FreedomWorks released an open letter to the Florida Legislature this week, urging legislators back a proposal from state Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid, to expand school choice options throughout the state.
The letter was signed by FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon and Laura Zorc, who is the group’s director of education reform.
The letter is as follows:
The FreedomWorks activist community urges you to support universal school choice in Florida, H.B. 1. This bill equips families by expanding the Family Empowerment Scholarship program to all Florida students.
Florida boasts a reputation as a national leader in innovative education policy that prioritizes the needs of individual students rather than one-size-fits-all systems. However, the Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card ranks Florida third among all states in school choice. While other states have traditionally looked to Florida as a model for education, there remains room to improve.
Arizona changed the game this past year by implementing the nation’s first universal education savings account program. Every student deserves a chance to succeed, and Florida’s H.B. 1 will open choice to all students, no matter their background. In its current form, this bill will set the bar for other states to follow.
Allowing families to choose the school that best suits the needs of their children improves academic performance and the long-term success of students. The accountability that school choice brings also benefits the performance of public schools.
The culmination of years of grassroots efforts, Florida’s H.B. 1 is a lifeline for families previously denied the opportunity for choice in their child’s education. While data routinely shows school choice’s value, the intangible benefits of autonomy and flexibility should not be understated. H.B. 1 is an opportunity for Florida lawmakers to once again assert themselves as the national leader for choice and innovation in the classroom.
For these reasons, we urge you to support the expansion of school choice in Florida, H.B. 1.
Author
