FAQs
People are asking about
Educating Florida's Future.
If you have questions about Florida’s schools, funding, or accountability, you are in the right place. We strive to provide clear, nonpartisan answers that are informed by data and research, so every family can make informed decisions.
What is the mission of Educating Florida’s Future?
Educating Florida’s Future advocates for PreK-12 education policy and funding that builds strength and stability for Florida's students, communities, economy and future.
What are the priorities of Educating Florida’s Future?
Our main priorities include: all of Florida’s children learning at their top potential; the responsible use of taxpayer dollars in the Pre K-12 arena; and parent and taxpayer understanding and support of public schools. This means: committing to excellence in our public schools; accountability for every tax dollar spent and every student’s success; communities that are informed and involved; and collaboration with teachers, administrators, school staff, parents, neighbors and elected leaders.
What will donations to Educating Florida’s Future be used for?
Outreach and advocacy in local communities, as well as with the legislature in Tallahassee, informational public town halls, parent resources, research, data and oversight analysis, and launch operations. We will publish regular updates about our activities.
Why are strong public schools important?
Public schools are the common fabric that binds us and propels us as neighbors, as Floridians, and as Americans. With a strong public school system comes an informed citizenry, which is the foundation for national security, a strong economy, and community vibrancy. Public schools educate the vast majority of all students in Florida and across the country as well.
How did the tradition of public schools come about?
In 1647 the Massachusetts Bay Colony put into law a property tax to fund public education. In 1818, Thomas Jefferson wrote about the crucial connection between public education and democracy by giving every citizen the skills to transact their own business, express their ideas, know their rights, and understand their duties to neighbor and country. They had just fought for the founding of this country and knew that it would take an educated citizenry for it to endure. The Florida Constitution added that the public education of children is a “paramount duty” of the state in 1868; then in 1998, Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment stating: “The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida.” The American public has had a long commitment to the education of children. We all have a vested interest in its success. We can and we must be excellent in PreK-12 education.
Florida is a big state, with 67 counties and 2.8 million students. Is it possible for all public schools to be excellent?
Educating Florida’s Future believes that excellence is possible across a “system of scale” like our state’s public school system. It takes leadership that believes every school can thrive and every student can succeed. Those leaders across the system set standards for excellence; hire, train, and support teachers and staff who deliver results; and encourage engagement, support and feedback from students, parents and families.
What are EFF’s top priorities for improving educational outcomes?
We know what works. We have seen it in top performing schools and school districts. Top priorities for improving educational outcomes include: • Early childhood education • Third grade reading proficiency • Enhanced middle school experience • Workforce pathways and career technical education • Retention of best and brightest teachers • Enriching, innovative schools for every student • Funding schools to keep pace with inflation and rising costs • Financial and academic accountability for every tax dollar spent For more details about EFF’s priorities, check out the About section.
Some counties in Florida have shown significant improvements in public schools in recent years. How have they been successful in improving educational outcomes?
In Pinellas County, for example, tremendous success in our schools has been achieved by investing in early childhood education and third-grade reading proficiency. Other factors include hiring and retaining great teachers with the help of a local tax referendum and a highly engaged local education foundation; improving the middle school experience; collaborating with and engaging parents; and striving to provide safe, supportive school environments for all students and staff.
Does EFF support school choice?
Educating Florida’s Future does support school choice. In fact, many choices exist within the public school system, including: magnet schools which have a focus like engineering, technology, the arts, nursing, automotive, AI, finance, International Baccalaureate, among others; fundamental schools which have formal expectations of parental involvement; and public charter schools. Additionally, EFF supports publicly funded options outside of the public school system when offered with appropriate income-eligibility requirements and financial and academic accountability.
Should school vouchers be available to everyone without restrictions?
We believe that public tax-funded school vouchers for non-public school options should be provided with reasonable guidelines in place. School vouchers were originally made available in 2000 for students with disabilities whose needs were not able to be met by public schools, then in 2001 to low-income students in struggling public schools. After the state legislature approved universal school vouchers in 2023, the program has expanded to an unmanageable and unsustainable level. This legislation removed all income requirements and students already in private school could access vouchers. This is not a case of “the money follows the student,” but rather, the development of a publicly funded alternative system of K-12 education. We believe income guidelines must be restored to address our state’s forecasted deficit, largely due to uncontrolled school voucher spending, and financial and academic accountability must be required for any publicly funded PreK-12 education.
Why have enrollments at public schools been declining?
Public school enrollments have declined in many counties across the state for several reasons, a declining birth rate and fewer students being chief among them. Since 2023, universal school vouchers have also had an impact, with a relatively small percentage of public school students transferring to non-public school options.
How do I know if the private schools I am considering are academically accredited or if their teachers are certified?
This information is available at: www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/privateschooldirectory/
