Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who chairs the Foundation for Florida’s Future, released the following statement today in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis signing education bills that passed in the 2024 legislative session.
“Florida leaders have a history of prioritizing education, and this session was no different. I commend Gov. DeSantis for approving significant education initiatives that will bolster Florida’s education landscape and provide a roadmap for other states to follow.
“Success is never final. Reform is never finished. Florida must keep its foot on the gas to ensure each and every student has access to a quality education that prepares them for lifelong success.”
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 previously signed into law by Gov. DeSantis this Spring. The amended bill, HB 3, struck a balance between regulation, privacy, and parental empowerment.
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.
SB 7002 and SB 7004, the public school deregulation package, includes providing reasonable regulatory relief to local school districts from certain reporting requirements. The legislation also provides for several other policy-related reliefs that will improve efficiency in managing Florida’s public-school systems.
The package additionally strengthens Florida’s policy landscape by improving the state’s teacher apprenticeship program, precluding collective bargaining from impacting certain district policies and practices like awarding bonuses to highly effective teachers and communicating with parents and staff, and expanding access to reading interventions in supports for students in K-2 who are struggling with reading.
HB 1361, sponsored by Rep. John Temple and Sen. Clay Yarborough, invests in comprehensive strategies, including tutoring services, educator micro-credential opportunities in reading and math, expanding existing reading scholarships, and implementing a new artificial intelligence grant program to support students and teachers.
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 and improves data collection for local CTE programs to inform state-level decision-making.
SB 7032, sponsored by Sen. Erin Grall and Rep. Lauren Melo, creates a first-of-its-kind program to reconnect students who have dropped out of high school with opportunities to earn their high school equivalency diploma and a credential of value.
