Florida's race-to-the-top?

One of the things that FL Gov. Ron DeSantis can brag about at tonight's debate is Florida's school choice scholarship program. Florida's school choice program has been in place since 2001 so it isn't something new. Still, Florida deserves recognition for expanding their program over the years.

For instance, to stand out from other private schools or charter schools, Florida's Catholic schools have had to innovate because of the competition with other schools. The WSJ editorial says that "in order to stand out on a landscape where parents have more choices every day, many Catholic schools here are offering distinctive programming on top of the core features that have always made Catholic schools attractive and effective.' Several schools now offer International Baccalaureate programs and other specialized courses."

The result? "Of the 10 states with the highest Catholic school enrollment, Florida is the only one where Catholic school enrollment has grown over the past decade. It’s a modest 4.4%, or 3,644 students, but compare that to New York and New Jersey, where enrollment dropped by more than 30%. Pennsylvania saw a 25% loss. The report comes from Step Up for Students, a nonprofit that administers Florida’s K-12 scholarships."

Florida is famous for their high-quality schools. That's been true since the Jeb Bush era. Gov. DeSantis, though, has gotten more aggressive with expanding school choice. Further, Florida is now famous for delivering school choice to rural areas:

The report highlights two examples of students in remote areas benefiting from Catholic education. Hope Rural School in the Diocese of Palm Beach serves mostly students of agricultural workers. The Diocese of St. Augustine set up a transportation initiative to help students who live in areas that lack Catholic schools nearby. "Examples like these counter widespread myths that school choice 'can't work' in rural areas," says the report.

Opponents of choice aren't making great arguments. One parent in this video insists that "public schools are the bedrock of democracy":

That's a pile of BS. Why can't a robust school choice program make our government stronger? Obviously, school choice, combined with moral instruction, will help create a healthier society:

All of this is a good signal that Florida’s steady school choice expansion has helped students and families. Other states can encourage similar growth and competition by expanding vouchers and scholarships for all children.

Competition is essential. Without competition, we stagnate and get complacent. Let's keep pushing each other to excellence. That's how we return to greatness.

Getting it done:

Wednesday night, I hope Gov. DeSantis highlights this as proof that he's the guy on stage that gets positive things done. Each candidate will say that they're for school choice. Unlike them, though, Gov. DeSantis has a history of accomplishment, not just support.