MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis highlighted Florida’s top-ranked education system and the state’s latest push to expand school choice during a Thursday morning press conference at Florida International University.
Joined by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, DeSantis pointed to state metrics that rank Florida No. 1 in education for the 10th straight year.
He said the state has led the nation in school choice, noting that more than 400,000 students are enrolled in charter schools.
“We believe regardless of where you’re from, or your ethnic heritage, you have the ability to succeed if you’re given a good education,” DeSantis said. “We need to empower parents to make meaningful decisions for their children so students can come first.”
DeSantis also said that 71% of Florida schools earned an A or B grade this year, up from 64% in 2022, crediting a move to replace year-end standardized testing with progress monitoring throughout the school year.
On Wednesday, the Florida Board of Education approved a major charter school expansion, clearing the way for privately run schools to “co-locate” inside traditional public schools.
The move follows legislation signed by DeSantis earlier this year to allow more “schools of hope,” charter schools designed to serve students from persistently low-performing schools.
DeSantis said the expansion of school choice also includes support for homeschooling families, part of what he described as Florida’s “school choice program.”
At FIU, university president and former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez presented DeSantis with an FIU football jersey, underscoring the school’s role in Thursday’s announcement.
The state’s charter school push comes as some public schools face declining enrollment, aging facilities and post-pandemic struggles. Florida has long been seen as a national model for conservative education policy.
During the news conference, it was announced that philanthropist Ken Griffin is donating $50 million to support children from Miami’s poorest communities, with the goal of helping them achieve what officials called “unparalleled educational success.”
Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy, thanked Griffin for what she described as a transformative gift for the city’s most vulnerable students.
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