent historic support for the students and families of Florida.
Florida’s 2024 legislative session built upon the monumental success of 2023, achieving important progress in the state’s ongoing journey to provide a quality education that meets every student’s needs. From limiting social media access for children to expanding learning opportunities, strengthening early literacy supports and improving teacher salaries, this year’s legislature worked hard to ensure each child in our state—and our well-respected education system—benefits from their efforts.
Passage of key bills and implementation of innovative policies again demonstrate Florida’s proactive approach to addressing the needs of a growing and diverse state while, at the same time, laying the groundwork for a bright and successful future. By fostering collaboration and prioritizing the interests of their constituents, Florida’s leaders continue to exemplify effective governance and responsible public stewardship.
