The Power of Full-Service Community Schools

Community schools are more than just educational facilities; they are hubs of comprehensive support. These schools integrate academic, social, and health services provided by partners to address the multifaceted needs of students, families, and communities. Community schools are more than their partnerships. They are founded on a community-wide needs assesment to first determine the community’s priorities. Then, partnerships are developed to fill those needs. By fostering collaboration between schools and local resources, community schools create a meaningful ecosystem where every child can thrive.

Evidence-Based Success

The FY 2023 Full-Service Community School request for proposals saw over 400 communities express interest, continuing a three-year trend of increasing demand. This surge underscores the efficacy of community schools as an evidence-based strategy. Leaders nationwide recognize that community schools play an important role in helping students achieve academically, regardless of their background or zip code.

Investment with High Returns

Investing in community schools is smart fiscal policy. Coordinating resources at the school and system levels yields impressive results. For example, for every $1 invested in a community school coordinator’s salary, the return on investment exceeds $7. This efficient use of funds ensures that students receive the support they need to succeed academically and beyond.

Addressing Urgent Needs

Community schools tackle urgent societal challenges head-on. With 20 million children ages 3-17 reporting at least one mental health concern, community schools provide essential mental health services. Additionally, they support the 12.5% of children experiencing food insecurity and offer aid to the 81,000 families and youth facing homelessness. By addressing these critical needs, community schools contribute to stronger, healthier communities.

A Call to Action

As Congress develops the 2025 appropriations bill, we must prioritize the future of our students and the economic health of our communities. The Coalition for Community Schools, along with other organizations like the Alliance for Public Schools, encourages funding the Full Service Community Schools Program at $443 million, without cuts to other education programs. By doing so, we can reinvigorate education and economic efforts in urban and rural communities, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive and building a brighter future for us all.

Quickly send an email to your U.S. Senators and urge them to fund Full Service Community Schools today. Then, share it with your friends.

To learn more about the Alliance’s work to promote Full Service Community Schools, reach out to us at info@all4schools.org.

The post Investing in Full-Service Community Schools: A Pathway to Student Success appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

Why School Nurses Matter

For many students, the school nurse is their primary healthcare provider. With over 40% of school-aged children and teens having chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and food allergies, school nurses ensure timely care and management. They bridge the gap between education and healthcare, promoting student health and well-being.

During routine health exams, school nurses are often the first to identify chronic health conditions. Their vigilance ensures timely interventions, preventing complications and keeps students in classrooms so they can learn. School nurses educate students and families about available health services, access to insurance, and coordination of care. Their guidance extends beyond the school walls, benefiting entire families and communities.

Every dollar invested in school nursing yields a $2.20 return. By preventing costly emergency room visits and reducing parents’ work absences due to sick children, school nurses contribute to both health and financial stability.

The Shortage Crisis

Florida grapples with a shortage of school nurses. As of March 2024, Pinellas County public schools had 32 out of 123 nurse positions open. The statewide deficit projection by 2035 includes 21,700 licensed professional nurses (LPNs) and 37,400 registered nurses (RNs). The need for competitive pay to recruit and retain nurses remains critical.

Lack of nurse educators hinders nursing schools from admitting enough students. Florida RN programs report a shortage of qualified faculty, affecting enrollment and exacerbating the deficit. Further, as the Baby Boomer generation retires, the demand for healthcare providers increases. Simultaneously, nurses leave the workforce, creating a challenging cycle.

Addressing the Crisis

Florida nursing schools must invest resources to hire more faculty to address the shortage. Increased faculty can boost enrollment and graduate more nurses.

To attract and retain nurses, districts must offer competitive salaries. For example, Pinellas County LPNs currently earn an average hourly wage of $30.73, but market forces demand more.

Communities, legislators, and educators must recognize the indispensable role of school nurses. Their impact extends far beyond health—it shapes academic success. Advocates must work together to demand resources like school nurses who help our students succeed. Sign up for our updates to stay informed of issues impacting our children, educators, and public schools.

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Education Funding: Holding Steady

The journey to this moment had many challenges. Months of wasted time were caused by the House Republican majority, which wrestled with far-right pressure to abandon the previous budget agreement from nearly a year ago. However, the majority finally acknowledged that most members in both chambers supported the original agreement.

The education funding bill closely adheres to the agreement reached during last year’s debt ceiling negotiations. Overall funding for education remains essentially level, which is a victory in itself based on the cuts that were proposed.

The Power of Advocacy

Your voices played a crucial role in shaping this outcome. The GOP majority unveiled its plan last summer to slash education funding by 30 percent and gut Title I by 80 percent but advocates like you helped shut down that harmful proposal.

The final bill includes small increases for several critical areas:

1. Title I: These grants to local educational agencies receive a boost, with an increase of $20 million above fiscal year 2023.
2. IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): Funding for special education sees a $14 million increase.
3. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): These institutions receive continued support.

In addition, the bill addresses additional measures:

1. Higher Education: The final legislation includes a provision which guarantees the continuation of the comprehensive National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS). NPSAS is the most comprehensive nationally representative study that measures how students and families finance postsecondary education.
2. Workforce Development: The bill includes a directive for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to study “pay-for-success” programs as an outcomes-based incentive for employers to launch (or expand) apprenticeships. The provision in the bill directs DOL to assess the feasibility of such programs, which may inform potential further investment in pay-for-success apprenticeship initiatives at the federal level.

Looking Ahead

Two additional federal initiatives hold promise:

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): By preparing students to learn, SNAP contributes to their overall well-being.
2. American Families and Workers Act of 2024: This legislation aims to reduce child poverty by raising the Child Tax Credit and encourages affordable housing construction.

This win was thanks to the voices of advocates like you. Let’s continue working together to build a brighter future for all. Sign up for our updates to stay informed of issues impacting our children, educators, and public schools.

The post Congress Passes Education Funding Bill: A Victory for Students and Educators appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

1. ESSER Funds and Fiscal Realities

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, a lifeline during the pandemic, faced a cliffhanger. These federal dollars had bolstered schools, but their expiration loomed large. The budgets for both PreK-12 and higher education institutions were under the microscope. As the clock ticked, districts grappled with the impending funding gap, risking teacher layoffs and program cuts.

2. Deregulation and High Stakes Testing

Last year’s expansion of school choice had a ripple effect. In 2024, lawmakers doubled down on deregulation, aiming to free public schools from policies that districts viewed as cumbersome. While some hailed this as a step toward flexibility, others felt like the legislature did not go far enough. Popular proposals that would have ended the harsh consequences of high stakes testing failed in negotiations between the House and the Senate.

3. Social Media Regulations for Minors

In an era of tweets and TikToks, social media regulations became a hot topic. The legislature grappled with safeguarding minors online. Lawmakers attempted to balance free speech and protecting students. The resulting policy does not target specific platforms and applies to platforms “where at least 10 percent of daily active users are children younger than 16 who use it for two hours or more a day; that uses “addictive” features, such as infinite scrolling; and that uses algorithms that analyze user data to handpick content for users.”

Chronic Abseenteeism and the Future of Education

Despite committee hearings and public statements from legislative leaders, the chronic absenteeism crisis was never addressed. Districts continue to grapple with a high number of student absences.

Pay attention to the candidates on your ballot for school board, the state House, and the Senate. Be ready to vote on August 20th and November 5th. It will be up to advocates and voters to demand policies that empower students, elevate student voices, engage families and the community, and involve students in the solutions.

Sign up for our updates to stay informed of issues impacting our children, educators, and public schools.

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Positive changes for children

Senate President Passidomo has prioritized a set of bills aimed at the “deregulation” of public schools- including changes to graduation requirements. During the lead up to session during Committee Weeks, the Senate removed a proposal within the bills that would have eliminated children’s right to daily recess after tremendous pushback from advocates and families. From the Tampa Bay Times, “Before the final vote, the Senate removed a contentious provision that would have given parents the authority to override mandatory third grade retention for low reading performance. It instead added a new alternate path to promotion, including more interventions to help struggling readers.”

“The House Education Quality Subcommittee put forth a bill (PCB EQS 24-01) with bits and pieces of the Senate proposals. It primarily focuses on eliminating requirements for specific reports and repealing repetitive or obsolete programs.

Among its more notable proposals, the House bill would remove the requirement that virtual education providers be nonsectarian. One speaker raised concerns the provision might pave the way for a publicly funded religious school similar to St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma, which has become the subject of lawsuits.

It also would allow districts to charge a $100 processing fee when they review multiple book challenges brought by people who do not have a child enrolled at the school where they raised the objections. A representative from the Florida PTA backed this idea, while a speaker from Florida Citizens Alliance opposed it.”

The stark contrast between the two bills will likely result in negotiations between the two chambers at the end of session. Stay tuned for more on this as the session progresses.

Child well-being and attendance

Efforts to address chronic absenteeism provide a rare opportunity for bi-partisanship this session. Chronic absenteeism rates- when a student misses at least 10% of school- have continued to climb since the pandemic. When children are absent, they risk dropping out and miss social services like school breakfast and lunch programs. The House Education Quality Subcommittee has already held a hearing on the topic and proposed legislation is coming. From WEAR News,

“The bill has no name and hasn’t been introduced yet, but Rep. Michelle Salzman says it will track students who are absent. It will also show how often they missed school, and why.

“Basically the bill is creating a database and a dashboard and then requiring a collaborative effort not just with Department of Education but community partners as well so we can try and find the true why and what’s going on with these kids and then address each of those instances individually,” Rep. Salzman said.

Rep. Salzman says the bill would also support schools in creating teams directly responsible for determining why a student is consistently absent.” The Biden administration has made this a priority, as well.

State budget

The Florida Legislature must pass a balanced budget during its 60 day session with education funding playing a large role in that process. The governor’s proposed budget includes “increases for teacher pay”. But, it’s now up to the Legislature to determine the details of how much funding to allocate and to which priorities.

From WGCU, “Separately, 2,200 proposals, many overlapping with the House, have been submitted by senators, carrying an overall $5.2 billion price tag. Those requests are on top of tens of billions of dollars in big-picture spending on programs such as schools, health care, prisons and transportation.

DeSantis has pitched a $114.4 billion budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which will start July 1. Lawmakers will use that proposal as a starting point as they negotiate a budget during the legislative session that started Tuesday.”

Visit the Advocacy Dashboard to speak up for students. We make it easy to identify and contact your legislators via email and/or social media. Together, we can advocate for policies that invest in children and families and support our future.

The post What to expect from the 2024 Florida Legislative Session appeared first on Alliance for Public Schools.

Many factors have been attributed to this decline. According to the USA Today, there are “myriad reasons: low pay and morale, mounting political and academic pressures, health and safety concerns. A generation of teachers hitting or nearing retirement and another generation of prospective teachers deterred by the profession’s flailing reputation and the sacrifices it necessitates.” 

Education Week author Alyson Klein highlights one additional factor- “Teachers have a seemingly never-ending to-do list: Make bulletin boards. Plan lessons. Connect with parents. Do bus duty. Chaperone the prom. Write college recommendation letters. Run active shooter drills. Participate in professional learning communities. Learn new software. And on and on.

Do prospective teachers eye those job responsibilities and say, “no thanks, I’ll find another line of work?” Ninety percent of educators surveyed by the Ed Week Research Center say yes.

In fact, more than half—56 percent—fully agree that the demands placed on teachers are too high and that is why it has been hard to attract and retain people in the profession, and 34 percent partly agree with that perspective. The survey of 1,301 principals, teachers, and district leaders was conducted in June and July.”

According to Klein’s article, “...the typical teacher works 54 hours per week, 25 of them spent teaching students, according to the first annual Merrimack College Teacher Survey commissioned by the Winston School of Education and Social Policy at Merrimack College and conducted by the EdWeek Research Center. Just 37 percent of teachers felt they had control over their schedules, the Merrimack survey found.”

An article in Forbes confirms this trend and notes, “Teachers are demanding autonomy, better working conditions and more support in addition to higher pay. Unless districts are able to meet these demands, they may continue to lose many experienced educators.”

State policy makers must address funding issues so school districts have the resources to allocate recurring money for salaries. School districts must take steps to alleviate mounting stress like allowing increased classroom autonomy and better working conditions at the school level. Community leaders and citizens must advocate for the schools we desire with legislative decision makers and district leaders. Instead of piling on more demands to solve society’s ills, the community must find ways to offer meaningful support of their schools and educators.

To advocate for adequate funding and better learning conditions for students (which are better working conditions for their teachers), visit our Advocacy Dashboard and send a quick email to your state legislators. Sign up for our alerts to stay up to date with ways you can speak up for students, educators and our public schools.

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By Aug. 11, more than 382,000 students had received vouchers for the 2023-24 school year, giving them access to money for private school tuition, homeschooling services or therapies for children with disabilities, according to Step Up For Students, the private group that administers most of Florida’s scholarship programs.

