Jesse Scheckner
State lawmakers haven’t yet agreed on whether to fund a Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) project that would transform a traditional public school into one offering classical education programming.
The House is insisting on apportioning $500,000 in non-recurring general revenue funds to the project, the full sum Doral Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez and Miami Rep. Mike Redondo sought this year through twin funding requests.
The Senate, meanwhile, hasn’t budged from its offer of nothing.
MDCPS tapped lobbyist Ron Book’s firm to pursue the earmark, which would go toward converting one public school in the district into a classical one serving and supporting “up to 250 students by enhancing their educational opportunities while expanding school choice options.”
The classical education model emphasizes an integrated study of the liberal arts, focusing on the development of critical thinking, logical reasoning, and communication skills through the examination of great literary works and philosophy.
Traditional schools, meanwhile, can include those focuses, but also center more on core subjects and foundational skills, typically with a more structured curriculum and greater emphasis on standardized testing.
The project would be the first of its kind within MDCPS, Rodriguez and Redondo’s requests said. Enrollees, they said, would receive a “comprehensive education that includes courses in literature, grammar, reading, math, foreign language, science, social studies, art and music.
Most of the funding being sought ($369,529) would cover materials, resources, supplies, and marketing and branding materials. Another $69,971 would cover teacher stipends, while the remaining $60,500 would pay for training and outreach, including information sessions, open houses, and communications to family and community members.
This project and others are part of a larger, statewide effort to overhaul Florida’s education system by moving it from one where students from less well-to-do families have limited learning options to one of myriad school choices.
A significant portion of this is attributed to the proliferation of charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately operated. Charter schools gained an even greater footing in the state’s education landscape this year through the passage of HB 1105, which, among other things, blocked school staff from voting on public-to-charter school conversions and required districts to proportionally share discretionary surtax revenue with charters based on enrollment.
