Guest Author
Florida set the stage for school choice reform, giving many Americans hope.
After the pandemic eroded trust in traditional schooling, Florida’s school choice advocates, such as the James Madison Institute (JMI), welcomed Gov. Ron DeSanits’ approval to expand a parent’s right to choose their kids’ education.
In 2024, Florida became one of the first states to introduce its constituency to new schooling models and mobility to access those models, such as financial assistance.
Now, the rest of the country wants a taste of what makes Florida, Florida. The Sunshine State continues to serve as a model for the rest of the country.
For Americans like me, who have experienced the state of public schooling, we see the possibility of universal school choice as a beacon of hope. It serves as an indicator that one day, I might actually be able to raise a family in a country where our kids are not subject to indoctrination in public classrooms if the price of alternative schooling is unattainable.
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, who was enrolled in alternative education by his mother once she believed public schooling had failed him, agrees.
“What about those kids whose parents can’t scrape money together for private school? Don’t those kids who grew up like I grew up deserve the same chance that I had?” he said at the Republican National Convention.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has hinted that he wants to reciprocate the school choice model on the national level, and he’s not alone.
The American Enterprise Institute, a center-right conservative nonprofit, promises that “we’re going to see some kind of major federal school choice bill.”
Donalds, alongside influential organizations, previously delivered remarks on advancing assistance for parents who chose to overlook traditional education at the federal level.
Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education, Linda McMahon, confirms that school choice will be a Trump administration priority.
“Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America,” Trump wrote on social media.
“Linda has been a fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights, working hard at both AFPI and America First Works (AFW) to achieve Universal School Choice in 12 States, giving children the opportunity to receive an excellent education, regardless of ZIP code or income,” he added.
Florida is one of the 12 states referred to by Trump. There is no question that after the advancement of school choice has proven successful in Florida, it will serve as a model for the rest of the country.
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Pedro Rodriguez Aparicio is a fourth-year student at Florida State University and a former communications intern at the JMI.
