Presentation Transcript

1. Promoting and Preserving Parental Choice in Florida

   D. Michael McCarron, Executive Director Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops
2. Catholic Education in Florida 3 Seminaries, 4 Universities 27,933 College Students 37 High Schools 23,847 High School Students 163 Elementary Schools 30 Stand-Alone Preschools 59,842 Pre-K to 8th Grade Students 7 Special Education Schools 7,085 Teachers/Administrators
3. Back in the Day Origins of Catholic Schools in FL Sisters Jailed for Teaching Blacks Schools burned down Episcopal Leadership
4. Florida’s Voluntary Public School Choice Program Aims to strengthen availability, accessibility, and equity of educational options for parents to secure a high-quality education for their children Implements 8 School Choice Parent Resource Centers to reach out and educate parents, especially in low-income areas
5. Children in Florida Catholic Schools Participate in: Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten free for children 4 years old McKay Scholarships for students with disabilities Florida Tax Credit Scholarships for low-income students Home Education andVirtual Education Opportunity Scholarships for students in failing schools
6. Florida Bishops’ Response to Choice Legislation Recommendation of Catholic School Superintendents Careful Deliberation Meeting with Governor Encouragement to Participate in Major Programs Advocating Reasonable Accountability Pursuit of Reasonable Regulations Public Schools are an Important Institution Incremental Steps Caution about Overdependence
7. Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten The Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Education Program (VPK) is available free to children who will be 4 years old by September 1. The dollar value in 2012-2013 for participating Catholic schools was $7,844,836 Parents can choose between a participating private child care or a public school provider All VPK providers must meet high standards required by law
8. Student Enrollment in Catholic School Voluntary Pre-Kindergartens
9. John McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Provided 26,118 Florida special needs students the opportunity to attend a participating private school in the 2012 – 2013 school year The state calculated maximum scholarship amount for IEP students enrolled during the 2011-12 school year ranged from $4,280 to $18,529, with an average scholarship amount of $6,849. Bishops’ Province Policy
10. John McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Parents have the option to choose a participating public school Eligible students include those with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Accommodation Plan The dollar value for Catholic School students in 2012-2013 was $15,825,886
11. John McKay Scholarships Student Participation
12. Vatican II –Concerning Needs of the Poor During Vatican II, the Council urged the faithful to keep Catholic Schools involved in caring for the needs of the poor (Decree on Christian Education, No. 9).
13. Pope John Paul II: Make Every Possible Effort Pope John Paul II said every possible effort should be made to ensure Catholic schools, despite financial difficulties, continue to provide education to the poor and marginalized (“Church in America,” No. 71).
14. U.S. Bishops: Catholic Schools Help the Economically Disadvantaged The US Bishops in their 2005 Statement, “Renewing our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools”, note the opportunity provided by Catholic schools for economically disadvantaged young people to receive a quality education.
15. Pope Benedict XVI, from his 2008 Address to U.S. Educators, about Catholic Schools “Indeed, everything possible must be done, in cooperation with the wider community, to ensure that they are accessible to people of all social and economic strata.  No child should be denied his or her right to an education in faith, which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation."
16. Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program In 2001 Florida Legislature created the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program In 2010, the FTC Scholarship Program partially eliminated prior public school attendance requirement Indexed Amount for 2013-2014 Scholarship is $4,880 The dollar value for Catholic school students in 2012-2013 was $33,262,455
17. Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program The law provides for state tax credits for contributions to nonprofit scholarship funding organizations, called SFOs. The SFO's then award scholarships to eligible children of families that have limited financial resources. SFOs are the non-profit organizations that issue scholarships and determine student eligibility for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Any non-profit charitable organization may apply to be a SFO.
18. Florida Tax Credit Scholarship ProgramStudent Participation
19. Catholic Schools Respond toChoice Opportunities
20. Catholic Schools Respond toChoice Opportunities 2012 - 2013
21. Dollar Value of Catholic School Scholarship Participation Total Scholarship Value $136,243,282
22. What do I know about parental choice advocacy today that I wish I had known when I started Incrementalism is a good thing Support from Catholic School Leaders is not automatic Distributive Justice is not anti-public schools Catholic School mission blends perfectly with types of choice programs that enjoy public support
23. What can school leaders do to help implement and help expand choice? Catholic School leaders and bishops on same page Establish Advisory Parent Federation Forge relationships with natural allies/parent groups Agree in advance on acceptable provisions Establish relationships with key policy actors Establish electronic advocacy network