Image courtesy Pixabay.

To choose or not to choose? In Florida, like other states across the country, the answer today is choice. With the enactment in July of House Bill 1, also known as universal school choice, Florida dramatically expanded school choice options for K–12 education, including access to an educational savings account, and that has meant students and families can receive scholarship funds to attend non-public schools or access tutoring and other support systems.

The question now facing Floridians is not, then, to choose or not to choose. Instead, the question is how to build the best framework, with strong accountability measures, that keeps students at the center and that ensures the most underserved students in our state and certainly here in Sarasota County access the resources they need to find the educational pathways that will best meet their unique needs.

Developing such a framework will require productive, collaborative community engagement. It will require the varied perspectives listen with open ears, seeking common ground. And it will certainly require an unwavering focus on what’s best for students, especially those students who need the most support.

This past Thursday, the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club hosted an insightful discussion titled “HB1 Universal School Choice: Bane or Benefit?” As a Tiger Bay board member, I was able to help assemble four remarkable, thoughtful individuals representing many views on the impact of school choice (broadly) and House Bill 1 (specifically).

It was important to bring together diverse voices to explore this issue productively and respectfully. Public education has become a political hotbed, and our panelists were able to provide civil discourse on this important issue.    

Collaborative problem solving that promotes broader community buy-in can create more effective, longer-lasting solutions. That’s why I’m convinced that the voices of many must help guide our work.

At the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, we are planning to provide educational navigators to help families, especially those from underserved communities, know their available options. Understanding that school choice is a reality in Florida today and that many of the students who could most benefit from additional resources are not accessing them, we want to develop a model that builds off our work to provide students with relationships that make a difference. 

There is tremendous power in individualized relationships. Every day, our Student Success Coaches, Resiliency Success Coaches, and mentors work with students one on one. They get to know them and understand their specific needs and the challenges they face. With this understanding and from a place of trust, these coaches help students develop a viable plan for life after high school. They provide hope and steady encouragement and help students access the resources necessary to prepare to succeed.    

Today, we are exploring how that individualized approach can translate to help low-income and minority students access the right K–12 programs. We want to help these students customize their learning so that they have the best chance to reach their full potential.    

The Tiger Bay luncheon this past Thursday was one of what I hope will be many more constructive discussions around important educational topics as diverse stakeholders from across the community, the state, and the country collaborate to create a framework that does the most for each and every student. As we design our own model as an educational navigator, a model that best supports students—and public education—we want to hear from the community. We want to hear from leaders, educators, and families, so we can champion the amazing schools across Sarasota County while reaching underserved students and helping them uncover their ideal pathways. 

Today, it’s no longer the question to choose or not to choose. It’s a question of what public education might look like tomorrow, and getting this one right is of the utmost importance. The next generation and the health of public education depend upon it.

Jennifer Vigne is president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

Image courtesy Pixabay.