The scholarships are worth an average of about $7,800 a year, though actual amounts vary by student’s grade level and by county. The voucher programs are still required to prioritize giving awards to children whose families earn no more than 185% of the federal poverty limit, or a family of four earning $55,000 a year or less. But everyone, whether middle class or very rich, is now eligible to apply.

Step Up for Students is the charity that administers the voucher program. They take a 2.5% fee for every voucher they process and are currently one of the 20th wealthiest charities in the nation according to Forbes.

There are many proponents of the program including the Archdiocese of Miami which has seen a significant increase in enrollment in their Catholic schools from families using vouchers.

But the new law also faces fierce critics. They worry its price tag — one estimate says it will cost the state $4 billion in its first years — will devastate public school budgets and dislike that private schools that take vouchers face little regulation from the state.

“This is the design, to undermine our public schools,” said Karen Castor Dentel, an Orange County School Board member during a board budget discussion earlier this month.

“The public dollars that they have given to private schools, those are our public school dollars that they are now giving to people to go to a private school,” Castor Dentel said. “Those are public school dollars they are now handling over to unaccountable private schools where you don’t have to have a qualified teacher.”

Private schools that take state vouchers are mostly religious schools, and they make their own decisions as far as teacher qualifications, curriculum and facilities. Some have hired teachers without college degrees and employees with criminal convictions, set up in rundown buildings and offered curriculum outside mainstream academics, the Orlando Sentinel has reported.

Providing scholarships to families whose children already were in private school or were being homeschooled “is absolutely taking away from public school dollars,” said Norin Dollard, a senior policy analyst with the Florida Policy Institute, a progressive think tank that warned back in February that the new law would cost the state billions of dollars.

Many of the private schools accepting vouchers opened their doors just after the original voucher program was established. From the Sentinel’s article from March, “Well-established or brand-new, none of these schools need to meet public school standards for teacher credentials, academics or facilities, as state scholarship laws allow private schools to set their own rules.

A private school in west Orange County, for example, hired a daycare worker — a woman without a college degree who’d been fired from her last job — as a fourth-grade teacher in 2020.

To accept state scholarships, private schools must meet only a few state rules related to building safety and employee background checks. Even schools that violate those rules are often allowed to remain in the programs.”

Proper regulations and standards should be in place to ensure that all schools receiving tax money, whether public or private, provide a high standard of education and transparency for the use of those funds.

Take action today using our simple online tools. Make sure your lawmakers know your priorities for students and public schools.

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Vouchers for all

Despite public outcry and warnings from stakeholders, the governor signed a controversial bill which will give families tax payer funded vouchers. The vouchers can be used to pay for private school tuition, for homeschooling resources or to pay for other school-related costs. Every child in Florida is eligible including students who have never attended a Florida public school leading many to predict an exorbitant price tag. Research organizations, including the Education Law Center and the Florida Policy Institute estimate the law will cost Florida taxpayers $4 billion. Opponents fear that much of this sum will be cut from an already under-resourced public school system and will fundamentally change the public school system.

School Start Times

A bipartisan bill forces districts to set new school start times for middle and high schools. The new law prevents middle schools from beginning the “instructional day” earlier than 8 a.m., while high schools would be barred from starting the school day before 8:30 a.m. The changes go into effect by July 2026.

About 48% of Florida’s public high schools start school before 7:30 a.m., according to the Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Another 19% of high schools start between 7:30 a.m. and 7:59 a.m.

Partisan School Board Races, Residency Requirements, and Term Limits

From WGCU “The Republican-controlled House voted 79-34 along straight party lines to approve a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 31) that seeks to hold partisan school-board elections. If ultimately approved by voters, the amendment would scrap a current requirement that the races be non-partisan…

If it emerges from the Legislature, the proposed constitutional amendment on partisan elections would go on the 2024 ballot, where it would require 60 percent voter approval to pass. It would take effect with the 2026 elections.”

Another law requires Florida school board members to live in their assigned district on the day the candidate assumes office instead of on the date of qualification which is the current law.

Lastly, the legislature further reduced last year’s measure to limit school board members’ terms from 12 years to 8 years.

Teacher Unions

From WPTV

“Considered a “union buster” by Florida’s teacher’s union, the new law forbids auto withdrawal of union dues from paychecks, increases the threshold of employees needed to form or maintain a union, and requires annual audits. The new law did not apply to other labor unions including firefighters or police.

