Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a legislative package loosening regulations on Florida's public school districts.
Multiple bills (SB 7002, SB 7004) free Florida's school system of many requirements that did not impact private competitors.
The "Learn Local" package was a top priority this year for Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who presented the changes as an appropriate follow-up to the state's move last year toward "universal school choice." The changes go into effect on July 1.
Changes include overhauling requirements for teacher training, governance issues and student promotion requirements.
Passidomo thanked DeSantis and House Speaker Paul Renner for supporting the changes to state law.
"I am tremendously grateful to Governor DeSantis, Speaker Renner, and all of the members who worked on our Learn Local package," Passidomo said.
"The result is a tremendous win for Florida's traditional public schools as Florida begins the process of reevaluating what level of state oversight is necessary in an environment of universal school choice. Our public schools deserve the opportunity to compete, right along other school choice options. My goal was to make serious headway this year, and I could not be more pleased with the final product. My vision for this critical initiative is a multi-year effort. Every year more and more regulations are put on our school districts, and every year we need to be looking at regulations we can remove."
Notably, the bill ultimately passed in the Legislature didn't include everything Passidomo and other lawmakers had unveiled ahead of the Legislative Session.
Originally, legislation controversially included eliminating a required 20-minute period of free play time and a 10th-grade English assessment. But none of those changes made the cut following pushback. That included former Gov. Jeb Bush publicly objecting to dropping the 10th grade assessment, a key part of the A-Plus education plan implemented during the Coral Gables Republican's tenure as Governor.
But the new law makes it easier for students to advance to fourth grade, erasing that part of Bush's education reform. The third-grade literacy test remains but parents can make the call against retaining a child in that grade if he or she doesn't pass the state reading test. The legislation also deletes a requirement that students pass a standardized algebra test and instead asks students to earn one credit in algebra with a standardized test at the end of the year constituting 30% of the final course grade.
DeSantis also signed legislation (SB 7032) establishing a Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education program, or GATE, which will waive tuition and fees for those who quit high school but pursue vocational diplomas or workforce credentials in Florida's state college system. The Florida Legislature allotted $4 million to cover the costs of that effort in a state budget that has not yet been signed.
Passidomo signaled that her push to deregulate public education is far from over.
"With two years left in the Senate after my term as Senate President comes to an end in November, I look forward to joining Senator (Corey) Simon and Senator (Alexis) Calatayud as we continue to dig in on deregulation in the years to come."
Simon, a Tallahassee Republican, and Catalayud, a Miami Republican, carried the education bills this Session, along with Sen. Travis Hutson.
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Anne Geggis contributed to this report.
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