Some High-Performing Florida Charter Schools “Run by or Connected” to Legislators
From Jeffrey Solochek at GRADEBOOK:
Keeping with new state law, the Florida Department of Education has blessed 104 charter schools as “high performing” this year. The appellation grants these schools added powers, making it even more difficult for local school boards to govern them. (See Pasco County’s recent deliberations over a Charter Schools USA application.)
The new abilities granted to these high performers include adding enrollment annually without outside permission, expanding grade levels without sponsor approval, getting 15 year contracts, and opening “replicated” schools anywhere in Florida with minimal barriers. Of course, that replication is limited to one per year, but that hasn’t stopped some operators from proposing