BREAKING NEWS: Florida Governor Makes Five School Choice Bills Law

A bit of late-breaking news as the workday draws to a close: Florida Gov. Rick Scott just signed into law five education reform bills, including bills with provisions increasing parental access to school vouchers, charter schools, and virtual schools. One of the bills also allows students in failing public schools to transfer to higher-performing ones.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has more details:

Scott [said that] "competition makes everybody better. Charter schools are public schools run by outside groups." 

Among the bills supporters is Peter Deutsch, founder of the Ben Gamla charter schools which has three schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, with another three scheduled to open in the fall, including in Palm Beach County. 

"I'm a big believer that charter schools provide big opportunity for choice," Deutsch said. "This legislation really continues in that direction."

You can read the full story, including the provisions included in the bills, here. We'll talk more about what the legislation means for families a bit down the road.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG