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After passing the full House earlier this month, HB 7055 was taken up and amended by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 21. This major education bill addresses a broad range of education issues, including strengthening state oversight of scholarship programs, such as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. James Herzog, FCCB associate director for education, offered committee members a practical perspective on proposed accountability measures.

SB 1064 (Baxley), a bill allowing students in private school to participate in a dual enrollment program available to public school students, passed the Senate Education Committee (8-2) on January 29. High school students in the program can enroll in college courses and receive higher education credits at no cost to the student or the private school the student attends. FCCB staff expressed support for the measure during the committee hearing.

On December 6, the House Pre-K-12 Innovation Subcommittee convened a special five-member panel of school choice leaders to discuss the current levels of oversight plus academic outcomes achieved by nonpublic school students participating in state scholarship programs. James Herzog, FCCB associate director for education, spoke about the main reasons parents choose Catholic schools along with the importance of accreditation and teacher certification.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has joined the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education and numerous other entities in support of #EdTaxCredit50, an advocacy campaign proposing the creation and adoption of a national education tax credit program. In such a program, donations made to certain non-profit scholarship organizations would generate federal tax credits for individuals and corporations. This charitable activity would increase K-12 options for low and middle-income families, including the ability to send their children to faith-based and independent schools.

On Monday, June 26, 2017, Governor Rick Scott signed into law HB 15 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora. The measure establishes a higher per-child scholarship amount for middle and high school students in the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program. It also expands eligibility for the Gardiner Scholarship Program for children with special needs to include students with visual or hearing impairment and other children who qualify for individualized education programs.

The executive board and other representatives of the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) met with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on June 7, 2017. Mary Camp, FCC associate director for accreditation and president of NCPSA, led the discussion. NCPSA is the voice for quality assurance, school improvement, and accreditation in private schools. The Council sought the secretary's support and offered it's assistance, as we continue to promote parental choice in education.

On Wednesday, the Florida House unanimously passed legislation that would strengthen two existing school choice programs. HB 15 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R-Mount Dora) increases the per-student scholarship amount for high school students from low-income families served by the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program.

On Monday, James Herzog, associate director for education, testified in support of SB 1314 (Grimsley) as the proposal passed its first committee of reference. The bill increases the per-student scholarship amount for high school students from low-income families served under the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program.

On Tuesday, two mothers of Catholic school students spoke before the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee during public comments regarding HB 15 by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan (R-Eustis). The measure would allow higher per-child scholarships to students from low-income families seeking to attend nonpublic high schools in the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program.

HB 15 by Representative Jennifer Sullivan (R-Eustis) passed (12-3) its first committee of reference on Tuesday, March 7. The bill contains several provisions that increase access to school choice, including:

Today a week has passed since President Trump made his historic first visit to any school, public or nonpublic, independent or faith based, while in office. On behalf of our system of 240 Catholic schools in Florida, it was a true honor and a privilege to have him choose St. Andrew Catholic School in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando for his March 3rd tour and school choice roundtable.

The following is a statement from James B. Herzog, Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, associate director for education, on today’s visit by President Donald J. Trump to St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando:

On January 18, the Florida Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal challenging Florida’s Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program, effectively ending an ongoing lawsuit attempting to declare the program unconstitutional. The Court, in a 4-1 decision, upheld the August 2016 ruling of First District Court of Appeal that ruled the plaintiffs in McCall v. Scott did not have legal standing to challenge the FTC scholarships.

National School Choice Week, January 22-28 Held every January, National School Choice Week is the world's largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. Across the country, more than 20,000 independently planned events will shine a positive spotlight on effective education options for children. Events are diverse in size and type - from pep rallies featuring the National School Choice Week dance to open houses, parent information sessions, large-scale rallies, roundtable discussions, and more.

The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) has shared good news about the state of Catholic education in the United States. Catholic school students outshine their public school counterparts across multiple disciplines. The 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), sometimes referred to as the nation's report card, reveals Catholic eighth grade students score:

On August 16, a panel of three judges unanimously dismissed the lawsuit McCall v. Scott, which was originally filed in 2014. The suit alleges that the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program violates the Florida Constitution.

On Tuesday, May 10, the 1st District Court of Appeal heard arguments in a lawsuit that claims the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program violates the Florida Constitution. In May 2015, Leon County Circuit Judge George Reynolds dismissed the suit, ruling that the Florida Education Association and other plaintiffs in McCall v. Scott lacked legal standing in the case.

In the early 1990s, it was all the rage for expecting parents to play hours of classical music before childbirth. When articles first appeared in scholarly journals, the melodies of Mozart and Beethoven became popular to reportedly boost the IQ levels of children through exposure in utero.

The Regular Session of the Florida Legislature came to a close (sine die) at 6:45 p.m. on Friday, March 11. The motion to adjourn sine die, Latin for 'without day,' is the last action of a session of the Florida legislature.

HB 837 (Bileca) was amended by the Senate, passed unanimously (39-0) and received final passage (114-0) in the House on Wednesday. The proposal develops a 'transition-to-work' program for recipients of the McKay Scholarship.