Florida Chamber Education Priorities Head to the Governor

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 11, 2016) – The Florida Legislature continues to move our state and our students in the right direction with the passage of a bill that includes several Florida Chamber legislative priorities.

HB 7029 strengthens and expands school choice options, ensures we are helping to train, and retain, the best teachers for our students, works to further streamline graduation requirements for Florida’s high-schoolers, codifies performance funding for Florida’s 12 public universities and 28 state colleges, and champions efforts that will renew a focus on the importance of early learning.

We commend the Florida Legislature, who made it possible for the many successes in education that Florida saw this Legislative Session. Students with unique learning abilities will be able to take advantage of greater learning opportunities with the John M. McKay Scholarship Program and the Gardiner Scholarship Program, current college and career readiness programs will be strengthened, and highly effective, professional educators wanting to teach STEM subject courses will have an easier pathway for certification. Many Florida students will now be able to take advantage of an education system which allows them to advance at their own pace based on their mastery of concepts and skills with the new Competency-Based Education Pilot Program.

The Florida Chamber knows the existing one-size-fits-all system of education is struggling to consistently meet the individual needs of each student and equip them for success in the 21st century, and thanks to the hard work of the Florida Legislature, Florida’s students are on the path to continued competitiveness and excellence.