Florida Citizens Alliance
Legislative Agenda
Shape the future of Florida’s education
Shape the Future of Florida’s Education
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Real Solutions That Improve Student Learning
1. A Harmful to Minors materials bill strengthening Florida’s Obscenity Chapter 847 for Minors; to prevent exposure to pornographic and sexually explicit material. These materials harm children and potentially groom them to be trafficked.
2. A strong opt-in bill putting parents in control of their child’s education. This is consistent with and expands parents’ rights in education by changing all current opt-out options to opt-in. Among other things such a bill would allow parents to prevent their children from being exposed to sexually explicit materials being used in the classroom or recommended on any K-12 reading list.
3. Expand HOPE Scholarships to allow students to use the Hope Scholarship for home education as defined by FS 1002.41. This expands parents’ rights and educational freedom by allowing students to attend a private school or choose home education.
4. Create a definition for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and ban SEL from all public schools.
5. Expand Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFO’s) by updating the current 3% administration requirements to a tiered system based on total funds handled. This will allow for a market of SFO’s that can provide scholarship access to more children.
6. Expand the adoption process to allow for review/objection of teacher guides.
7. Remove the required testing for Personalized Education Plan (PEP) scholarship students. No testing is required for current homeschool students. PEP is simply home education supported by a scholarship. Plus, many of the approved nationally normed tests are Common Core compliant. Common Core standards no longer apply in Florida education and so those tests do not appropriately evaluate the educational experiences of Florida students.
8. Update FS 1002.45 to expand virtual school options for students by removing unnecessary restrictions on virtual schools.
9. Update protections and the ability to appeal to the Department of Education from HB 1069 (2023 Session) to all residents in a county. The objection process allows for any resident to object to a book, for this reason continuity should continue through all steps of the process.
10. Give voters in Florida school districts the lawful ability to recall school board members and elected superintendents.
11. Create a “whistle-blower” program administered by the Department of Education Inspector General that respects the anonymity of teachers and parents and protects them from district retribution.
2023 Legislative Agenda
1. Authorize Universal Education Savings Accounts for all Florida K-12 students and expand parental choice options and eligibility Family Empowerment and Hope Scholarships to home education.
2. A Harmful to Minors materials bill to strengthen Florida’s Obscenity chapter 847 for Minors; to prevent exposure to pornographic and sexually explicit material. These materials harm children and potentially groom them to be trafficked.
3. Expand 2022 HB 1557 to include pre-k, grades 4-8 and find a way to prohibit District Counselors and psychologists from circumventing HB 1557
4. A strong Opt-In bill putting parents in control of their child’s education. Among other things such a bill would allow parents to prevent their children from being exposed to sexually explicit materials being used in the classroom or recommended on any k-12 reading list.
5. Give voters in Florida School Districts the lawful ability to recall school board and elected Superintendents.
6. A state requirement that every school district must have a supplemental materials policy that requires any material used in the classroom to adhere to FS 1003.42, FS Chapter 847 and FS 1006.28, FS 1006.283, and all Florida Child Abuse Statutes (FS Chapter 827).
7. Expand technical education and apprentice opportunities for high school students.
8. Legislature to create a “whistle-blower” program to be administered by the Dept of Education Inspector General that protects the anonymity of district teachers and parents from district retribution.
9. Installing video cameras in public school classrooms, at sporting events and at school sponsored meetings on school property.