2008
Lifting the Cap
During the last week of March 2008, more than 300 scholarship supporters traveled to Tallahassee for the opportunity to have their voices heard by their state legislators about the importance of parental choice in the lives of Florida’s low-income children. These “Lift the Cap” Blitz attendees helped persuade lawmakers to increase the annual cap on contributions to the Step Up For Students program from $88- to $118-million, and the political support was broadly bipartisan.
The bill expanding the program was sponsored by two key legislators: Senate Education PreK-12 Chairman Don Gaetz, (R-Niceville), and House Education Council vice chairman Trey Traviesa, (R-Tampa). Both legislators were able to amass strong support from leaders and fellow members in both parties as a result of their strong leadership on education.
“The parental choice supporters who traveled to Tallahassee, some overnight all the way from Miami, were incredibly powerful and their voices echoed on both sides of the party lines,” said Senator Gaetz. ‘’This is a program that truly provides choice to families who otherwise would not have a choice, making it a program that I will always support.’’
Every legislator was visited by at least one group from his or her district and heard passionate pleas to increase the amount of the scholarship, increase the cap so more children could be served, and allow all foster children the chance to attend the schools that best meet their learning needs.
Many of the parents and school personnel who had never visited the state Capitol or personally met their state legislator were arguably more effective than some longtime lobbyists. In addition, some parents had the unique opportunity to testify before legislative committees as the proposed bill was heard.
In the Senate, Gaetz’s bill was co-sponsored by 17 members, including Democrats Al Lawson of Tallahassee and Gary Siplin of Orlando. The final
margin of support was 30-9.
“I am a longtime supporter of Florida’s public schools and I see these scholarships for low-income children as a way to expand the education
choice continuum,” said Senator Lawson. “We are all partners and share a joint responsibility in educating our children and this scholarship empowers those who need it the most.”
Traviesa led the efforts in the House to bring parental choice options to additional low-income Florida families and foster children. His leadership
along with our parents’ hard work during the Blitz and testimony at committee meetings helped produced in a wide margin of victory in the House, with a final vote of 87-32.
Along with a $30-million expansion of the cap on corporate donations, a $200 increase in the maximum scholarship amount and inclusion of more foster children, the new legislation allows Scholarship Funding Organizations to retain up to three percent of donations to be used for scholarship administrative expenses.
Step Up For Students thanks Senator Gaetz and Representative Trey Traviesa and all the parents and school representatives whose commitment and tireless efforts made a difference for the underprivileged children who count on these scholarships.
2007
Many Faces, One Dream
The "Many Faces, One Dream" Rally was held at the State Capitol in Tallahassee to thank legislators for their support of educational options for all of Florida's children. The rally participants included more than 4,000 students, parents and educators who rode on buses from as far away as Miami, an eight-hour trip, to join legislators and business leaders for the rally.
The rally began with a five-block march from the Civic Center to the Capitol Courtyard, in which students, parents and educators participating in Florida's school choice programs marched along the streets carrying large signs displaying the names of their hometowns and the theme of the rally - "Many Faces, One Dream." It was an unbelievable sight to see the 4,000 participants - a record-breaking number - make their way through the streets and into the Capitol Courtyard to show their tremendous support for the scholarship programs that have positively impacted the futures of thousands of Florida's low-income children.
Cheers erupted from the Capitol grounds as Gov. Crist reaffirmed his support for educational options and his dedication to a quality education for all of Florida's children. Rev. H.K. Matthews, a hero of the civil rights movement, spread his enthusiasm amongst the overwhelming number of school choice supporters when he stated "All of us who are here want what's best for our children, our parents and our state," adding "giving poor families school choice is a continuation of a dream that black leaders envisioned 40 years ago." In addition, Speaker pro tempore Dennis Baxley and Senator Alfred "Al" Lawson expressed their continued support for educational choices and the 2007 legislation proposed.
Additionally, moving testimonies were given by Sharonda Perkins, the mother of a FTC scholarship recipient from Tallahassee, and Alberto Garrido, a five-year FTC scholarship recipient from Hialeah. Both revealed how Florida's educational options have a provided a second chance at an education and a future through the eyes of a parent and student.
