Florida's public schools are losing students. But is that bad?
Florida will pay $8,000 to cover tuition for any child who opts out of public school. The program is transforming k-12 education—and creating budget problems.
reason.com
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There's a quiet revolution happening in K-12 education, driven by parents and teachers who say they've had enough.
Jessica Zivkovic knows the feeling. "Ultimately I got to a point where I knew that we needed a whole overhaul," she says, "and I could not bring about the change within the system."
A handful of states are pushing school choice to the max. "There are a lot of eyes on Florida right now," says Tiffany Thenor. "We are kind of the pioneers of this universal voucher."
In the Sunshine State, about 14 percent of students attend a charter school and roughly 15 percent use state vouchers or education savings accounts, and traditional public schools are gradually losing students. It's like a slowly deflating balloon. And the teachers union says it's reckless.
"What we're seeing in Florida—it feels like an abandonment of public schools," says Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.
But it's not slowing down.
Is this the future of American education?
Producer: Zach Weissmueller
Video editor: Hana Ko
Graphics: Lex Villena
Audio Production: Ian Keyser
Color correction: Cody Huff
Music credits: Albatross by Roie Shpigler via Artlist /Sophie by Angelika Conrad via Artlist /Rivulet by Romeo via Artlist/Circle of Life by Letra via Artlist/Be Bold Be Brave (No Lead Vocals) by To The Valley via Artlist/Cascade by Kyle Preston via Artlist/Going Undercover by Borrtex via Artlist/t All Begins Here by Borrtex via Artlist/Escaping Forever by Michael Vignola via Artlist/Skipping by Ian Post via Artlist/Silhouettes (Only Piano) by Muted via Artlist/Naked Memories by Assaf Ayalon via Artlist
Image Credits: Paul Hennessy/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images/Sipa USA/Newscom/MATIAS J. OCNER/TNS/Newscom/imageBROKER/Jochen Tack/Newscom/Rafael Ben-Ari/Rafael Ben Ari/Newscom/Jefferee Woo/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Antonio Perez/TNS/Newscom/ SYSPEO/SIPA/Newscom/ Randy Rasmussen/Polaris/Newscom/Annette Holloway/Icon Sportswire/DMJ/Annette Holloway/Icon Sportswire/Newscom/Laurel Smith/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/Carlos A./ Moreno/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/ Douglas R. Clifford/ZUMA Press/Newscom/TNS/Newscom/Pedro Portal/TNS/Newscom
Dirk Shadd/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Jim Damaske/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Octavio Jones/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press/Newscom
reason.com
---
There's a quiet revolution happening in K-12 education, driven by parents and teachers who say they've had enough.
Jessica Zivkovic knows the feeling. "Ultimately I got to a point where I knew that we needed a whole overhaul," she says, "and I could not bring about the change within the system."
A handful of states are pushing school choice to the max. "There are a lot of eyes on Florida right now," says Tiffany Thenor. "We are kind of the pioneers of this universal voucher."
In the Sunshine State, about 14 percent of students attend a charter school and roughly 15 percent use state vouchers or education savings accounts, and traditional public schools are gradually losing students. It's like a slowly deflating balloon. And the teachers union says it's reckless.
"What we're seeing in Florida—it feels like an abandonment of public schools," says Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.
But it's not slowing down.
Is this the future of American education?
Producer: Zach Weissmueller
Video editor: Hana Ko
Graphics: Lex Villena
Audio Production: Ian Keyser
Color correction: Cody Huff
Music credits: Albatross by Roie Shpigler via Artlist /Sophie by Angelika Conrad via Artlist /Rivulet by Romeo via Artlist/Circle of Life by Letra via Artlist/Be Bold Be Brave (No Lead Vocals) by To The Valley via Artlist/Cascade by Kyle Preston via Artlist/Going Undercover by Borrtex via Artlist/t All Begins Here by Borrtex via Artlist/Escaping Forever by Michael Vignola via Artlist/Skipping by Ian Post via Artlist/Silhouettes (Only Piano) by Muted via Artlist/Naked Memories by Assaf Ayalon via Artlist
Image Credits: Paul Hennessy/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images/Sipa USA/Newscom/MATIAS J. OCNER/TNS/Newscom/imageBROKER/Jochen Tack/Newscom/Rafael Ben-Ari/Rafael Ben Ari/Newscom/Jefferee Woo/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Antonio Perez/TNS/Newscom/ SYSPEO/SIPA/Newscom/ Randy Rasmussen/Polaris/Newscom/Annette Holloway/Icon Sportswire/DMJ/Annette Holloway/Icon Sportswire/Newscom/Laurel Smith/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/Carlos A./ Moreno/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/ Douglas R. Clifford/ZUMA Press/Newscom/TNS/Newscom/Pedro Portal/TNS/Newscom
Dirk Shadd/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Jim Damaske/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Octavio Jones/ZUMA Press/Newscom/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press/Newscom
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