“It feels like over the last five, six decades the Florida Legislature has constantly eroded the right to collectively bargain,” Frank Peterman with the Florida Education Association said.

In a press release later in the day, FEA’s president suggested litigation could be coming as soon as this week.”

Expansion of “Dont Say Gay”

Last year’s controversial bill has been expanded this year to include all of K-12 education. From NBC News– “among its provisions, the bill requires schools to teach “that sex is determined by biology and reproductive function at birth; that biological males impregnate biological females by fertilizing the female egg with male sperm; that the female then gestates the offspring; and that these reproductive roles are binary, stable, and unchangeable.

The bill bars schools from requiring students or employees to refer to each other with pronouns that do not align with their assigned sex at birth. It will also prohibit trans school employees from sharing their pronouns with students.”

Social media bans

A new measure gives Florida’s public teachers the power to ban cellphone use during class time. It blocks social media sites like TikTok off district devices and servers and requires teachers to educate students about the dangers related to social media.

Budget

According to WUSF, “Lawmakers approved putting a record $26.7 billion into the the Florida Education Finance Program, the main funding source for public schools. That represents an increase of $2.2 billion over the current year. Lawmakers also bolstered a multi-year plan to boost teacher salaries, pumping an additional $252 million into the effort. The budget also includes $350 million for what has been dubbed the Educational Enrollment Stabilization Program, which would help hedge against unanticipated financial impacts from the expansion of school vouchers… A Senate summary of the budget said the stabilization money is designed to “protect districts from financial instability as a result of changes” to student enrollment throughout the year.”

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Also not mentioned is how the bill’s sponsors plan to pay for it.

The cost, according to the staff analysis, is “indeterminate.”

And that “is not reasonable,” said Norín Dollard, a senior research analyst at Florida Policy Institute, a nonpartisan organization that focuses on quality of life issues for Floridians. The group issued a report on voucher funding in September.

About 266,000 Florida children attend private schools without using any current state scholarship or voucher, Dollard notes. All would be eligible for education savings accounts under the proposal.

In addition, approximately 150,000 children receive home schooling. HB 1 would provide accounts to as many as 10,000 of them in the first year, with more to come in following years.

Conservative back-of-the-napkin math suggests that if just 25% of the newly eligible students participate, and those currently in the program remain, the added cost would reach $600 million, Dollard said. As participation grows, the total could approach $4 billion or more within five years, she added.

If that’s the policy decision in leadership, so be it, Dollard said. But it needs to be funded somehow. Tampa Bay Times

The bill, a priority of Speaker of the House Paul Renner, has been fast tracked and passed its first committee on party lines. The governor released his voucher proposal last week. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “It did not include specific funding for the House priority of creating universal education savings accounts, which has been estimated by some observers to require billions of dollars. Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has not yet endorsed the bill, and he wanted to see more details before committing money in his budget ask.”

Opponents of voucher expansion agree, the bill’s champions must explain how they plan to pay for it. Since there is no new funding stream, the monies must come from existing sources which would result in massive cuts to public schools and catastrophic instability to school districts left with no means to plan.

Arizona, a state which passed a similar voucher bill, reported high demand for the program. Headlines out of the state report devastating budget implications and the new governor has announced her desire to repeal the new law.

According to Forbes– an analysis of the Arizona program by the Grand Canyon Institute found, “These vouchers primarily benefit wealthier households.” GCI found that no zip codes with a median income above $80,000 (well above the state median income) have schools receiving a D or F grade from the state. Those wealthier zip codes account for 45% of universal ESA applicants. Those zip codes that do include one “failing” high school or two “failing” k-8 schools only account for 3.5% of the universal ESA applicants.  80% of universal ESA applicants are not in public schools. That means one of two things must happen. Either the state must come up with additional funding (about $177 million in GCI’s estimate), or school districts will send funding to “follow” those students, even though the reduction in costs for the district will be $0.

The Florida Policy Institute asserts, “Even under conservative estimates, Florida Empowerment Scholarship (FES) vouchers would cost the state about $4 billion in the initial year of HB-1 implementation…If the state does not increase revenue to cover the cost of students already in private education, then the reallocation of state aid to school vouchers will leave school districts with significantly less revenue to fund the remaining public schools students.”

What can you do about this? Contact Governor DeSantis and your elected officials. Tell them what you think about this proposal. Send an email and/or tweets to them with two simple clicks. Then, share this information with your friends.

Take action now

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