The rally was also an opportunity for families to meet with their state legislators. Following the rally program, many of the scholarship students and parents, met with their legislators to share their positive experiences with these programs and encourage them to expand options currently available. The 2007 proposed legislation includes a bill to expand the eligibility of FTC Scholarships to students who have been placed in foster care, enabling foster children who have lived in multiple environments during the previous year to receive a scholarship even if they were not counted as full-time students during that year. This bill also adds FTC Scholarship eligibility for youth who were counted as full-time equivalent students at any time during the previous year in a Department of Juvenile Justice educational program.
The 2007 "Many Faces, One Dream" Rally sponsors included the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO), The Coalition of McKay Scholarship Schools, National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders, Florida Alliance for Choices in Education (FACE), and the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The "Many Faces, One Dream" Rally brought awareness to the general public and legislators of the importance of educational options in Florida. The rally highlighted how these programs are greatly benefiting thousands of low-income children in Florida and creating a well-educated workforce, paving the way for a more productive, prosperous Florida. The event also generated a great amount of press coverage, including articles in The Gainesville Sun, The Tallahassee Democrat, The News-Press, Orlando Sentinel and The Florida Times-Union, and television coverage on all the major networks statewide.
2005
Opportunity March
Leaving their summer vacations behind, thousands of students gathered in Tallahassee on June 7 to support the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program and warn parents about the future of educational choice in Florida. If Opportunity Scholarships are declared unconstitutional, other similar programs that benefit 200,000 Florida students could be at risk, including McKay scholarships for students with disabilities, Bright Futures college scholarships and the new Voluntary Pre-K program.
March organizers, including the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, McKay Coalition, Florida African American Education Alliance and the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, say the event will enlighten parents and students about the potential ramifications of this court decision. At stake is the ability of families and students to decide which schools best fit their needs, regardless of religious or non-religious affiliations.
“Because scholarships aid parents, not schools or religious institutions, we believe the court will rule in support of Opportunity Scholarships, just as courts did in other states with similar constitutions,” said event emcee and founder of BAEO, Dr. Howard Fuller. Fuller was superintendent of public schools in Milwaukee when widespread educational choice was implemented. “These programs are legal according to Florida’s Constitution, which guarantees a ‘high quality education’ for each student. These programs work. I saw first hand how choice spurred improvement in Milwaukee’s public schools – it’s accomplishing the same goals in Florida!”
The march has drawn the attention of educational leaders who are fighting for school choice on a national scale including former Florida Senator John McKay, founder of McKay Scholarships; Julio Fuentes, President of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and Virginia Walden Ford. Walden Ford, Executive Director of DC Parents for School Choice and Chair of DC BAEO, talked about being one of the first black children to integrate into public schools following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and why equal educational opportunity remains a civil rights struggle today.
More than 20 state and national organizations have filed briefs urging the Florida Supreme Court to uphold Opportunity Scholarships including: The Salvation Army, Friends of Lubavich of Florida, Inc., The Florida Catholic Conference, The Child Developmental Education Alliance, The Florida Association of Academic Non-Public Schools and the Coalition of McKay Scholarship Schools.
2004
More than 2,800 supporters of the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program (CTC) marched through downtown Tallahassee to the Capitol steps to support educational opportunities for Florida's low-income families. The Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program - otherwise known as Step Up for Students- provides scholarships to qualifying low-income students for use at public or private schools. The teachers, parents, students and community leaders attending the rally drove from as far away as Miami to ensure their voices were heard by politicians campaigning in Florida primaries, as well as elected officials enjoying their second week of session.
At the Step Up for Students Rally, March 9, 2004, the final element of the day's activities was a sit-in at the offices of two Florida legislators: Representative Eleanor Sobel, D-Broward County and Representative Terry Fields, D-Duval County. Both had chosen to limit the opportunities for children from low-income families by opposing this program yet chose to send their own children to private schools.
Dozens of parents and administrators requested meetings with both elected officials to inquire about discrepancies between their public voting record and their own school choice practices. Eventually, Fields said -- three times -- that he would support the corporate tax credit scholarship program.
The thousands of marchers are representative of millions of Floridians who believe that school choice - in public and private schools – is a necessary educational option for low-income families.